Windows 8 is a new operating system that was released in October of 2012. It is a Windows 7-like operating system with some new features. One of the new features is the Start Screen. The Start Screen is a screen that appears when you start your computer. It has three main sections: the taskbar, the notifications area, and the search bar. The taskbar has three buttons: one to open a window, one to close a window, and one to open a menu. The notifications area has four buttons: one to show notifications from other applications, one to show notifications from your computer, one to show notifications from your network (if you are connected to a network), and one to turn off all notification windows on your computer. The search bar has two buttons: one to search for something on your computer or in the internet, and one to type in a word or phrase.

The Windows 8 Start screen. It’s a very divisive feature of the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, and the widespread dislike for the way it looks and works is demonstrated by the staggering number of tools for tweaking it that sprang up almost immediately. If you’re not happy with the way the Start screen works, there are plenty of ways you can customize it, and here we take a look at some of the best tools.

We have already looked at the built in options that are available for customizing the Start screen including how to group tiles together in a way that works for you. If it’s all too much, there are numerous ways in which you can bring the Start menu back.

But we thought we would take a look at some of the third party tools that are available to help you make the Start screen your own, tweak a few settings and iron out some annoyances.

Decor8

Starting off with a tool from a big name (Stardock), Decor8 is not a free utility but there is a trial version available so you can test it out.

Initially, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were still using Windows 8’s built-in Settings — the look is very similar. Things look fairly simple to start with, but in addition to being able to choose a new background image, there’s also the option of using random images from a folder full of backgrounds.

The drop down menu in the Background section can be used to choose between different animations effects to accompany scrolling through the Start screen, but more interesting settings can be changed by moving to the Options section.

Here you can not only adjust the number of rows of icons that are displayed and make further changes to scrolling effects (assuming you have parallax scrolling enabled), but you can also take advantage of the helpful addition of a clock to the Start screen and also opt to use the same color scheme on the Charms bar as on the Start screen.

At $4.99, Decor8 is hardly going to break the bank, and it’s great to find that there are tools available from established players, but there are also plenty of free options to choose from if you’d rather hang onto your cash.

Start Screen Animations Tweaker

The name says it all here. This utility is concerned solely with adjustments to the Start screen’s animation effects, and nothing else. Start Screen Animations Tweaker can be downloaded free of charge, although you should be prepared for a slightly confusing page with multiple Download buttons — just be sure to use the grey buttons).

You will probably have noticed that there is a slightly different animation used when the Start screen loads at login. In addition to animating the main tiles, your user name and user image also slide into view.

This can be changed so all of the animations are used every time the Start screen is displayed, and four sliders can be used to tweak the start point of each animated item. Hit the ‘Tune up the Parallax effect’ button and you can fine-tune the parallax scrolling effect that is used on your background image as you scroll through the Start screen tile. 90s gamers will likely associate this effect with Mario on the SNES.

Unlike the other animation effects that take immediate effect, if you make changes to the parallax scroll speed, Explorer needs to be restarted. All you need to do is click Apply in the parallax dialog, and you may find that there’s a slight delay and some screen flicker while Start Screen Animations Tweaker works its magic.

Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer

To access a few more options, including adjusting the opacity of the Start screen as a whole and of tiles, take a look at Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer. There is a degree of crossover with other Start screen tweakers, but being able to adjust transparency levels helps to ease the switch between desktop and Start screen.

Note that to get this application working, you will need to extract using 7-zip, change the extension of the file to .exe, and then run as Administrator.

You can also tailor the Start screen to your needs by adjusting the number of rows used to display tiles. This is a good option if you’re working with a smaller screen, but it’s also great for cramming in as many shortcuts as possible.

Metro Scaler

If you’re looking for a way to changing the number of rows displayed on the start screen, but you’re not interested in any of the other tweaks, Metro Scaler is a single purpose app that could be just what you’re looking for.

Things are very simple here: just use the slider to indicate the size of screen you’re using, and Metro Scaler will adjust the number of rows accordingly. Of course, you can always lie if you disagree with what the app believes to be the optimum number of rows.

Of course, many of these tweaks could be applied by editing the registry, but working with a tweaking app makes things much easier and quicker. What are your favorite tweaks for the Start screen? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

title: “How To Customize The Windows 8 Start Screen” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Cheryl Pan”

Windows 8 is a new operating system from Microsoft that is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use. One of the ways that Windows 8 makes it easier to use is by providing users with a customizable start screen. This guide will show you how to customize the Windows 8 start screen. ..

While you can’t get rid of the Start screen in Windows 8, there are lots of ways to customize the look and feel of the Start screen and make it your own.

In addition to removing tiles you don’t want to see, you can turn the Start screen into a full-screen desktop application, folder, and website launcher. You can tone the colors down or use an even more colorful design.

Change the Background & Color

If the Start screen’s default flat blue-purple color and sparse background doesn’t do it for you, you can change the Start screen’s background and colors.

To change this setting, move your mouse to the top or bottom left corners of your screen or press the WinKey+C shortcut to reveal the charms bar. Click the Settings charm and click Change PC settings.

(If you’re using a touch screen, you can access the charms bar by swiping in from the right.)

Click the Personalize category, click Start screen, and select your background image and color scheme. You can’t set custom background images or color schemes, but Microsoft provides quite a few options. You can choose everything from a complicated background in bright pink to a flat color background in dark gray.

Resize Tiles

You’ll notice that some tiles on the Start screen, such as Mail and People, are larger than other tiles on the Start screen, such as Internet Explorer and the Store. You can control the size of each tile yourself. Right-click a tile and use the Smaller or Larger bottom that appears at the bottom of the screen to enlarge or shrink the tile.

(Long-press the tile if you’re using a touch screen.)

Disable or Enable Live Tiles

Some tiles provide live, updated information. For example, the Finance and News tiles provide updates financial information and news from the Internet. If you don’t want this noise cluttering your Start screen, you can right-click a tile and click Turn live tile off. The tile will show only the app’s name – you can click it to open the app and view the information at your leisure.

Of course, if you don’t want a tile on your Start screen at all, you can click the Unpin from Start button instead.

Organize Tiles Into Groups

The Start screen allows you to arrange tiles into groups, each of which can be named. To arrange tiles into a group, drag and drop them – you’ll see areas of space in between groups while dragging and dropping.

To name your groups, use the Semantic Zoom feature – hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel down or click the little button at the bottom right corner of your screen, to the right of the horizontal scroll bar.

(If you’re using a touch screen, perform a stretch gesture – place two fingers on the screen and move them apart.)

Right-click one of the groups and click the Name group button to enter a name.

Each name will appear on the Start screen, allowing you to categorize your tiles, apps, and shortcuts.

Create a Desktop Application Launcher

If you don’t like the interface formerly known as Metro and you’d rather just use desktop apps, you can turn the Start screen into a desktop-only app launcher. Unpin all the tiles you don’t want to see by right-clicking each and using the Unpin button, and then pin all your favorite apps.

You can find all your desktop apps under All Apps – right-click on the Start screen and select All apps to view them. Right-click an app and select Pin to Start to put it on your Start screen.

Pin Folders & Websites

You can also pin shortcuts to folders and websites to your Start screen. To pin a folder to your Start screen, right-click it in the File Explorer window and select Pin to Start.

To pin a website to your Start screen, navigate to the website and use the Add site to Start Screen option in your browser’s menu. This feature is included in Internet Explorer, but other browsers can also support it. For example, you’ll find the same Pin to Start Screen option in Google Chrome’s menu.

Folders and websites will appear on your Start screen as tiles, just like other shortcuts.

With a few tweaks, the Start screen can be something approximating a full-screen Start menu — one that doesn’t encourage you to use any of the Windows 8 (don’t call it Metro!) apps if you don’t want to use them.