Start Menu May Arrive in Windows 8.1 Update 3
Read .. more delays. Microsoft’s Terry Myerson revealed that the beloved Start Menu would return to the Windows platform in the near future, but didn’t specify an actual release date. Presumably it was going to launch in Windows 8.1 Update 2. Now sources are reporting that the Start Menu will not arrive until Windows 8.1 Update 3, available in Spring 2015.
Unnamed sources report that Windows 8.1 Update 3 will take place in Spring 2015, the same window that Windows 9 "Threshold" was supposed to be released. Does that mean Windows 9 is already seeing a delay? Sources now point to a Q2/Q3 window for "Threshold," which could mean that Update 3 will be released in April and Windows 9 in June.
Popular Windows leaker WZOR reports that Update 2 will be free to Windows 8.1 Update 1 users, and sold to all other Windows customers at an "affordable price." The same holds true for Windows 9: customers who upgraded to Update 3 will get the new OS for free. That sounds a bit "off," as Microsoft made Windows 7 users pay $40 for the Windows 8 upgrade when it was first released. Then again, we've heard this "free" argument before, as Microsoft supposedly wants everyone on the newest version.
In a separate report by a user at EightForums, "Indianatone" called Microsoft about an activation issue. In the conversation, this person asked about when Windows 9 would be released, and was told that it would arrive in about a year. This same rep also admitted that customer support was currently being trained for Windows 8.1 Update 2, which will be released in August or September through Windows Store, weighing 3 GB: the same as Update 1.
WZOR indicated last week that Microsoft plans to have a huge internal event sometime this week to discuss the overall plans for Windows. Update 2 is expected to get an RTM escrow during the event, and will be distributed to Microsoft employees willing to take the new OS for a test drive. In turn this trial will help Microsoft track down the software leakers. Via Tom's hardware.
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Full Start menu back with Windows 8.2 - 12/10/2013 09:54 AM
Paul Thurrott reports some good news for desktop users who feel spurned by Windows 8 and aren’t satisfied with the changes made with Windows 8.1: Microsoft is working hard to appease them. T...
New Windows 8.1 Start menu details - 06/25/2013 09:23 AM
Users of Windows 8.1 will partly get the old Windows 7 start menu functionality back. Next to that it will also be possible to skip the Metro start up screen during boot. Hot corners will be able to g...
Senior Member
Posts: 19558
Joined: 2010-04-21
I like updates and the start menu coming back being one of them, but I have a horrible feeling it is Microsofts sneaky method of forcing Metro apps on people, and will more than likely break any 3rd party start menus, unless people find a way to disable it, I can't see how two menus could coexist, and personally I don't want metro apps all over the side of my start menu, I don't use Metro UI for a reason
Senior Member
Posts: 247
Joined: 2010-11-13
It is...
It is. This rumour have already yesterday confirmed to be bad information. It's funny that Guru3D is reporting this almost one week old news now after it was confirmed to be bad info. W9 is still happening early 2015. And this info - from Mary Jo Foley - is coming to a more trusted source than anyone else can ever have, she said.
Senior Member
Posts: 1163
Joined: 2007-07-11
You could install VMWare Player or enable Hyper-V if you have 8.1 Pro or later and install Win7 in a VM!
Senior Member
Posts: 5866
Joined: 2008-01-06
So I could have my start menu back? I'd rather instal a VM from another OS at that point.
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Joined: 2008-08-28
A joke? You don't realize how serious this is!