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
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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: 860
Joined: 2002-01-24
So when is windows 9 fall of 2015?
Senior Member
Posts: 686
Joined: 2010-03-27
We'll see in time what it means, I guess. Other than that I've had a working startmenu since Windows 8.0, it's called Start8 and works perfectly

Senior Member
Posts: 3460
Joined: 2011-05-10
I don't even navigate through a start menu/screen anymore, just press the windows key and type the first few letters of what I need then enter.
Senior Member
Posts: 66
Joined: 2010-04-27
Finally....&....To late

But I have no problems using Win8 since the RT Public edition and then Upg. from my Se7eN (low cost and Free Media Center

8 then 8.1 & 8.2 and waitnig for some revolution

Senior Member
Posts: 386
Joined: 2007-01-08
Excuse me but i don't get it. How can Update 3 be free for Update 2 users and cost for everybody else ? Whats stopping you from updating to Update 2? And what if you have to reinstall ? You have to pay?