Nakor

Join Date 03/2001

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Start8 1.17 beta for Windows 8.1 Preview available

We have a new beta for Start8 (v1.17) which includes various updates including fixes for some issues with the Windows 8.1 Preview.

Changelog

-Updated for Windows 8.1 Preview build compatibility
-Start8 allows customizing the Start button image AND provides a desktop Start menu
-Added new prompt on first run to select a default button image. Upgrade installs will not see this prompt.
-When running on Windows 8.1 Preview, respect the OS configuration for "boot to desktop"
-When used with Stardock WindowBlinds, you can also override the Start button in use with the WB setting for "always use the OS" button
-Options for showing the Windows 8.1 Start screen in other than full-screen mode are disabled in this version of Start8

You can download here, and registered users can download from their account page at download.stardock.com.

start8

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idannet

I have a question:

Why there is no Windows 7 styled theme?! or it will return in release version!?

I just don't like this "Designed to match the square edges of Windows 8"

and unfortunately I've installed Windows 8.1 preview version

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I am not going to bother with Windows 8.1 preview.

I am going to wait for the release.

Is there any benefit in upgrading to Start8 1.17 beta for me?

I have been prompted by Stardock Central.

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Does not work on Windows 8.1 Preview. only works by pressing Windows key on keyboard. when i click on the start icon on the left bottom corner Start screen appears.

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Quoting vsg24,

reply 3

Does not work on Windows 8.1 Preview. only works by pressing Windows key on keyboard. when i click on the start icon on the left bottom corner Start screen appears.

The beta DOES work on Windows 8.1 preview.

It sounds like you have not installed the beta of 1.17 and have instead installed 1.16.

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Hi,

Can you the developers of Start8 add an option to keep Windows 8.1's default Start button with the Blue animation found in Windows 8.1 preview.

Also can you add and option to remove Switch user, Sign Out and Lock on the Shut Down tab. In Windows 7 when I disable User Fast Switching via gpedit the Switch user option gets hidden but this does nothing in windows 8.x since Windows 8.x does not have a Start menu to start with and the only way is if Start8 adds an option to do so, however disabling hibernation in Windows 8.x removes Hibernate from Start8's Shut down tab.

Thanks,

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Just installed the 1.17 beta and I have no complaints, still is better than Microsoft's heh.

I have 2 monitors and I even noticed there was an option on Start8 to add to the other taskbar too, PERFECT!

THANK YOU!

What is crazy is I might just purchase a new computer with 8.1 preinstalled just knowing that you have this program working with 8.1

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Excuse me while moan, but in the past I noticed that the light blue Windows 8 button disappeared! What happened to it, it was the best of all! This white is ugly to me... Please, bring a light blue button back!

Windows Blue

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What light blue start button?

I don't recall us ever offering a blue one of those.

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in style category

in which theme do you want to use

there used to be the option - windows 7 with solid colors or something like this

and now we only have 2 options

why ????????????

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Hello!

Excuse me.. Neil, What do you mean?

Indeed, previously "StartButtons" folder containing a light blue Windows 8 logo! But it disappeared recently...
I just downloaded the old version, and what is this??:

Back.. back.. we want this lovely light blue logo back. <img src= " width="1000" height="676" />

We want this lovely light blue logo back. Could you bring it back to Start8 installer, please?

EDIT: It is so cute!

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Is anyone else having an issue in that hitting the start button a 2nd time won't actually close the start menu?, on the Windows 8 version (1.16) if you click the start menu button it opens the menu, then if you click it again it will close it (just like in Windows 7 etc). On the Windows 8.1 version (1.17), if you click the start menu button it opens the menu, then if you click It again it won't close the menu and instead it just sort of refreshes it (very quickly opens it again).

A minor issuer I know, just something that is bugging me.

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Quoting sunny99100,

reply 9

in style category

in which theme do you want to use

there used to be the option - windows 7 with solid colors or something like this

and now we only have 2 options

Ditto to this. I just noticed that the Windows 7 style themes aren't in this version of Start8. Is this just a temporary situation to get a Win8.1 compatible version of Start8 out right away, or are these themes being depreciated in future versions of Start8?

Quoting MajorMelchett,

reply 11

Is anyone else having an issue in that hitting the start button a 2nd time won't actually close the start menu?,

Yes, I'm seeing that too.

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I would like my Start8 look and be as native as possible. Since there is an actual start button now, I'd be happy to see Start8 using/hooking it instead placing and using it's own button.

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I installed the beta Start8. I'm happy to say it is working well with windows 8.1. All so it fixed a bug with windowblinds and the start button.

That nasty looking Start Button that came with windows 8.1 was but ugly. lol

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Yeah, and Start8 lost a cute light blue button... [e digicons]:'([/e]

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Very good software.

One problem: most of the fonts in Start8 Menu are respecting the OS settings regarding ClearType (when ClearType is OFF, they are displayed in the same way).

The fonts which does not respect this setting are:

- All Programs / Back

- Search programs and files (the input text is OK)

- Shut down button (the submenu is OK)

I kindly ask you to fix this.

Thank you,

Quinn

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Quoting eok1993,

reply 17

Does not work

Could you be more specific?

Start8 1.17 should work just fine on Windows 8.1 preview.

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Hello,

I used the 1.16 on Windows 8.1 Preview and had the problem that the Windows start button was over the Start8 Button. I than created a my own custom button, that simply has double the width than the default button and set the new design to start 8. I thant had to Start Buttons, one for the windows 8 start screen and one for the Start8 menu. This was useful. Maybe you should add an Option to Show the Start8 Button besides the Windows button to always have to Buttons. I just installed 1.17 for testing.

Bye

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I am using Start8 version 1.17 on Windows 8 (not 8.1). Unfortunately, the menu no longer skins properly if run in conjunction with Windowblinds 8.0 (017). It looks OK when I open the menu, yet as soon as I start mousing over the entries (i.e., text and icons) some of the text in the left half of the menu becomes garbled while that on the right just disappears.

I have added an example below. The skin is 'diamond'. This happens with other skins too, however. Note that the black box on the right is simply where my user name used to be.

On a somewhat related note, I wondered if the final version of 1.17 will allow us to block the Windowblinds skinning feature. I was quite happy with the Win7 menu clone. Currently the 'Which theme do you want to use' option is greyed out.

EDIT #1 - some skins will leave the text in the left half of the menu intact. Among them are Laguna and 7Plus. Both still make a mess of the right half of the menu, though - in the same manner as the other skins.

EDIT #2 - After I uninstalled uxstyle core beta fewer skins displayed the problems described above. They persist in Aero Seven (menu on right disappears) and Aero Seven XP (menu on right disappears). Laguna is fine now, as is Diamond.

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Could you provide a link to those skins with the issue as the only Aero 7 skin I could find had no XP substyle and worked just fine with Start 8 1.17.

Every skin I have tried is perfectly happy with WB 8 and Start8 1.17.

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Yes, of course.

Aero Ultimate by fediaFedia (download link on the right). Substyle is 'Aero Seven'.

http://fediafedia.deviantart.com/art/Aero-Ultimate-FINAL-81684745

Aero Seven XP by Ernasco

http://ernasco.deviantart.com/art/Aero-Seven-Xp-RC5-134438015

Many thanks!

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The issue i've been reporting (https://forums.stardock.com/443842/page/1/) is still there, wondering if you're gonna fix it in the new final release or not.

Thanks in advance!

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I just did a fresh install for 1.17 beta and it's still not working. When I click o the Start Menu it takes me to the Windows 8 menu...I've tried restarted and still not working.

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Quoting SynGamer,

reply 24

I just did a fresh install for 1.17 beta and it's still not working. When I click o the Start Menu it takes me to the Windows 8 menu...I've tried restarted and still not working.

In testing we have not experienced any problems with Start8 1.17 on Windows 8.1 preview.

Are you sure you didn't set Start8 to show the Windows 8 menu when the button is pressed? I would carefully check your settings, or simply delete everything under HKCU\Software\Stardock\Start8 in the registry and reboot and it should revert to the Start8 defaults.

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