Windows 7 or Windows 10? Can you tell?
EB always hates it when I say, “See, I told you so!” But I love to say it and now I’m going to say it again to everyone… Windows 10 is the most customizable version of Windows ever, and here’s an example of what I’m talking about:
Look up! Is that Windows 7 or Windows 10? I left a clue for you.
OK 40% of you said it’s Windows 7, 57% of you said it’s Windows 10, and 3% of you said it’s Budweiser. The 40% and the 3% are wrong, I tells ya. The 57% — who guessed Windows 10 — are correct. It’s Windows 10 but it sure looks like Windows 7, doesn’t it? Yes, it does. The hint I left for you was the Windows Store icon in the taskbar – it is not in Windows 7. I left more clues too – for instance “Settings” in the start menu… old Hawkeye EB is really good at Where’s Waldo.
I want to be honest. If you want Windows 10 to look like this, it’s going to cost you. It’s going to cost you $2.99 to get the program that makes it simple to make your Windows 10 computer look like Windows 7 including:
- Coloring your taskbar and adjusting its transparency
- Changing the background color of your start menu and adjusting its transparency
- A Windows 7-style start menu that really looks like Windows 7
- A Windows 7-start button that really looks likes Windows 7
- Large icons on the taskbar – you can make them smaller if you wish.
It took me less than 5 minutes to come up with my elegant Windows 10-that-looks-like-Windows 7 desktop…and anytime I want to change it it just takes a few seconds.
Now I have the look and feel of the familiar Windows 7 and all the features of Windows 10. It’s kind of like having your cake and eating it too. See? I told you so.
If you think $2.99 is too much for all the program that makes all this possible, I understand. And we don’t make a penny if you buy or if you don’t. We’re just giving you another option to customize the most customizable version of Windows ever made…Windows 10.
Oh, you say $2.99 for a lifetime license ain’t bad. You say you want to know what it’s called and where to get it. We’ll I’ll tell ya! It’s called StartIsBack… You can get it here. StartIsBack is offered as a fully functional 30-day free trial so you can try it before you part with your $2.99. No download games here — this guy is serious. See? Guess which button you click if you want the version for Windows 10, EB? Right, the GREEN one!
After 30 days, if you like it, you can buy it for $2.99 (three dollars as the crow flies), Or get 2 of ’em for $4.99 or buy some for your neighbors and family member – 5 licenses for $9.99. And remember, whether you buy one license or 500 family packs we don’t get nuthin’ – not a penny. We’re offering this tip to those of you who want to make your Windows 10 look like Windows 7 and want color things up and add larger icons to your taskbar.
PS: I know someone out there is going to tell us that Classic Shell does all this and it’s free. And EB, who’s a big fan of Classic Shell would be furious. But honestly? Classic Shell doesn’t really do all of the things that StartIsBack does, and its start menu does not look nearly as much like the real Windows 7 start menu. Also Classic Shell does not allow the degree of color customization or the resizing of Taskbar icons…nonetheless it’s free and it does approximate the Windows 7 start menu. If you don’t want to spend $2.99 – Classic Shell would be a good free choice.
Reminder..we are not being paid to promote StartIsBack… we really like it and think some of you will like it to. Right EB? RIGHT!
Windows 10 is a mess. They have moved everything and it took me a week to find my documents.
Is there a program that will let us have menu, command, and status bars in Edge?
I hope you or someone else is working on a program that will let Edge have menu, command, and status bars.
The Windows Aero skin of Classic Shell in Windows 7 style does look exactly like the real Windows 7 menu. In Classic Shell’s “Windows 10 Settings” tab, you can adjust taskbar transparency (set it to glass, opaque or transparent). You can adjust the taskbar opacity from 0 to 100 and the color. On its “Menu Look” tab, you can configure the Start Menu glass opacity and color. So yes except for the option of making Taskbar icons bigger, Classic Shell trumps StartIsBack++ at customization, features but most importantly, speed and responsiveness and getting fine-tuned usability. See a comparison of how much Classic Shell is better than StartIsBack++: http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2399
Btw, there is also a free tool called 7+ Taskbar Tweaker that fixes a number of issues with the Windows 7 taskbar. For me it is indispensable on Windows 7, 8 and 10. On Windows 10, it has the option that StartIsBack++ has to make Taskbar icons bigger.
So there you go, with completely free tools it is possible to get exactly the same..no wait..actually better results than StartIsBack+. You just haven’t DISCOVERED the right tweaks yet or LEARNED the right way to set it up yet. 😀
I really really disliked Taskbar tweaker – it would be the last thing I’d recommend to a non-savvy user. And StartItUp has transparency 0 to 100% for those who really want that. I choose to customize my own colors, had I left it at its default, it would have looked exactly like Windows 7.
No one is attacking Classic Shell so I don’t understand why the lecture – however, I have seen hundreds of computers with Classic Shell and I never have to guess if it’s Windows 7 – I know right away it’s Classic Shell. Classic Shell has this little glitch that’s very annoying – the start menu on occasion won’t open and you have to restart explorer or right-click the destkop.
For the AVERAGE user, StartItUp is superior to Classic Shell, less buggy, with more options – and it looks a lot more like Windows 7.
And for those how want to save $3 – I said to download Classic Shell. As far as not discovering ALL its features, how many computers have you installed Classic Shell on.
I’m not a fan of Classic Shell, but it does the job for those who are looking for a free alternative. And TaskBar Tweaker is a mess. I looked it yesterday and there’s no way I’d recommend it for the average user.
Excellent program…feel so much more comfortable with the Start Menu layout. Now I feel like I’m back “at home” with the benefits of Windows 10. Thanks for the tip. Glad to get rid of a lot of stuff I didn’t really want or need. J.P.