Start Menu X 6.2

Start Menu X is a small tweaking application developed specifically for helping you replace your old Start menu with a customizable one in case you are running Windows XP, Vista, and 7. For Windows 8 users the tool automatically adds a new menu.

Clean looks
The utility automatically replaces/adds a Start menu at the end of the installation process. The Start menu comes equipped with a search bar (just like in Windows Vista and 7) and allows you to look for items inside of documents.

You can also change the Start button by selecting from several predefined icons, detach the Start menu from the taskbar and move it anywhere on the desktop using drag-and-drop actions, as well as alter the size of the menu (the app works with any scaling factor for any DPI).

Access programs with ease
Start Menu X offers you the possibility to customize the Start menu by creating, modifying, and reordering items. Plus, menu items are revealed in an alphabetical order. You may set up multiple tabs so you can quickly access different locations.

Virtual groups can be created in order to store different programs by purpose. The application comes with support for several preset ones, such as Office, Graphics, and System. You can manually create new ones and define them in terms of name and icon.

In case you are a Windows 8 user, you should know the program allows you to skip the Start screen at startup, close the Start screen by pressing the Windows key twice, as well as enable or disable hot corners.

You can change the looks of the Start menu with the aid of several themes (e.g. Windows Metro, Classic Black, and Classic Sky), highlight updated files in the Start menu, assign a primary utility to each folder so you can easily run it by clicking on the target directory, and reassign hotkeys for faster actions (e.g. lock, switch user, log off).

Tests have shown that Start Menu X carries out a task quickly and without errors. It does not eat up a lot of CPU and memory resources so the overall performance of the computer is not burdened.

Automatic shutdown actions
Start Menu X lets you make use of a timer in order to automate shutdown-related tasks, such as switch user, log off, hibernate, sleep, restart, lock, or shut down. You can specify the exact time and date, and force the closing of utilities.

Final verdict
All in all, Start Menu X comes packed with useful options for helping you completely replace the old Start menu, and is suitable especially for advanced users who are on the hunt for customization features.