How to switch back to the Windows 8 Start screen in Windows 10

Ever since the release of Windows 8 back in 2012, most users immediately clamored for the return of the Start menu. Many went back to older versions of the OS simply because they couldn’t bear using Windows without a Start menu. The recently released Windows 10 Technical Preview brings back the Start menu, and integrates some elements of Windows 8 into it, like Metro apps, Live Tiles, and more. However, if you prefer to use the Start screen from Windows 8, the Windows 10 Technical Preview allows you to re-enable it with just a few steps. The option is somewhat hidden, but here, we show you how to get it back in less than a minute. First, click Start and type “taskbar.” The first search result that comes up should be “Taskbar and Navigation.” Click on it. Then, in the “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” window that appears, click on the “Start Menu” tab at the top. The first option you should see here is a check box labeled “Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen.” Click the box to de-select this option, click “Apply,” then hit “OK.” Windows 10 will now ask you to sign out of the OS in order to complete the process. Click “Sign out and change settings,” and once you boot back into the Technical Preview, you should be greeted by the Windows 8 Start screen. In an update to its support document, Microsoft plans to reduce the performance of its legacy OneNote app in an attempt to encourage users to use the Windows 11 OneNote app. Windows Latest first spotted the support document, which mentions how Microsoft is transferring features from the legacy (OneNote for Windows 10) app to the latest version. Microsoft has removed the older version of OneNote from the Microsoft Store, but the software giant promised that the legacy app would not be replaced. You will still have complete control over the app, and Microsoft will not force you to switch. However, the Windows 10 end-of-support date is approaching, and as a result, the OneNote syncing will get slower. Many were hoping that Windows 10 might still get another lease on life, but alas — that doesn’t seem to be the case. Microsoft has just started sending out emails to users who are still running Windows 10, and those emails make it quite clear that the end-of-life (EOL) period of the beloved operating system is coming to an end. Microsoft’s advice? Upgrade to Windows 11 ASAP. Windows Latest received an email from Microsoft, titled: “End of support for Windows — what you need to know.” This message was likely sent out to many more users, and may keep popping into people’s mailboxes as Microsoft keeps rolling out the alert. It appears more and more Windows 10 users may be finally ready to let go of the legacy operating system ahead of the end of its life status on October 14. Microsoft has been urging system users to update to the latest Windows 11 software before that date and after months of ignoring the call, tens of millions of users are now opting in to the update. Figures from StatCounter indicate that the percentage of Windows 10 usage has now dipped below 60% for the first time with 58.7% of global users running the system as of February 2025. Meanwhile, stats for Windows 11 are slowly creeping up toward 40% with 38.2% of global users running this version of Microsoft’s OS.