Windows 8: Create a Pseudo Start Menu in the Taskbar

One of the first things people notice in Windows 8 is the omission of the Start menu from the desktop. There are several 3rd party replacements for this feature available on the Internet.

Personally, I like to limit the installation of any extra software installed on my system (this is my preference).

If you find this annoying, but don't want to install a 3rd party replacement. You can create a pseudo Start menu by creating a new toolbar in the taskbar.

All you have to do is right-click the taskbar, and select Toolbars > New Toolbar, then paste in the follow path in to the file dialog box: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

In the taskbar towards the right you will see the word Programs with two little ">>" (greater then signs) next to it. Click the little ">>" (greater then signs), and you should see all your installed desktop programs.