Documentation

Getting Started with Open Shell

Welcome to Open Shell, a powerful suite of utilities designed to bring classic Windows features to modern versions. This guide will help you get started with Open Shell and make the most of its features. Open Shell is considered by HowToGeek as one of the best solutions for bringing back the classic Windows experience.

Installation Basics

1

Download and Install - Get the latest version from the download page and follow the installation instructions.
2

First Launch - After installation, click the Start button to open the Settings window for initial configuration.
3

Choose Style - Select your preferred Start Menu style (Classic, Two Columns, or Windows 7).
4

Basic Customization - Adjust basic settings like menu size, icon size, and search options.
5

Apply Settings - Click OK to apply your changes and start using Open Shell.

Tip: You can access the Settings window at any time by right-clicking the Start button and selecting"Settings".

Initial Configuration

After installation, you'll want to configure Open Shell to match your preferences. Here are some key areas to focus on:

Start Menu Settings

• Select your preferred menu style
• Customize the menu size and appearance
• Configure search options
• Choose which folders to display

Explorer Integration

• Enable/disable the toolbar
• Customize toolbar buttons
• Configure status bar appearance
• Set up alternative navigation view

For more detailed configuration options, see the specific sections below for each component.

Open-Shell Menu: Menu Styles

Open Shell offers three distinct menu styles, each with its own look and feel. You can choose the one that best suits your preferences and workflow.

Classic Style

The Classic style is inspired by Windows 2000/XP, providing a simple and efficient interface.

Key Features:

• Compact, single-column design
• Quick access to programs and system folders
• Minimal visual elements for maximum efficiency
• Excellent for keyboard navigation

Best For:

Users who prefer simplicity and efficiency, or those with nostalgic attachment to classic Windows interfaces.

Two Columns Style

The Two Columns style provides more space and organization, with programs on one side and system folders on the other.

Key Features:

• Dual-column layout with more visual space
• Programs list in the left column
• System folders and options in the right column
• Better organization of menu items

Best For:

Users who need quick access to both programs and system folders, or those who prefer a more organized menu structure.

Windows 7 Style

The Windows 7 style mimics the Start Menu from Windows 7, with its modern look and integrated search. According to MakeUseOf, this style is particularly popular among users ing from older Windows versions.

Key Features:

• Modern look with Windows 7 aesthetics
• Pinned programs and most used programs sections
• Integrated search box
• Jump lists for quick access to recent items

Best For:

Users who enjoyed the Windows 7 interface and want a modern yet familiar Start Menu experience.

Changing Menu Styles

To change the menu style:

1. Right-click the Start button and select"Settings"
2. Go to the"Main" tab
3. Select your preferred style from the"Main menu style" dropdown
4. Click"OK" to apply the changes

Open-Shell Menu: Customization

One of Open Shell's strongest features is its extensive customization options. You can tailor almost every aspect of the Start Menu to fit your preferences.

Basic Settings

These are the most commonly adjusted settings that affect the overall look and feel:

Menu Size

Adjust the width and height of the Start Menu to fit your screen and preferences.

Location: Main tab → Menu size and position

Icon Size

Choose between small and large icons for menu items.

Location: Main tab → Visual settings

Search Box

Configure search behavior, including whether to show the search box, search through files, or just programs.

Location: Search tab

Menu Animation

Enable or disable menu animations and set their speed.

Location: Main tab → Visual settings

Advanced Customization

Open Shell offers detailed customization options for power users:

Menu Content

Choose which system folders appear in the menu, and add custom folders or links.

Location: Menu Items tab

Custom Actions

Assign custom actions to various menu items and clicks.

Location: Controls and Behaviors tab

User Picture

Configure whether to show your user picture and how it should appear.

Location: Main tab → Visual settings

Submenus

Adjust submenu behavior, including delay time and cascading options.

Location: Controls and Behaviors tab

Import/Export Settings

Save your customizations and transfer them to other computers.

Location: Settings window → Use the"Backup" button in the bottom left

Open-Shell Menu: Skins & Themes

Skins allow you to completely change the look of your Start Menu. Open Shell comes with several built-in skins, and you can download more from the community.

Using Skins

To apply or change a skin:

1. Right-click the Start button and select"Settings"
2. Go to the"Skin" tab
3. Select a skin from the dropdown menu
4. Adjust skin-specific options if available
5. Click"OK" to apply the changes

Built-in Skins

Open Shell includes several built-in skins to choose from:

Windows Classic

Windows XP

Windows 7

Metro

Metallic

Aero

Custom Skins

You can also use custom skins created by the community or create your own:

Installing Custom Skins

1. Download the skin file (.skin format)
2. Place it in one of these locations:
- • Open Shell installation folder
- • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\OpenShell\Skins
- • %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenShell\Skins
3. Right-click the Start button and select"Settings"
4. Go to the"Skin" tab and select your custom skin

Creating Custom Skins

Advanced users can create their own skins using a text editor:

• Skin files are XML files with the extension .skin
• They can include bitmaps, colors, and layout information
• Review existing skins to understand the structure
• The GitHub wiki contains more detailed information on skin creation

Open-Shell Menu: Keyboard Shortcuts

Open Shell supports various keyboard shortcuts to enhance productivity and provide quick access to features without using the mouse.

Available Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Windows Key	Open/close the Start Menu
Esc	Close the Start Menu
Arrow Keys	Navigate through menu items
Enter	Open selected item
Alt+Letter	Access menu items with underlined letters
Right Arrow	Open submenu
Left Arrow	Close submenu
Shift+F10 or Context key	Open context menu for selected item
Start typing	Search for programs, files, and settings

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

You can customize various keyboard behaviors:

1. Right-click the Start button and select"Settings"
2. Go to the"Controls and Behaviors" tab
3. Look for keyboard-related options
4. Adjust settings like hotkeys and keyboard navigation

Classic Explorer: Toolbar Configuration

The Classic Explorer toolbar brings back easy access to common file operations and navigation controls.

Toolbar Basics

The Classic Explorer toolbar appears at the top of Windows Explorer windows, providing quick access to common commands.

Enabling the Toolbar

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Right-click in an empty area of the toolbar region
3. Make sure"Classic Explorer Bar" is checked

Default Buttons

The default toolbar includes these common buttons:

Up

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

Undo

Redo

New Folder

Customizing the Toolbar

You can customize the toolbar to include the buttons you use most frequently:

Adding/Removing Buttons

1. Right-click on the toolbar and select"Customize Buttons"
2. In the dialog that appears, you can:
- • Add buttons from the available list
- • Remove buttons from the current toolbar
- • Rearrange buttons using the up/down arrows
- • Add separators between button groups
3. Click"OK" to apply your changes

Additional Available Buttons

Some useful buttons you might want to add:

Go to Home Folder

Map Network Drive

Show Desktop

Folder Options

Split Button

Command Prompt

Classic Explorer: General Configuration

Beyond the toolbar, Classic Explorer offers many settings to enhance the Windows Explorer experience.

Accessing Explorer Settings

To access Classic Explorer settings:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Right-click on the Classic Explorer toolbar
3. Select"Settings"
4. The settings dialog will open with multiple tabs

Alternatively, you can access these settings from the main Open Shell settings by right-clicking the Start button and selecting"Settings", then going to the"Explorer" tab.

Key Configuration Options

Address Bar

Configure how the address bar looks and functions:

Switch between breadcrumbs and classic path display
Show or hide navigation buttons
Customize the appearance of the path separator

Status Bar

Customize the status bar at the bottom of Explorer windows:

Show file size information for selected items
Display free disk space
Show total folder size
Choose which information appears and in what order

File Operations

Configure how file operations behave:

Alternative copy UI (Windows 7 only)
Set default copy/move behavior
Configure confirmation dialogs
Customize alternative selection methods (Alt+Click)

Folder Views

Set default view settings for different folder types:

Default view mode (Details, Tiles, etc.)
Column settings for Details view
Sort options and grouping
Folder-specific settings

Custom Key Shortcuts

Classic Explorer allows you to define custom key shortcuts for various actions, making navigation even more efficient. These can be configured in the"Keys" tab of the Explorer settings.

Classic IE: Configuration Options

Classic IE enhances Internet Explorer with features from earlier versions and additional improvements.

Configuration Options

To access Classic IE settings, right-click the Start button, select"Settings", and go to the"Internet Explorer" tab.

Title Bar Caption

Customize how website titles appear in the browser window title bar:

Show the full page title
Include site security information
Display custom prefix or suffix

Status Bar

Configure the status bar at the bottom of Internet Explorer:

Show security zone information
Display progress bar for page loading
Show link target URLs on hover

Internet Explorer Retirement Note

Internet Explorer has been retired by Microsoft in favor of Microsoft Edge. Classic IE is primarily useful for organizations still maintaining legacy systems that require Internet Explorer. Most modern users will not need to configure this component.

Advanced Topics: Registry Settings

Open Shell stores its settings in the Windows Registry. Advanced users can manually edit these settings for deeper customization. As explained in TenForums' registry tutorials, working with registry settings allows for advanced customization beyond the standard UI options.

Registry Locations

Open Shell settings are stored in these registry locations:

Start Menu Settings

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenShell\StartMenu\Settings

Explorer Settings

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenShell\ClassicExplorer

IE Settings

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenShell\ClassicIE

Caution

Editing the registry directly can cause system instability if done incorrectly. Always back up the registry before making changes. When possible, use the provided Settings interface instead.

Example Advanced Settings

Some settings that are only available through registry editing:

Enabling Detailed Logging

Add a DWORD value named"LogCategories" with value 0xfff to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenShell\StartMenu\Settings

Customizing Menu Animation Speed

Modify the"MenuAnimation" value (DWORD) with a number between 0-500 in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenShell\StartMenu\Settings

Advanced Topics: Multi-Language Support

Open Shell supports multiple languages through its language pack system.

Using Language Packs

Open Shell uses .dll files for different languages. To use a language pack:

1. Download the language DLL file for your preferred language from the GitHub releases page
2. Place the DLL file in one of these locations:
- • Open Shell installation folder
- • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\OpenShell\Languages
3. Right-click the Start button and select"Settings"
4. Go to the"General Settings" tab
5. Select your language from the dropdown menu
6. Click"OK" to apply the changes

Available Languages

Open Shell is available in many languages, including:

English

German

French

Spanish

Italian

Chinese

Japanese

Russian

Advanced Topics: Command Line Options

Open Shell supports various command line options for advanced functionality and automation.

Available Commands

The main executable (StartMenu.exe) supports these command line options:

Command	Description
-settings	Opens the Settings dialog
-toggle	Opens or closes the Start Menu
-log	Enables logging for troubleshooting
-autostart	Used when Open Shell starts with Windows
-nofadeopen	Opens menu without animation

Examples

Opening Settings

StartMenu.exe -settings

Opens the Settings dialog directly without opening the Start Menu.

Creating a Settings Shortcut

Create a desktop shortcut with the following target:

C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\StartMenu.exe -settings

Documentation

Getting Started with Open Shell

Installation Basics

Initial Configuration

Start Menu Settings

Explorer Integration

Open-Shell Menu: Menu Styles

Classic Style

Key Features:

Best For:

Two Columns Style

Key Features:

Best For:

Windows 7 Style

Key Features:

Best For:

Changing Menu Styles

Open-Shell Menu: Customization

Basic Settings

Menu Size

Icon Size

Search Box

Menu Animation

Advanced Customization

Menu Content

Custom Actions

User Picture

Submenus

Import/Export Settings

Open-Shell Menu: Skins & Themes

Using Skins

Built-in Skins

Custom Skins

Installing Custom Skins

Creating Custom Skins

Open-Shell Menu: Keyboard Shortcuts

Available Shortcuts

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Classic Explorer: Toolbar Configuration

Toolbar Basics

Enabling the Toolbar

Default Buttons

Customizing the Toolbar

Adding/Removing Buttons

Additional Available Buttons

Classic Explorer: General Configuration

Accessing Explorer Settings

Key Configuration Options

Address Bar

Status Bar

File Operations

Folder Views

Custom Key Shortcuts

Classic IE: Configuration Options

Configuration Options

Title Bar Caption

Status Bar

Internet Explorer Retirement Note

Advanced Topics: Registry Settings

Registry Locations

Start Menu Settings

Explorer Settings

IE Settings

Caution

Example Advanced Settings

Enabling Detailed Logging

Customizing Menu Animation Speed

Advanced Topics: Multi-Language Support

Using Language Packs

Available Languages

Advanced Topics: Command Line Options

Available Commands

Examples

Opening Settings

Creating a Settings Shortcut

Ready to Transform Your Windows Experience?