The new interface of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system may be disorienting at first for those who have spent years automatically heading toward the Start menu. While the new Windows 8 Start screen is a colorful alternative for displaying frequently used programs, widgets and apps, it may not appeal as much to people who favor things in lists, or who are not using a touch-screen computer.
For quicker access to the system's popular places - like the desktop, Windows Explorer or the Control Panel - press the Windows key and the X key on the keyboard to see a menu pop up from the bottom left corner of the screen. To see a list of all the computer's installed apps, press the Windows and Q keys, or right-click the screen and click the All Apps button in the bottom right corner.
But if keyboard shortcuts will not cut it, a third-party utility that mimics the old Start screen may make Windows 8 more comfortable. Classic Shell and StartW8 are just two of the many S tart menu replacement programs available around the Web.
