Our verdict: Open-Shell is the free way to get a classic Windows 7-style Start menu on Windows 10 and 11. It is the community continuation of Classic Shell, highly configurable and skinnable. It replaces only the Start menu and some Explorer bars, not the Windows 11 taskbar.
About Open-Shell
Open-Shell continues Classic Shell, which its author Ivo Beltchev stopped developing, as an open-source project under the MIT license. Its main part is a classic Start menu that replaces the Windows Start menu, with Windows 7, two-column and classic styles, custom Start buttons and skins.
It also adds a toolbar to File Explorer and a status bar that shows the size of selected files and free disk space. Translations are installed as separate language DLL files. Since version 4.4.196, Open-Shell supports Windows on ARM; older versions must not be installed on ARM devices.
What it does well
- Classic Start menu. Windows 7, two-column or classic single-column Start menu styles.
- Skins and custom buttons. Changes the look of the menu and replaces the Start button image.
- Explorer toolbar. Adds a toolbar with common commands to File Explorer.
- Explorer status bar. Shows the size of selected files and free disk space.
- Detailed settings. Lets you remap the Windows key, choose menu items and set search behavior.
Who it is for
Good fit
People who miss the Windows 7 Start menu and want a fast, searchable classic menu.
Look elsewhere
Users who want to change the Windows 11 taskbar itself; use ExplorerPatcher or Windhawk for that.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and open source
- Classic Start menu styles with skins
- Very configurable
- Supports Windows on ARM since 4.4.196
Cons
- Does not restore the Windows 10 taskbar on Windows 11
- Languages other than English need a separate DLL download
- Older versions break sign-in on Windows on ARM
How to install Open-Shell
Run OpenShellSetup and keep only Open-Shell Menu if you do not need the Explorer and Internet Explorer add-ons. After installation, press Start and pick a menu style in the settings window. For other languages, download a language DLL and place it in the Open-Shell installation folder.
Questions about Open-Shell
Is Open-Shell free?
Yes. It is open source under the MIT license with no paid version.
Is Open-Shell the same as Classic Shell?
It is the community-maintained continuation of Classic Shell, built from its source code after the original author stopped development.
