Classic Shell: Forum

In Windows 10 now there's a Settings button you click that takes you to the OS settings.

Classic shell does not have it on its start menu and there's no way to add it.

It's one of the few blind spots in this vastly superior start menu but mostly a nitpick because I mean, who goes to settings that often anyways. With it not there, honestly, all I do is do windows + q -> settings so it's not too much skin off my nose, but still. Would be nice to add.

Thanks for the wonderful product and keep it moving, you guys do great work.

In Classic Shell 4.2.3, there is already a new command to access the PC settings directly (Windows 8.1 and Windows 10). You can turn it on from Customize Start Menu tab. (It's below Control Panel).

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

I installed version 4.2.3 but still could not find the "Settings" option under the "Customize Start Menu" as you suggest. However the "Start Menu (Windows)" button which appears in the left column of the Start Menu now works and gives you access to the Windows 10 Start Menu which contains the Settings link.

@JimThomas99, Which Start Menu style are you using?

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Windows 7 style Start Menu does not feature the option, windows 9x style Start Menu does. I was going to report this myself but I see someone already did. I also don't see a way to add a shortcut to the Start Screen on the Windows 7 start menu either.

v4.2.3

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Windows 10 Pro x64

To add the Settings item to the Start Menu if it is not already present:

Make sure you are using Classic Shell 4.2.3 on Windows 10 or Windows 8.1/8.

In Windows 7 style:
1. Open Classic Start Menu settings and go to the Customize Start Menu tab.
2. Below Control Panel, you will find "PC Settings" on that tab. Change it to "Display this item".
3. Click OK.

In Classic styles:
1. Open Classic Start Menu settings and go to the Customize Start Menu tab.
2. Look in the Available Commands section on the right. Below Control Panel, you will find "PC Settings". Drag it to the left column (Current menu items) below Control Panel.
3. Click OK.

@Franpa, to add the Start Menu/screen shortcut, check the option: "Show Start screen shortcut" on the Main Menu tab of Classic Start Menu settings.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

It's literally not there in the options for Windows 7 style. I was running Windows 8.1 x64 with the latest updates with Classic Shell 4.2.1, I then upgraded to Windows 10 x64 and after upgrading Windows Classic Shell said it needed to reconfigure it self so I let it do that. Then I upgraded to Classic Shell 4.2.3.

Thanks, the Start Screen option IS present and works without issue.

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Windows 10 Pro x64

If you have customized the items in the "Customize Start Menu" tab, then it won't show by default. You will have to add a new item and set it to PC Settings.
You can also right-click and select "Reset start menu" to get all the default items, including the PC settings.

Ah, okay. I see what to do now. I didn't think I could change stuff in the Commands column like that. I don't see a way to add a new entry to that list but I can modify an existing entry that I've set to Hidden to PC Settings without issue.

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Windows 10 Pro x64

You can add a new item with the Insert key or right-click -> Insert Item.

Thanks.

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Windows 10 Pro x64

I am using Classic Shell 4.2.1.

I do not see an option for "PC Settings". Not in the Customize Start Menu tab, nor in the list of commands that may be added to that list.

Am I looking in the wrong place?

@bblackmoor You haven't upgraded to Classic Shell 4.2.3 or later.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

According to the All Downloads page, the current version is 4.2.1 (which is the version I have). ...

Latest Stable Version 4.2.1

4.2.1 was released several months before the final version of Windows 10 was released, 4.2.1 is for old preview versions of Windows 10. For a version that is suited for the final version of Windows 10 use the 4.2.3 Release Candidate or newer.

Edit: I think the release candidate is only accessible from the News column on the main page http://www.classicshell.net/, not All Downloads.

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Windows 10 Pro x64

I checked the fosshub.com mirror, just to be sure. That also shows 4.2.1 as the most recent version.

4.2.3 Release Candidate: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4803

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Windows 10 Pro x64

Thank you, that is helpful. I downloaded the version linked to in that discussion thread, and it does have the "PC Settings" item.

I apologize if it seems that I was ungrateful: I was simply describing what I see on my screen and on this site. Thank you for your assistance.

A month ago, I figured out how to make the Settings app open when clicking the "Settings" menu item (circled in red in the image below). Now the Classic Start Menu's Settings button cascades to provide the Control Panel, Computer Management, Network Connections and Printers options, while being itself a hot shortcut that opens the Settings app when clicked:




Just today, I learned about the new PC Settings action in Classic Shell and gave it a try. Unfortunately, the new Settings button stops working as soon as a sub-item is added, even with the "Split button item" option enabled. I am hoping this can be fixed in a future version. In the meantime, to make a menu item that opens the Settings app while containing sub-items itself, make the following changes in the desired menu item's properties:

Command: shell:AppsFolder\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel
Link: "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe"
Split button item: Enabled

Thanks for reporting the bug about PC Settings not working if it has a sub-menu. It will be fixed in the upcoming version 4.2.4.

I would have expected for this "PC settings" and it's submenus/categories to show up in the settings section of the searchbox results just like the old style settings, but it didn't. It only shows up (and only PC settings, nothing that's inside it) when I enable show metro apps and in the app section.
Will PC settings stuff be added to the searchbox?

The Start Menu already searches the PC Settings.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Not my experience. I don't get anything from there.
Wait. How do you get PC settings under the normal setting? Because I don't get that at all.

Right click start button>Classic Shell Settings
Type 'pc' into the search box
the only setting available should be the one you need

(alternatively its in the "Search Box" tab, when show all settings is checked)

If PC Settings are not being searched for you at all, try this:

1. In Classic Start Menu settings, go to the "Search box" tab. Make sure the "Search PC settings" option is checked.
2. In Control Panel -> Indexing Options -> Advanced -> go to the file type, settingcontent-ms. Try changing the default from "Index properties and file contents" to "Index properties only".

The index will be rebuilt. That will take time depending on how many files and folders you have added to the index. After it is rebuilt, you should be able to search PC Settings too.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

No it isn't when it's localized.

I have anything checked in the relevant section including PC settings. Maybe it only works on english windows 10 for some reason?

I can type in both english and my locale to get results for normal settings. For example I can type "mouse" or "egér" and get much the same results. (It's not perfect because for example I get microphone settings as a first result for "egér" also I get multiple options that are missing/available for one but not the other search term) I don't get anything from PC settings whatsoever.

I have indexing disabled. I didn't need it for old settings.
If memory serves I wanted use it to have the majority of my applications show up which are not in %programfiles%. But it was useless for it because it didn't check subfolders... unlike how %programfiles% is checked.

Indexing is needed for PC Settings. Old Control Panel settings are in a single special virtual folder. PC Settings are stored as a large number of files on the disk. Their keywords are stored as properties in the "Comments" field.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Do I need to make sure some folder is indexed to get PC settings results?

No, just enabling the indexing should do it. The folder is indexed by default on Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 unless you removed it.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

I might have. Which is it?

Your User profile is normally indexed by default by Windows Search. The PC Settings folder is at:
%LocalAppdata%\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Indexed\Settings\xx-XX

where xx-XX is differently named depending on the language. It's part of the appdata folder is included in the user profile.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Tanks
Well I added %LocalAppdata%\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy and subfolders, but it still doesn't work. Oh well...

I added the users folder and enabled indexing for ".settingcontent-ms" which was disabled by default, didn't help.
It kept disabling by default relevant paths like my user's folder appdata, it makes no sense.. So I kept enablind them manually. There's a hu-HU folder left I didn't find. It's not in the path you shared. It doesn't show where it is, naturally... What a pile of crap...

Anyway. It still doesn't work. I wish CSM would handle this automatically. Not sure what else can I do...