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Start8 Changelog

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Start8 1.56 Changelog

  • Minor updates and fixes

Start8 1.55 Changelog

  • Enterprise Server only - Updated code signature certificate.
  • Enterprise Server only - Fixed deactivate issue where client licenses were not properly freed up on the server.

Start8 1.50 Changelog

  • Added support for sleep function on Surface 3 and similar devices.
  • Added option to access a list of modern UI applications from the Start8 Start menu.

Start8 1.47 Changelog

  • Updates for compatibility with Windows 10 Tech Preview
  • Updates for latest activation binaries

Start8 1.45 Changelog

  • Added new SAS activation and trial code

Start8 1.41 Changelog

  • Supports Windows 8.1 Update [April 2014]
  • Fix to allow clicking on section titles in search
  • Fix for issue with documents showing in most recent apps list
  • Fix to exclude desktop items from recent apps list
  • Fixed issue with touch to close on touch-enabled machines re-opening the menu
  • 1.41 update to fix resource leak and clipping of last item in list

Start8 1.31 Changelog

  • Added some additional strings to bundled language files for Windows 8.1
  • DisplayFusion fixes
  • Hid the advanced option to go to desktop when closing a metro app on Win8.1
  • Disabled the option for the user picture to hide the user picture when using a WB skin
  • Fixed an issue with custom themes and non English languages where the shutdown button would clip text

Start8 1.30 Changelog

  • Updated for Windows 8.1 RTM compatibility
  • Added self-contained menu skinning for Windows 8/8.1(though WindowBlinds skins will still work globally). See the "Which theme do you want to use" dropdown for an example. A library section for new ones is available at http://www.wincustomize.com/explore/start8_menus.
  • The included Start8ThemeEdit.exe (in the application folder) can be used to create new Start8 menu skins.
  • New default Start button image. The Windows logo is no longer available as a default selection. You can download additional Start8 buttons from WinCustomize.com!
  • New features under Control for "Start button shows Windows 8 menu unless docked" and "Start button shows Start8 menu unless in tablet mode" for slate and convertible machines respectively. Users with those machines must manually select one of those options, if they wish to use them.
  • Windows 8-style start menu options are available on Windows 8.1 RTM. There are additional options for keeping the taskbar visible and defaulting to the Application view.
  • Additional fixes.

Start8 1.20 Changelog

  • Updated for Windows 8.1 Preview build compatibility
  • Start8 allows customizing the Start button image AND provides a desktop Start menu
  • Added new prompt on first run to select a default button image. Upgrade installs will not see this prompt.
  • When running on Windows 8.1 Preview, respect the OS configuration for "boot to desktop"
  • When used with Stardock WindowBlinds, you can also override the Start button in use with the WB setting for "always use the OS" button
  • Options for showing the Windows 8.1 Start screen in other than full-screen mode are disabled in this version of Start8

Start8 1.16 Changelog

  • Fixes for inconsistencies with right Windows key handling
  • Resolved blank share with menu and open with menu not showing all the right items (Open With issue)
  • Resolved a problem with jump lists and having a file in the list that was on a network location which was not avail
  • Resolved a problem with search where very rapid searches that only produced results in the files section would show no files found sometimes
  • Start8Tweak updated with setting to tell Start8 not to search inside files for content

Start8 1.15 Changelog

  • New: optionally view the taskbar when using fullscreen Windows 8-style menu
  • Optimizations to icon loading code and frequently used apps list

Start8 1.12 Changelog

  • Added support for bmp start buttons with alpha channels
  • Fix for a possible crash while searching
  • Fix for frequently used apps list not filtering out some pinned taskbar items
  • Assorted tweaks and performance improvements

Start8 1.11 Changelog

  • Added Start8tweak.exe advanced configuration for extra options including enabling / disabling Start8 on a per account basis.
  • Added email category to search results.
  • Added support for Modern UI app closing to return to the desktop rather than the Windows 8 menu on advanced settings.
  • Added native support for the DisplayFusion secondary taskbar.
  • Added support for BMP files as start button. RGB (255,0,255) is permitted for transparency.
  • Added registry entry to control if hidden items should be included in the All programs list.
  • Added registry entry to control if the user picture should have a border or not in the default theme.
  • Added registry entry to control if the tree has a horizontal scroll bar.
  • Added support for Search the Internet button on search results via registry key.
  • Documents, Pictures, Music, Computer and Recorded TV places will use the name set in explorer for them if the user has renamed them.
  • Shutdown button menu will have an item selected when accessed via the keyboard.
  • Adjusted start menu sizing to prevent bottom item on the places list from being slightly clipped in certain circumstances.
  • Modified shutdown menu to prevent surplus separator line showing when the machine doesn't support sleep or hibernate.
  • Right to left language versions of Windows now show the user picture.
  • Right to left language versions of Windows now have icons rendered the correct direction.
  • Tweaked to prevent .lnk text showing in tree on occasion.
  • Tweaked code to better handle closing a docked Modern UI application when at the desktop when the charms bar is set to disabled.
  • Fixed an issue with right click on the places list
  • Jumplists close when you pin / unpin something / delete it

Start8 1.1 Changelog

  • Added rename support in the tree
  • Added drag & drop including rearranging items in the all programs tree.
  • Added feature : Folders pinned to the startmenu allow you to view the first X items as a jumplist
  • Added opening Winkey+X menu option instead of start menu
  • Added feature : Custom places locations. Add a Dropbox location for example.
  • Additional language support
  • Search box now allows %appdata% etc
  • Improved go straight to desktop on login feature
  • Added option to disable multiple monitor corner stickiness feature of Windows 8
  • Added option to make right clicking the start button when at the bottom of the screen open the Win + X menu
  • Added support for automatically checking for updates every week (control from About page)
  • Added support for shell: link execution via search
  • Right clicking on empty areas of the Start menu shows the Configure Start8 option.
  • Modified custom places to support libraries
  • Tweaked pin to start menu code
  • Modified jumplist code to handle case of pinning an item resulting in the unpinned items disappearing sometimes
  • Modified jumplist code to handle the case of pinned items not showing after clearing recent docs lists
  • Tweaked jumplists code to handle jumplists not showing for all apps when recently opened programs option is disabled in the OS.
  • Modified config UI to grey out the inactive start menu style.
  • Tweak to resolve a rare race condition crash on guest account login.
  • Modified code to make recently run apps list update directly after launches rather than after the next time the menu is closed.
  • Menu key on keyboard now opens menu for selected search results.
  • Additional workaround for slow recent apps list population due to Windows defender bug.
  • Expanded the size of some UI elements to handle translations to more wordy languages
  • Jump lists now respect the OS setting for the number of entries shown
  • Shutdown button no longer ignores clicks if the mouse has moved
  • Start menu lines now appear correctly even in higher dpi modes
  • When at the bottom of the screen the startmenu no longer allocates space for one additional places list item
  • Added option to make custom places appear at the top of the places list.
  • Fixed issue with Putty and jumplist not showing blank entries which did not launch the right things
  • Fixed issue with Live Photo Gallery not opening images up in preview mode
  • Performance enhancements in the all programs tree to workaround a flaw in Windows Defender
  • Resolved a problem with the start menu position when the taskbar was on the right and there is a docked app
  • Send to sub menu now allowed on the tree right click menu.
  • UI supports translation via lng files. See \lang\en.lng file for info
  • When using the search box to view folders the performance is now improved
  • Tweaks to search to reduce memory usage slightly
  • Option to make places list entries take less room thus allowing more to show in less space
  • Rearranging pinned shortcuts is now faster
  • Places menus no longer select the first entry
  • Recent items list no longer includes folders
  • Deleting an item from the all programs list will delete it instantly from the tree vs waiting until the next refresh
  • Tree now includes hidden items
  • Added registry key option to hide tooltips in the startmenu. This is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8\HideTips = 1