De eerste bètarelease van Classic Shell 4.0 is uitgekomen. Dit opensourceprogramma kan aanpassingen maken aan het uiterlijk van Windows Verkenner, Internet Explorer, de startknop en het startmenu in Windows 7 en 8. In Windows 8 kan het een startknop en startmenu toevoegen, en ervoor zorgen dat Windows direct doorstart naar de desktopomgeving, in plaats van de Metro-interface te tonen. In versie 4.0 is onder meer de ondersteuning voor Windows Vista komen te vervallen en is de Windows 7-skin sterk verbeterd.
Version 3.9.0 beta
This is the first public beta of the new Classic Shell 4. It has a long list of new features:Note: Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are no longer supported.
- New "Windows 7" menu style that replicates the look and feel of the Windows 7 start menu
- the programs show in a tree inside the main menu
- search results and jump lists show inside the main menu
- dedicated shutdown button
- the unparalleled customizability you've come to expect from Classic Shell
- You can search for files as well as programs, using the Windows indexing service
- The menu can show the most frequently used programs
- Programs can be pinned directly from Explorer
- New programs are automatically highlighted in the menu
- The list of Classic Shell settings can be searched to easily find the setting you need
- New more reliable way to start on Windows 8, that doesn't use a service
- Improved compatibility with Windows 8.1 Preview
- Many improvements to performance and responsiveness