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StartAllBack for Windows PC Icon
Shareware / Trial v3.9.28 ✓ Checksum Published

Download StartAllBack for Windows PC v3.9.28 for Windows PC

StartAllBack 3.9.28 restores a classic, capable Start menu, taskbar and Explorer to Windows 11, with labels, movable taskbar and fast search — a $4.99...

Technical Specifications & System Requirements

Developer StartIsBack
Platform & OS Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
Package Size 2.0 MB
Architecture x64 (64-bit)
Package Format EXE Installer
Security Verification SHA-256 checksum published
SHA-256 Cryptographic Checksum Computed from the file we serve
a760f333f6e3305e7f0e4a09982da129d01003752aa2260513a583f5e5be7b29
$ Get-FileHash .\startallback-start-menu-pc.exe -Algorithm SHA256

Software notes

The Bottom Line: StartAllBack is the rare shell add-on that feels like it was written by someone who uses the Windows desktop all day and kept a list of everything Windows 11 took away. Taskbar labels are back, buttons can ungroup, the taskbar moves to any screen edge, drag-and-drop onto taskbar icons works again, and the replacement Start menu opens instantly and searches properly — all with a memory footprint the vendor fairly describes as negative, because its reimplemented taskbar uses fewer resources than the stock one it replaces. Version 3.9.28 continues a remarkable update cadence: releases land within days of Microsoft breaking something in an Insider build or a monthly update, which is exactly the maintenance record a shell replacement lives or dies by. Two things must be said plainly. First, this is paid software: you get a trial to live with it, and after that a licence costs $4.99, so anyone hunting for a permanently free Start menu replacement should look at open-source options instead. Second, any program that reimplements the Windows taskbar and Explorer chrome is exposed to Microsoft's update schedule — a big Windows feature update can break styling until the next StartAllBack release, and with updates arriving this often, that gap is usually short. At five dollars, with this changelog, it remains the most polished way to make Windows 11 behave like the desktop you already know.

Features

  • It restores the Windows 11 features users actually miss: taskbar labels, ungrouped buttons, drag-and-drop onto the taskbar, and a taskbar that can move to the top, left or right edge.
  • The replacement Start menu launches programs and system locations in one click with fast, reliable search, in Windows 7, Windows 10 or enhanced Windows 11 styles.
  • File Explorer gets its Ribbon-style command bar, a bottom details pane and the older search box back, with dark mode extended to more dialogs.
  • The installer is only about 2 MB and the reimplemented taskbar is lighter than the stock Windows 11 one, using less RAM and fewer processes.
  • Updates are exceptionally frequent — version 3.9.28 landed on 12 October 2026 — so breakage from new Windows builds is usually fixed within days.

Considerations

  • StartAllBack is not free: after the trial period it costs $4.99 for a licence, which free alternatives such as open-source Start menus do not charge.
  • Because it reimplements core shell components, a major Windows 11 feature update can temporarily break styling or behaviour until a matching StartAllBack update ships.
  • It is Windows 11 only, so Windows 10 users are directed to the separate StartIsBack product instead, with its own licence.

About & Overview: StartAllBack for Windows PC

StartAllBack, from the team behind StartIsBack, rebuilds the parts of the Windows 11 shell that Microsoft simplified away. It replaces the Start menu with a classic one-column or two-column menu that launches programs and system locations in one click, restores taskbar labels and ungrouped buttons, lets you move the taskbar to the top, left or right edge of the screen, split it into translucent segments, and drag and drop files onto taskbar icons again. In File Explorer it brings back a revamped Ribbon and command bar, a details pane at the bottom and the older, more reliable search box, and it restyles context menus with rounded acrylic designs that respond faster than the stock ones. Version 3.9.28, released 12 October 2026, is a small 2 MB download that the vendor updates constantly to keep pace with Windows Insider builds and monthly updates — the changelog on the official site is mostly a race against Microsoft's own shell changes. Be clear about the price: StartAllBack is shareware, usable during a trial period and then $4.99 for a licence. It is not freeware, and this listing does not present it as free.

In-Depth: StartAllBack for Windows PC

What it gives back to Windows 11

StartAllBack, from the team behind StartIsBack, rebuilds the parts of the Windows 11 shell that Microsoft simplified away. The Start menu is replaced with a classic one-column or two-column menu, in Windows 7, Windows 10 or enhanced Windows 11 styles, that launches programs and system locations in one click and searches fast and properly. The taskbar gets its labels back, with ungrouped buttons, it can move to the top, left or right edge of the screen, it can be split into translucent segments, and drag-and-drop onto taskbar icons works again. It does this while being light: the installer is about 2 MB, and the memory footprint is one the vendor fairly describes as negative, because its reimplemented taskbar uses fewer resources than the stock one it replaces. It feels like it was written by someone who uses the Windows desktop all day and kept a list of everything Windows 11 took away.

Explorer and menus, restored

The restoration continues in File Explorer, which regains a revamped Ribbon and command bar, a details pane at the bottom, and the older, more reliable search box, with dark mode extended to more dialogs. Context menus are restyled with rounded acrylic designs that respond faster than the stock ones. None of this is novelty theming: each item is a behaviour Windows 11 removed or slowed down, restored for people who use the desktop all day. That focus is why the program reads as a list of genuine grievances answered one by one — labels, ungrouping, taskbar position, drag-and-drop, a Start menu that opens instantly and searches properly — rather than an attempt to reskin Windows for its own sake. At its price, it remains the most polished way to make Windows 11 behave like the desktop you already know.

Shareware, and a race against Windows updates

Be clear about the price: StartAllBack is shareware — usable during a trial period, then $4.99 for a licence — and it is not freeware; anyone hunting for a permanently free Start menu replacement should look at open-source options instead. It is also Windows 11 only (all editions, including 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 builds); Windows 10 users are directed to the separate StartIsBack product, with its own licence. Because StartAllBack reimplements core shell components, a major Windows 11 feature update can temporarily break styling or behaviour until a matching update ships — and the vendor's answer is cadence: version 3.9.28 landed on 12 October 2026, continuing a pattern of releases within days of Microsoft breaking something in an Insider build or monthly update, which is exactly the maintenance record a shell replacement lives or dies by, and it usually makes the break gap short. Buy only from the official startallback.com site; cracked or pre-activated copies are not the vendor. Storage needed is about 10 MB.

How to Install & Verify StartAllBack for Windows PC

STEP 1
Download the setup file from StartAllBack

Get StartAllBack_3.9.28_setup.exe (version 3.9.28, about 2 MB) using the Download button on the official startallback.com homepage, which serves the file from the vendor's own CDN.

STEP 2
Run the installer and choose your scope

Launch the setup file, approve the Windows prompt, and choose whether to install for the current user or for all users (the vendor also supports winget install StartIsBack.StartAllBack --scope machine). Explorer restarts while the new shell components load.

STEP 3
Pick a style and make it yours

Open StartAllBack's settings from the Start menu, choose a Windows 7, Windows 10 or enhanced Windows 11 style, then set taskbar labels, icon size and position. Your trial runs first; buy the $4.99 licence from the official site if you keep it.

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Frequently Asked Questions & Verification Guide

What is StartAllBack in Windows?

StartAllBack is a Windows 11 shell customisation tool from the team behind StartIsBack. It restores a classic Start menu, taskbar labels and ungrouped buttons, lets you move the taskbar to any screen edge, and brings back other Windows shell behaviour that Windows 11 simplified away.

Is there a free version of StartAllBack?

There is a trial, but no permanent free version. StartAllBack is shareware: install and use it during the trial period, then buy a licence to keep it. Anyone hunting for a permanently free Start menu replacement should look at open-source options instead.

How much does StartAllBack cost?

A StartAllBack licence costs $4.99 from the official startallback.com site after the trial period. Do not trust sites offering cracked or pre-activated copies; they are not the vendor.

Is StartAllBack trustworthy?

StartAllBack is sold by its official vendor at startallback.com and is updated very frequently to track Windows 11 builds, including formal support for current 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 releases. Because it reimplements core shell components, use only the official download and install the latest release after a major Windows update.