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Windhawk VS StartAllBack

Compare Windhawk VS StartAllBack and see what are their differences

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Windhawk logo Windhawk

The customization marketplace for Windows programs. Customize your programs with available code snippets or create your own customizations.

StartAllBack logo StartAllBack

StartAllBack is software that helps to customize the start menu to Windows 7 & 8.
  • Windhawk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-11-19
  • StartAllBack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-11

Windhawk features and specs

  • Customizability
    Windhawk offers a high level of personalization for Windows, allowing users to tweak and customize various aspects of their operating system to suit their preferences.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application has an intuitive interface that's easy to navigate, making it accessible even for users who are not particularly tech-savvy.
  • Community Support
    Windhawk benefits from a supportive community where users can share tips, themes, and modifications, enhancing the overall user experience.
  • Regular Updates
    The platform is frequently updated to address bugs and introduce new features, ensuring that users have a smooth and up-to-date experience.

Possible disadvantages of Windhawk

  • Compatibility Issues
    Some customizations can lead to unexpected behavior or compatibility issues with other software, necessitating caution when altering system settings.
  • Resource Intensity
    While not excessively demanding, Windhawk can consume more system resources compared to native Windows features due to its customization capabilities.
  • Learning Curve
    For users who want to take full advantage of its features, Windhawk may require a bit of learning to understand how to use and implement various custom tweaks effectively.
  • Security Risks
    Like many customization tools, inappropriate use or poorly designed third-party tweaks can potentially expose the system to vulnerabilities or instability.

StartAllBack features and specs

  • Familiar Interface
    StartAllBack restores the familiar Windows 7-style Start menu and taskbar, making it easier for users accustomed to previous versions of Windows to navigate the operating system.
  • Customization Options
    The software offers a range of customization options, allowing users to tweak the appearance and functionality of the Start menu, taskbar, and other UI elements to better suit their preferences.
  • Performance Enhancements
    StartAllBack can potentially enhance system performance by optimizing the way UI elements are handled, which may lead to faster access and responsiveness of the Start menu and taskbar.
  • Easy Installation
    The software is relatively easy to install and set up, requiring minimal technical knowledge to get started with restoring the classic Windows interface.

Possible disadvantages of StartAllBack

  • Compatibility Issues
    There may be occasional compatibility issues with certain third-party applications or updates to Windows, which might cause StartAllBack to malfunction or require reconfiguration.
  • Limited Free Version
    StartAllBack may offer limited functionality in its free version, prompting users to purchase the full version to unlock all features and customization options.
  • Learning Curve
    New users or those unfamiliar with previous Windows interfaces might experience a learning curve while adjusting to the changes and customizations offered by StartAllBack.
  • Additional Resource Usage
    While generally optimized, having an additional application like StartAllBack running could potentially consume system resources, which might slightly impact performance on older or less powerful machines.

Analysis of Windhawk

Overall verdict

  • Windhawk is a well-regarded, free and open-source customization platform for Windows that lets users modify and enhance their system through a curated marketplace of community mods. It's actively maintained, safe when used with popular verified mods, and offers a convenient way to tweak Windows behavior that isn't possible with built-in settings.

Why this product is good

  • It's completely free and open-source, giving users transparency and control over what runs on their system.
  • Offers a centralized marketplace of mods with easy installation, updating, and removal, avoiding the hassle of manual patching.
  • Enables deep customization of Windows components like the taskbar, Start menu, File Explorer, and more that aren't otherwise configurable.
  • Actively developed and maintained with a supportive community, so mods stay compatible with new Windows updates.
  • Mods are sandboxed to specific processes and can be quickly disabled if they cause issues, making it relatively safe to experiment.

Recommended for

  • Power users who want granular control over the Windows interface and behavior
  • Enthusiasts looking to restore or customize features removed in newer Windows versions (e.g., Windows 11 taskbar tweaks)
  • Developers and tinkerers comfortable installing third-party system modifications
  • People who value free, open-source tools over paid customization software

Windhawk videos

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StartAllBack videos

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StartAllBack for Windows 11

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Windhawk and StartAllBack)

Windhawk

StartAllBack

Utilities
100 100%
Utilities
0% 0
OS & Utilities
0 0%
OS & Utilities
100% 100
Security & Privacy
100 100%
Security & Privacy
0% 0
Note Taking
17 17%
Note Taking
83% 83

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, StartAllBack should be more popular than Windhawk. It has been mentiond 10 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Windhawk mentions (2)

  • The miracle of PowerToys, Microsoft's last great Windows app
    If a user desires Windows hackery, there's also Windhawk. https://windhawk.net. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Explained: You can't move Windows 11 taskbar like Windows 10
    They can't do it having access to the code but somehow people without access to the code [1] can still hack the solution and actually not only move it but also personalize it, change its size, use small/big icons or, my personal preference, hide it so it never appears by moving the mouse alone (only if you ask for it pressing Windows key). [1] - https://windhawk.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago

StartAllBack mentions (10)

  • Is there any way at all to reduce the size of the taskbar (and thereby gain additional space icon/open application space)?
    I did a bunch of searching and am using startallback.com. Source: over 3 years ago
  • PSA: If anyone wants a better start menu experience on Windows, install Open Shell
    For a paid option that is awesome(which I personally use) is StartAllBack: https://startallback.com/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Think the upgrade to windows 11 will always be free for windows 10 users?
    Assuming you're talking about the Taskbar, yeaahhhhh that's a thing with Windows 11 unfortunately. You can use something like StartAllBack or Start11 (both of which are paid) to restore that functionality. Either that, or you can use ExplorerPatcher (free) to restore the Windows 10 Taskbar and thus its functionality. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Aero tadkbar in Windows 10 using a new tool I wrote
    Pretty cool, but tools like that already exist (TranslucentTB, StartAllBack). Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Available today: The Windows 11 2022 Update
    Yup, it is sadly still unusable without https://startallback.com/ :(. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Windhawk and StartAllBack, you can also consider the following products

Ultimate Windows Tweaker - Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a freeware Tweak UI Utility for tweaking and optimizing Windows.

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

Glary Utilities - The No. 1 Free, Powerful and All-in-one utility for cleaning your PC

Start Menu X - Start Menu X with Start Button. Power users know how inconvenient and time-consuming it is to launch programs from the system menu.

Win11Debloat - A simple, easy to use powershell script to remove bloatware apps from windows, disable telemetry, bing in windows search aswell as perform various other changes to declutter and improve your windows experience.

Classic Shell - Classic Shell was developed for Windows 8 since that was the first version of the popular operating system to forgo the iconic Start menu.

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