Classic Shell, one of the most popular Windows Start menu apps, is being retired, with the source code made available online to the developer community.
The program's developer stated in a statement that the abandonment of Classic Shell is a decision mainly caused by three factors, such as lack of free time, frequent Windows 10 updates that break the previous version of the application, and changes that Microsoft makes to the operating system.
“Each new version of Windows moves further away from the classic Win32 programming model, which allowed for the marginalization of many users. The new ways of doing things make it very difficult to achieve the same customizations,” explains the developer of Classic Shell.
While the original application will not receive new updates, Classic Shell can live on with help from the developer community, as the source code has been released on SourceForge for anyone who wants to use it.
Classic Shell download links will remain up for another 6 months, while the website will be closed at the end of 2018.
While Classic Shell's history goes back to 2009, a significant explosion in downloads was recorded in 2012, when Microsoft made the controversial decision to launch Windows 8 without a Start button (at first) and a Start menu. Many users turned to third-party alternatives to bring back the Start menu, and Classic Shell was one of the most popular versions, given its familiar look and rich features.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has brought back the Start menu in Windows 10, but users still want a third-party alternative to have Classic Shell a little longer. It remains to be seen for how long, though, as a future version of Windows may break the application completely.
