Not everything is lost just yet, there is an easy way to bring back these lost features in Windows 8 Consumer Preview:

  1. Head over Lee-soft.com and download ViStart — this is a piece of free software (not from Microsoft) that will recreate the old Windows 7 Start menu and its features.
  2. When you are in the installation process watch out and skip the installation of the toolbar — you don’t need it –.
  3. After you’ve completed the installation, you’ll notice the Start button (or Start orb) will once again appear in the bottom-left corner, and you also should be able to use the Windows key  to toggle the Start menu.

If you feel that is not your solution, you can also try this workaround using a new Taskbar Toolbar: How to keep both an old style Start Menu and the Start Screen in Windows 8 [Trick]. Now with ViStart there are not more excuses on testing Windows 8 Consumer Preview, it works well and you can keep both worlds. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.