The Windows 9 start menu has appeared in leaked screenshots

One of the main features Windows 9 is expected to offer users is the return of the Start menu, which Windows users are anxiously waiting for, and Myce has obtained new screenshots showing it. Initially expected to arrive in Windows 8 Update 2 that’s said to launch on August 12, the Start menu is now said to only be ready next year, when Windows 9 “Threshold” is released. Even though one of the leaked screenshots has “Windows 8” all over it, the publication says the image comes from a Windows Threshold build – 9795 – that was compiled on July 13, and is apparently part of the uip_dev feature build lab (FBL), with UIP standing for User Interface & Platform. Furthermore, the picture appears to confirm a similar leak from a few days ago.

Despite being a far better operating system than widely appreciated, Windows 8 is a flop. The good news is Microsoft looks to be well on the way to repairing the damage done by not paying enough attention to desktop and laptop users with Windows 9. Something we can now see for ourselves. Two screenshots leaked on myce and verified by The Verge, show ‘Windows 8.1 Pro’. This is actually the development name assigned to Windows 9 (hinting at its iterative nature) and the main attraction will be the return of the start menu which was controversially removed from Windows 8. Similar to an early build Microsoft revealed to journalists in April, the new start menu shows a merger between desktop and Metro apps. The left side of the start menu being reminiscent of the what users are used to in Windows 7, Vista and XP and the right side showing live tiles making it look like a hybrid of the Windows 8 Modern UI and Windows Phone. Interestingly the grabs were taken on 14 July according to the calendar and this fits with the Windows 9 ‘9795’ developer build which was released the day before. Previously Microsoft had talked about the possibility of such a start menu returning to Windows 8, but with Windows 9 expected in 2015 the company may have taken the decision simply to roll it into the new platform.