For Open-Shell Menu
A modern, highly customizable skin for Open-Shell, made for Windows 10.
Old and pre-release versions are available here.
This skin brings a modern look and full customization to Open-Shell. It uses refreshed design elements with transparency and depth, following the design of Windows 10.
Some enhancements include:
- Use of Windows 10's system colors, providing automatic light/dark colorization
- Customizable text and background colors, along with accent color
- Various options for padding and layout sizes
- Updated icons, matching Windows 10's Fluent icons
- Improved scaling of menu elements (padding, icons, etc.)
Fluent-Metro is designed for Windows 10. It is incompatible with Windows 7 and 8.
To start, you will need Open-Shell. Open-Shell is a highly regarded Start Menu replacement for Windows and is used by many enthusiasts. During installation, you can choose to not include the Explorer and IE integration, as it is not necessary for the Start Menu feature.
To install, copy the Fluent-Metro.skin and .skin7 files into C:\Program Files\Open-Shell\Skins so the skin is recognized by Open-Shell. Next, navigate to the "Skins" tab, and from the dropdown, choose Fluent-Metro (the name may be different on pre-release versions).
If you're using the Classic variant and want to enable tiles, select Backup -> Load from XML File... and select the XML file from the downloaded release. (Make sure to unzip!)
And Voilà! The new interface will be applied. You can further change the links for the tiles under "Customize Start Menu."
If you notice that the menu looks off-color, set the Menu glass color to #858585 in Open-Shell Settings (under "Menu Look"). This will prevent your accent color from bleeding into the menu background.
Something else doesn't look right? Feel free to make a post in the discussions area.
As you can see, there is plenty of customization to get the menu looking exactly how you want. Any additional required information is also explained here. For instance, using the modern shutown button requires you to enable the shutdown dialog in Open-Shell settings. If an option is incompatible with another, it will be disabled. If you notice an issue with an option, you may file a bug report. Options will be continually added as updates get released.
All scripts and resources are available in the individual skin files. If you would like to make changes to the Fluent-Metro skin, download the .skin/.skin7 from the release page and open it with Resource Hacker. If you want to make changes to part of the script, check out the Open-Shell skinning tutorial.
One goal I have for the skins is to provide an easier method of installation and configuration, for a more traditional approach for people unfamiliar with skinning. Overall, the skins will continue to be refined by fixing bugs, adding more thorough customization, and making the interface more appealing overall.
In addition to the Start Menu, other types of additions may also be considered, like enhancements to File Explorer and the Taskbar. You may expect to see things like Start buttons, Taskbar skins, and icon sets, although none are currently planned.