TotalIdea Software has released 8StartButton 2.0, a major new version of its Start menu replacement tool for Windows 8 users. The new update, which adds full support for Windows 8.1 Preview, comes with a radical new design and a number of new features.

8StartButton 2.0 opens with full support for the next iteration of Windows 8, codenamed Blue, which includes the ability to integrate itself into the new Start button rather than using its own custom design. Paid-for users can now also customise the background colour of the Start button when choosing a custom design.

When clicking the Start button, users first see a radical quick-access menu with options pointing to common tasks like the Modern UI Start screen, power options and 8StartButton’s own replacement Start menu.

A redesigned Start menu is just one of the changes to be found in 8StartButton 2.0.

A new option has been added to the customise menu – accessed by right-clicking a button and choosing “Change button action” – that allows users to view an Explorer window pointing to all installed ModernUI apps for ease of access. Users will find this option has also been added to the program’s Run drop-down menu, accessible when right-clicking the Start button.

8StartButton’s replacement Start menu has also been radically overhauled with the introduction of new tabs, allowing users to quickly switch between the Start menu itself, Start tiles and Recent Documents, the latter of which is a new feature in version 2.0. Existing users will also spot a new search box covering programs and documents that has been added to the Start menu and Start tile tabs.

Paid-for enhancements including allowing users to remove the program’s logo watermark from the Start menu, while custom buttons on the Start menu will now show a tooltip with the target. Windows  8 users can also specify the size of the Start and Search panel when opened by 8StartButton.

The update is rounded off with a number of bug fixes and language updates, including the addition of support for Korean. 8StartButton 2.0 is available is available as a function-limited, free download for PCs running Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 Preview. Upgrading to the full version for $9.95 plus VAT removes all restrictions, including the ability to customise tile and Start buttons as well as supplying a custom image for the Start menu button.