Microsoft is now rolling out Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 (KB3033055) to users. The update brings the new Start menu and changes to the Lock screen.
Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 has been in the works for quite some time and it represents the last major update users will see, as Microsoft has abandoned the development and announced that Windows 10 won’t be coming to Windows RT devices.
KB3033055 is available immediately, but it might take some time before it reaches everyone. If you own a Surface RT, Surface 2, or a Nokia Lumia 2520, you can go to Windows Update to get the update 3 manually. (Don’t forget to check the Optional updates, if you don’t see the new update available to you.)
In the screenshot, you can see that the Start menu for Windows RT is very similar to the Start menu available for Windows 10. However, the new menu for RT devices is much similar to the Start menu available on Windows 7.
In fact, the version of the new Start menu for Windows RT 8.1 is the design we have seen on early builds of Windows 10 Insider Preview. The reason is that the new Start menu found in the final version of Windows 10 is built using XAML and new APIs that are only found in the new version of the operating system.
How to enable or disable the new Start menu on Windows RT 8.1 Update 3
Once you download and install KB3033055 on your device, you won’t see the new Start menu immediately, you will need to right-click on the Taskbar, then go to Properties, navigate to the Start menu tab, and select check the “Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen” option, and click OK.
Then you’ll be asked to sign out and sign back in to commit the changes, select Sign out and change Start on the Change Start dialog box that appears.
If you want to go back to the old Start screen, simply go back to the Start menu properties settings and clear the “Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen” option, and click OK. (Remember that you’ll need to sign out and in back again to see the changes.)
What do you think about the Windows RT Start menu? Tell us in the comments below.
Source Microsoft via Twitter @teroalhonen, @bavo
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].