Open-Shell Software
Sources and reference material
Browse the Open-Shell project, release assets, wiki, Microsoft documentation, and primary references used in the website guides.
Primary references
Program facts are checked against the Open-Shell project, its documentation, and the relevant Microsoft references. Third-party products in comparisons are linked to their own product or repository documentation. Links to discussions identify a reported observation, not a universal guarantee.
- Open-Shell project repository
- Open-Shell project overview
- Open-Shell component documentation
- Open-Shell project FAQ
- Open-Shell 4.4.198 release notes
- 4.4.198 release assets and SHA-256
- Release channels and changes
- 4.4.202 pre-release notes
- 4.4.196 ARM64 release notes
- Open-Shell MIT license
- Start menu skinning reference linked by Open-Shell (legacy)
- Custom Start button reference linked by Open-Shell (legacy)
- Settings and XML backup discussion
- Maintainer discussion: cached information
- Advanced Open-Shell Menu logging
- Project guidance for Windows upgrade tasks
- Open-Shell issue tracker
- Installer signing discussion for 4.4.198
- Open-Shell package installation discussion
- WinGet custom-directory issue report
- Microsoft: Get-FileHash
- Microsoft: Get-AuthenticodeSignature
- Microsoft: Windows 10 support lifecycle
- StartAllBack product features
- Stardock Start11 product information
- ExplorerPatcher project documentation
How references are used
Each guide links its relevant sources directly, alongside the suggested procedure and limitations. The source-check date is October 30, 2026. Facts that change with releases or Windows builds should be checked again before changing a working system.
The editorial policy describes how claims are separated from proposed diagnostic checks. The testing methodology explains why source review is not a substitute for executing and measuring software on Windows.