Windows server 2012: where is my start button??

If you have been using Windows Server OS for a while, the one thing that will strike you most when you login to a Windows server 2012 is that there is no start button!!.. What??..How am I going to manage it??
Microsoft feels that you really dont need a start button, since you can do almost everything from your server  manager or even remotely from your desktop. After all the initial configurations are done, you could also do away with the GUI and go back to server core option.(In server 2012, there is an option to add and remove GUI).

So does that mean, you need to learn to live without a start button. Actually no, the start button is very much there .Lets start looking for it.

Option 1:

There is "charms" bar on the side of your deskop, where you will find a "start" option. You can use the "Windows +C" shortcut to pop out the charms bar


















Option 2:

There is a hidden "start area"in  the bottom left corner of your desktop , in the blank space next to your server manager icon(PS:The desktop is also called start screen in Server 2012 jargon). Just hover your mouse over there and the start button will pop out.








You can click on the start option and then start typing your shortcuts , the search option will come up and dutifully find out your application for you.

You can the right click them and add them as icon on your desktop, or pin it to your task bar etc

Option 3:

If you click the windows button on your keyboard, it will take you to the start menu and you can type your shortcuts  there.

Hope that helps!!