Patrick Marshall answers your tech questions. This week's topics cover the Start button on monitor screens failing to function and an alert sound on a PC that's becoming more frequent.

With Windows Blue, aka Windows 8.1, Microsoft is reintroducing a Start button and adding a boot-straight-to-desktop option. Here's how these may work.

With Windows Blue, a k a Windows 8.1, Microsoft is re-introducing a Start Button and adding a boot-straight-to-desktop option. Here's how these may work.

Windows Blue could restore the Start button, boot straight to the desktop "Windows 8.1" may let you pretend that the Start screen never happened.

Pokki actually works with all versions of Windows (as far back as XP), offering to replace the stock Start button and menu with its own pretty, icon-oriented system.

Microsoft may be moving toward bringing back the Start Button and allowing users to boot straight to the desktop with its coming Windows 8.1 release later this year.