News How to Replace the Start Menu in Windows 11

[bigdragon]

Windows 10 really nailed the Start Menu for me. I pinned all the programs I use. The less frequently I launched a program or the less recognizable the icon, the bigger its tile. It's been working great for me. I set them up in 4 groups: Internet/chat, art/productivity, dev tools, and games. No need to hunt for stuff in the programs list or search.

Also love the small taskbar, show labels, and combine when full. All of these are options Windows 11 lacks. Yeah, the new start menu lets you pin stuff, but it's the mobile-inspired "app dumping ground" setup.

I see no need to move my home computers to Windows 11 right now. Work computers...fine, whatever. Home? Lol, no....I've got stuff to do.

 

[Simpletone]

even windows 10 menu is garbage,
every windows I'm running at home for me it's always openshell + everything that I install first

hate windows menu, hate windows search, both worthless to me

Sorry you feel that way, but it's yours to feel.

I DID use the "classic shell" for a long time. but then switched to the native Win 10 menu, grouped the icons together, and named them, and did some other customization, which ultimately led to a stable and efficient menu, in which I use basically only what's on my "pinned" icon groups, rarely even needing to browse the full menu. Extremely efficient and fast. BUT again.. each to his/her own. So long as it works for you, it remains a matter of taste more than anything.

I actually used the 'classic shell' for a friend to enable him to switch to win 10 from win 7 with little to no learning curve, but recently, while upgrading his whole home systems, I opted to customize the native win 10 menu for him, and he took to it happily.

It seems to me more to do with what I did to customize than anything.

 

[PBJ777]

For the past few years I’ve been launching most of my apps either by their desktop or taskbar icon, or by hitting the windows key and typing part of its name and hitting enter. It’s by far the fastest method. There’s nothing particularly useful about the windows 10 start menu unless you happened to like the live tiles for the apps that supported it. Overall not a significant change and nostalgia and fear of change would be the only reason I can see for people wanting to stick to the old look.

But if you have 70 year old stiff arthritic fingers then it is not as fast as a nicely populated menu, plus in the interest of efficiency I want to see where files are located. For (unlike in most Linux distros) I can just r. clk on a application in the Start menu and hit Properties and see in Target where it is, and even go to it. Then I can make a shortcut and place that in the (buried: %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo) Send to folder so that I can just right click on a executable and send it to my choice of an applicable program. Also, with AutoHotKey you can quickly launch programs also. Thank God for such helps and those who write them!

 

[Deleted member 14196]

I can replace win11 with Linux and run KDE shell. Problem solved

 

[USAFRet]

I can replace win11 with Linux and run KDE shell. Problem solved

Linux is not always the solution.

 

[Ariel Schnee]

You can't revert to Windows 10's exact menu but third-party utilities will give you a more compact menu.

How to Replace the Start Menu in Windows 11 : Read more

There also this now https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-95-xp-taskbars-windows-11/ .

 

[Deleted member 14196]

customizing is for something you own. MS owns your pc and will do with it what they please. they want everyone the same and they WILL make sure it happens. windows stopped being about the user a long time ago and is now simply a data collection tool you are allowed to pay for a put in your house. be happy they even allow that much. you notice it gets worse and worse as they do what they want with their pc that happens to be sitting on your desk.

quit pretending you have any choice is what windows is and how it looks/runs/feels/etc cause you don't and gosh dangit, most people are (for some reason) happy with that arrangement and you're the problem for questioning it!!!

note the obvious hate i have for the fact what i typed is true***

No way you can de bloat it and stop all the nonsense

look up ThisIsWindows11

I stopped all the madness in my box sit there, quiet as a mouse, waiting for me to make it do something. You’ve got to fight back don’t lay down and take it.