Classic start menu windows 10 popup2/21/2024 ![]() It's based on the code from Classic Shell, an older Start menu replacement for Windows. If you’re looking for a free alternative, I recommend the open-source Open-Shell. Not everyone wants to spend money on a Start menu replacement, of course. Start11 offers a lot of different Start menu designs, from Windows 7-style menus to clean, modern-looking layouts. If you want to stick with it after that, you’ll have to spend a few bucks - prices start at $6.99 to use Start11 on a single PC. You can try Start11 for free for 30 days. Stardock just released Start11 v2 with a variety of new features like new Start menu designs, the ability to pin files and folders directly to the taskbar, and tabs and groups for organizing shortcuts in your Start menu. (I have a trick for Windows 11 users looking for a vertical taskbar later!) ![]() The only big missing option is the ability to move the taskbar to the left or right edges of the screen on Windows 11 - it’s top or bottom only. On Windows 11, you can use Start11 to move the taskbar to the top of the screen, resize the taskbar to make it larger or smaller, or put the Start button at the left of your taskbar and leave the application launcher icons in the middle. (These Start menus won’t show you “suggestions” for apps and other things Microsoft may want you to install, either.) For example, you can choose from a wide variety of Start menu designs, including one that looks similar to the one in Windows 7.Īnd, when you search the Start menu, it will just search your local computer by default. If you’re looking for a polished Start menu experience, this is definitely the best option. Also, despite the name, Start11 doesn’t just offer a replacement Start menu: it offers some taskbar enhancements, too. Despite the name, Start11 works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The premier Start menu replacement for Windows is Stardock’s Start11. (However, if you want to put the Start button at the left side of your taskbar and the application icons in the middle, that’s when you’ll need a third-party app like Start11 or ExplorerPatcher.)įinally, if the one thing that bothers you about the Start menu is the built-in Bing search, you can disable Bing in the Start menu with a registry hack. That’s another option that you’ll find in the Taskbar Settings window. Windows 11 puts taskbar icons in the middle by default, but you can move them back to the left. Just right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, select “Taskbar settings,” and change the “Taskbar location on screen” option here. On Windows 10, you can move your taskbar to any edge of the screen you like without third-party software. That option has been part of Windows 10’s taskbar settings all along, too. To enable this on Windows 11, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, select “Taskbar settings,” and you’ll find an option to never combine taskbar buttons and labels. Windows 11’s October 2023 update restored the taskbar labels setting you can now see buttons with the title of each window on your taskbar instead of just application icons, if you prefer. There are a variety of useful options buried in Windows itself to address some common taskbar and Start menu complaints. You don’t always have to turn to third-party tools. ![]() Plus, you’ll get free copies of Paul Thurrott’s Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (a $10 value) just for subscribing! Built-in options can save the day Looking for more useful Windows tips and tricks? My free Windows Intelligence newsletter delivers all the best Windows tips straight to your inbox. ![]() If you’re happy with them, leave them be! But for users who want to go outside the box and make things work differently, read on. And let me say: The Start menu and taskbar are fine, really, as they are. I like to understand what the average PC user is experiencing. That said, I personally spend a lot of time using Windows PCs with the default settings. I’ve done the digging for the best utilities out there. If you want a more streamlined, classic Start menu or a taskbar that lets you move it wherever you like, you can get it. On Windows 11, Microsoft made big changes to the taskbar, and while some beloved features like taskbar labels and drag and drop are finally back, you can’t move the taskbar to another edge of your screen - and Microsoft has no plans to let you do so.īut these are Windows PCs we’re talking about - not iPads. On both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the Start menu is now packed with ads, “suggestions,” and search results for Bing - not just the files on your computer. Microsoft has made a lot of changes to the Start menu and taskbar over the past few years.
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