Windows 11’s Start menu has quietly been the single most polarizing element of Microsoft’s latest desktop OS: some users tolerate it, many dislike its restrictions, and a vocal minority refuse to accept its defaults. If the PCMag UK guide you handed me is right, there’s a lot you can do before you consider replacing the Start menu entirely — and if you do decide to replace it, the market’s mature enough that two solid commercial options and several free alternatives will get you back to a more productive workflow. This article pulls the PCMag advice into a single, practical feature with context, verification from Microsoft and independent coverage, and a hard look at the risks and trade‑offs involved. rview
Windows Start menus have been an emotional touchpoint since Windows 8’s controversial removal of the Start button. Windows 10 restored many expectations with a tile-and-list hybrid, but when Windows 11 arrived it reset some of those expectations again — a simplified, centered taskbar, fewer customization choices, and a Start layout that prioritized a “Recommended” feed and a tidy pinned area over dense, two‑column lists many power users favored.
Microsoft has not ignored the feedback. Over the last few years the company iterated on Start features: app folders were restored, and the 2024–2025 design refresh — now rolling into production releases for 24H2/25H2 — reconsolidates All apps into the main Start surface, adds a category/grid/list view for All apps, and gives users the ability to hide the Recommended feed entirely. These are meaningful quality‑of‑life fixes that reduce friction for many users, but they don’t restore the classic two‑column power‑user workflows by default.
What Microsoft changed (and why it matters)
The newest Start redesign, delivered as part of the 24H2/25H2 refresh and appearing in optional preview updates (notably distributed via KB5067036 and subsequent feature rollouts), changes the Start menu in three ways that matter to everyday productivity:
- All apps on the main surface: You no longer have to click a separate All page; All apps are now scannable from a single scrollable view that sits alongside Pinned and Recommended. That saves clicks and friction.
- Three app views: The All apps area supports Category, Grid, and List views, so the system can surface apps grouped by theme (Productivity, Social, Games), in an alphabetized grid, or in a classic list. Category grouping is automated and depends on app density.
- Hide Recommended: For users who hated the Recommended feed (recent files, “suggested” apps, and — in some experiments — promoted apps), Microsoft added toggles under Settings → Personalization → Start to make Recommended invisible and prevent recent files from appearing in Jump Lists or File Explorer (note: disabling Recommended can also turn off related recent-file functionality across the system).
These changes address many of the most frequent complaints while keeping Microsoft’s vision for a cleaner, more discoverable Start surface. But some core stylistic choices (centered taskbar, default pinned layout, telemetry/telemetry-derived recommendations) remain, which is why many users still opt for built-in tweaks or third‑party replacements.
Six built‑in ways to change the Windows 11 Start menu (verified)
If you hate the default Start menu, start here — these are official, supported tweaks you can do in Settings or by using simple gestures. I verified each step against Microsoft documentation and independent guides so you don’t need to guess.
1) Remove the Recommended section
- Why: Recommended often shows recent files, newly installed apps, and suggestions users don’t want.
- How: Open Settings → Personalization → Start and turn off the Recommended/Recent toggles (the precise options include “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists” and related toggles). Doing this will stop the engine that fills the Recommended area. Caveat: disabling Recommended can also remove recent items from other places (Jump Lists, File Explorer recent items).
2) Pin and unpin apps
- Why: Rebuilding the pinned area reduces clicks to your most-used apps.
- How: Open Start → All apps → right‑click an app → select Pin to Start. To remove: right‑click a pinned tile → Unpin from Start. Microsoft documents these options and shows drag‑and‑drop reordering too.
3) Move icons around
- Why: Order matters: put your highest‑use apps where your eyes and mouse are trained.
- How: Drag and drop pinned icons into any order; right‑click to Move to front on some menus. The UI supports left/right and front positioning for easier organization. Independent walkthroughs confirm drag‑and‑drop and the contextual Move options.
4) Create Start menu folders
- Why: Grouping related apps reduces clutter while keeping them available.
- How: Drag one pinned app on top of another to create a folder. Click the folder to open it, then edit the name in the folder’s name field. You can add other apps by dragging them into the folder. This is limited to the Pinned area (not the All apps list).
5) Add frequently used folders to the Start footer
- Why: Quick access to Dole Explorer and similar locations can save several clicks.
- How: Settings → Personalization → Start → Folders. Toggle on the folders you want to appear next to the Power icon in the Start menu. Microsoft documents this as the supported path for adding the Start footer folders.
6) Realign the Start / reposition the taskbar icons
- Why: If you prefer the Start button in the bottom‑left instead of centered, this is the fastest fix.
- How: Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → expand Taskbar behaviors → Taskbar alignment → choose Left (centering is the default). This moves the icons; note that Windows 11 still keeps other taskbar behavior rules in place (the taskbar remains bottom‑anchored unless you use third‑party tools).
All of these built‑in changes are lightweight, reversible, and supported by Microsoft — always the safest first step before adding third‑party shell mods. The PCMag how‑to mirrors these exact steps, and its short walkthrough is a useful quick reference if you prefer visual guides.
Two Start Menu alternatives (and a quick look at others)
If Microsoft’s changes still don’t get you where you want to be, third‑party Start menu replacements remain a practical option. The space has matured: polished commercial options coexist with lean open‑source projects and launcher‑style alternatives.
Stardock Start11 — the premium, fully supported choice
- What it does best: Restores multiple Start styles (Windows 7, Windows 10, modern two‑column views), adds extra behaviors Microsoft never offered (per‑monitor taskbar controls, advanced search integration, custom Start buttons, and page/tab concepts inside the Start menu). The product is actively developed and includes enterprise deployment features such as configuration import/export and kiosk/lockdown options.
- Pricing: Stardock’s public messaging lists Start11 at an introductory price (historically around $6–$10 range depending on promotions). Pricing can change; verify before buying. Warning: pricing and licensing terms can vary by storefront and promotion.
- Why pick it: If you want the “best behaved” third‑party upgrade — ainst Windows updates and offers paid support — Start11 is the least risky commercial path back to a classic but modern Start experience.
StartAllBack — lightweight, affordable, nostalgia‑friendly
- What it does best: A lean tool focused on restoring classic Start menus, taskbar behavior, and File Explorer touches. It’s often sold with a low one‑time fee and emphasizes a small footprint and fast boot behavior. The StartAllBack family (StartIsBack lineage) supports many classrates with Windows 11 cleanly for most users.
- Pricing and caveats: Historically positioned as an inexpensive lifetime license, StartAllBack is a favorite for homes. However, community threads occasionally note activation and compatibility hiccups after Windows updates — a reminder that third‑party tools can be affected by sudden OS changes. If you erify activation paths and keep the installer and license handy.
Other notable options (free and specialized)
- Open‑Shell (open source) — a classic, free Start menu with multiple skins; low footprint and reversible. Good for purists who want classic styles without vendor lock‑in.
- ExplorerPatcher — restores a wide set of Windows 10 behaviors for free, but since it hooks explorer.exe more deeply it’s riskier; recommended only for tinkerers who understand potential breakage after a feature update.
- PowerToys Run / Command Palette — Microsoft’s own quick launcher that eliminates the need for a Start menu for many power users; invoked via Alt+Space or the newer Win+Alt+Space for Command Palette. It’s an excellent lightweight alternative if you prefer keyboard-driven workflows.
- Flow Launcher, Windhawk and modular mods — community tools and plugins that replace the Start experience with a plugin‑driven launcher or patch specific UI elements. Use when you want a minimal, extensible launcher instead of a full‑blown Start replacement.
Strengths and risks: a critical antart replacements solve real user problems, but they introduce new considerations. Here’s an honest breakdown.
Strengths
- Restored productivity: Classic two‑column layouts, dense app lists, and right‑click behaviors speed up workflows for long‑time Windows users. Commercial tools often bring taskbar tweaks and Explorer integration that reduce context switching.
- Consistency across machines: Organizations or power users who deploy the same Start replacement can maintain identical UX across devices, reducing retraining and helpdesk burden.
- Active vendor support: Paid solutions like Start11 provide patches and compatibility updates after Microsoft releases feature updates, which reduces “break‑fix” time for power users and small IT shops.
Compatibility risk with Windows updates: Shell‑level hooks and explorer.exe patches can break after a major Windows update. Free tools that patch Explorer directly (ExplorerPatcher) are especially vulnerable; even StartAllBack users have reported breakage after cumulative updates. Always expect a small maintenance tax.
- Activation and vendor availability: StartAllBack/site outages reported in community threads show that vendor network issues or geolocation activation can be an annoyance; keep activation keys and offline installers safe. If a small vendor’s activation servers go down, license activation or re‑activation can be difficult.
- Security and management: In enterprise environments, installing a shell replacement can violate policy or interfere with MDM/Group Policy controls. Also, some replacements require adjustments to antivirus exclude lists or administrator intervention. If you manage endpoints, test in pilot rings first.
- Privacy and telemetry: Some users worry about “recommended” feeds showing promoted content or ads. Microsoft has experimented with promoted apps in recommendation zones; toggles can disable these feeds, but it’s a good practice to review privacy settings if recommendations are a concern.
A safe, step‑by‑step plan (for home users and admins)
If you want to change your Start menu safely, follow these sequential steps. Treat this as a tested checklist.
- Start with built‑in settings — toggle Recommended off, realign the taskbar, pin/unpin apps, create folders. These options are reversible and supported.
- Backup / create a restore point — before installing any third‑party shell mod, create a System Restore point or take a full disk image. If an update breaks behavior, you’ll be able to roll back.
- Try free alternatives first — install Open‑Shell or PowerToys Run to see if a classic Start or keyboard launcher meets your needs. These are reversible with minimal risk.
- **Test paid solutions on one machr trial (Start11 offers trials) to validate behavior on your hardware and installed apps. If you administrate devices, pilot in a small group.
- Check vendor update cadence — prefer vendors that publish release notes and issue quick compatibility patches after Windows updates. That reduces your maintenance burden.
- Plan a rollback procedure — document how to exit the replacement (most products provide a tray icon and “Restore default” option) and how to uninstall if needed. Keep your install media and license keys offline.
Quick decision guide
- If you want the safest route with no third‑party software: use Settings → Personalization and PowerToys Run for launch-by-keyboard.
- If you want a polished, vendor‑backed Start menu with enterprise deployment tools: Start11 is the best single pick.
- If you want a minimal, low‑cost revival of the classic Start and File Explorer tweaks: StartAllBack is the compact choice (watch activation notes).
- If you want zero‑cost classic behavior and don’t mind tinkering: Open‑Shell or ExplorerPatcher fit different risk profiles (Open‑Shell = low risk; ExplorerPatcher = higher risk but more complete reversion).
Final take: what to change, and when to replace
Microsoft’s Start menu redesign in 24H2/25H2 shows the company is listening: All apps on the main surface, multiple views, and the ability to hide Recommended solve many complaints and should be your first port of call. For users who need dense, predictable layouts (two‑column lists, classic jump lists, and deep taskbar control), third‑party products like Start11 and StartAllBack continue to offer superior ergonomics — at the cost of an extra maintenance surface and, in some cases, a small fee.
If you’re cautious: make the built‑in tweaks, try PowerToys Run or Open‑Shell, and decide only after a short trial whether a paid replacement is worth the annual or one‑time cost. If you manage fleets, pilot a small set of devices and standardize a rollback plan before broad deployment — shell replacements are powerful, but they demand more operational attention than simple personalization toggles.
Windows users have choices now: bend the built‑in Start to your will with Microsoft’s updated options and simple customization, or reclaim a classic experience with a mature set of replacements. Either way, do it consciously — backup first, test, and keep your recovery steps close at hand.
Source: PCMag UK
Hate the Windows 11 Start Menu? 6 Ways to Change It (and 2 Alternatives)