Why Windows 11 Start Menu Now Feels Giant: A One Surface Redesign

The redesigned Start menu that suddenly fills laptops and smaller screens is not an accident — it’s a deliberate, system-level reimagining of Windows 11’s launcher that Microsoft has been gating and shipping through servicing updates since late 2025, and which began reaching many mainstream devices with the January 2026 cumulative rollouts. The change is significant: Start has moved from a compact, centered launcher to a single, vertically scrollable canvas that surfaces Pinned apps, Recommended items, and the full All apps inventory on one surface, and that shift explains why the menu now appears so large on many machines.

Background​

Microsoft first began testing the new Start experience in Insider and Release Preview channels in late October 2025 via an optional preview package (notably KB5067036). The code was folded into servicing updates during November 2025 (for example, KB5068861), and the wider patching waves — including the January 2026 cumulative updates — have exposed the new Start to many more devices through staged, server-side enablement. That delivery model means the binaries can be present on a machine even if the feature isn't enabled yet; Microsoft flips the experience on gradually to monitor telemetry and reduce the blast radius of regressions.
This rollout method — shipping functionality in servicing updates and using feature gating — explains why users report sudden, inconsistent appearances of the new Start across otherwise identical devices. It also matters for organizations that manage images and apply provisioning policies: the change is real, shipping in Microsoft's update stream, and should be treated as a functional UX update rather than a cosmetic theme tweak.

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What changed: the anatomy of the “huge” Start​

The redesign rearranges the Start experience around three core principles: a single surface, multiple presentation modes for apps, and deeper cross‑device integration.

A single, vertically scrollable surface​

• Pinned apps, Recommended items (recent files and suggested apps), and the All apps inventory now live on one continuous canvas rather than being split across separate panes.
• That single-surface model removes the old “open Start → click All apps” interaction and replaces it with a single press plus scroll to reach everything. The intent is discoverability and fewer mental hops, especially on touch and high-DPI displays.

Three app views: Category, Grid, List​

• Category view automatically groups installed apps into topical buckets such as Productivity, Games, Creativity and Communication. It surfaces frequently used items inside those groups.
• Grid view creates a denser, tile-like alphabetical layout optimized for horizontal scanning on wide displays.
• List view remains the classic A→Z vertical list favored by mouse-and-keyboard power users and is retained for compactness and accessibility.
• The Start menu remembers the last selected view and restores it on next open. This flexibility is intended to bridge different mental models for app discovery.

Responsive density and column increases​

• The UI adapts to screen size and DPI. On larger monitors the Start can show more columns and more tiles per row; on smaller displays the same design can produce a tall, scrollable stack.
• Published behavior and early hands‑on coverage indicate that column counts and pin density are higher by default on capable hardware (for example, moving from six to eight pins per row on larger displays), which directly increases the vertical footprint when All apps are visible.

Phone Link and other integrated panels​

• A Phone Link (mobile companion) control has been folded into the Start chrome. When expanded it becomes a collapsible sidebar inside Start that surfaces messages, calls, photos and quick phone actions from a paired smartphone.
• When Phone Link is expanded (or when other functional areas appear), Start can behave more like a dashboard than a compact launcher — further increasing how much of the screen it consumes, especially on smaller displays.

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Why it looks “huge”: technical and design reasons​

The perceived bloat comes from concrete, intentional decisions, not a rendering bug. Three technical changes account for most of the added size:

• More visible columns and pins: The layout shows more app tiles side‑by‑side when space permits, increasing both width and the number of rows needed to show apps. On many desktop configurations this means more content is visible at once — which is great for large screens, but less so for 13–15-inch laptops.
• Categorized All apps: The integrated All apps view groups applications into blocks and shows them as groups of tiles; categorization aims to reduce search friction but requires more real estate to show group headings and tiles.
• Parallel functional areas: Recommended content, pinned apps, and the All apps list are now visually balanced in parallel sections. That design avoids awkward empty spaces on big monitors but makes the canvas taller when all areas have content.

An often‑quoted measurement — that the new Start can occupy up to roughly 90% of a laptop’s vertical screen height in some configurations — comes from hands‑on tests and early reports. That figure is an environment‑dependent observation (resolution and scaling matter greatly), but it is supported by independent testing and multiple technical writeups. Treat the “90%” number as a practical worst-case demonstration rather than a fixed rule across all devices.

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Personalization: what you can and can’t change​

Microsoft has responded to common user complaints with several personalization toggles, but some expected freedoms are intentionally restricted.

• You can switch between Category, Grid, and List views for the All apps area, and you can toggle visibility for recently added apps, most used apps, and recommended files under Settings > Personalization > Start. Hiding Recommended content can make Start visually lighter.
• What’s missing is free manual resizing of the Start window like Windows 10 allowed. Microsoft states that arbitrary resizing would interfere with the intended animations, transitions, and the visual integrity of the single-surface design; in short, design fidelity was prioritized over manual scaling. That is a deliberate trade-off and not an accidental omission according to Microsoft's messaging during the rollout.

Because manual resizing is disabled, users who prefer compact launchers face limited in-OS options: hide Recommended, switch to List view, collapse pinned rows, or change system-wide scaling.

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Workarounds and practical mitigations​

There are a few practical steps users and IT admins can take to reduce Start’s dominance without disabling the redesign entirely.

• Use List view for the All apps area — it is the most compact presentation and preserves a familiar A→Z layout.
• Hide Recommended content in Settings → Personalization → Start. This removes recent files and promoted items from view and trims vertical length in many cases.
• Collapse the Pins area where possible and configure the number of pins you keep on the first row to reduce vertical stacking.
• The only global way to reduce Start’s footprint is OS-level display scaling (Settings → System → Display → Scale). Increasing the scaling value makes UI elements smaller and can make Start occupy less apparent vertical space, but this affects every application and UI element across the system and is therefore a blunt instrument rather than a targeted fix. Microsoft does not currently offer per-surface scaling for Start.
• For enterprise environments, the Configure Start Pins Group Policy has been extended to allow admins to apply pinned layouts at first sign-in while still letting users personalize afterwards; this helps provisioning workflows but does not change resizing behavior.

Note: community tools and registry tweaks circulated during Insider previews can force or revert the new Start, but using unofficial methods in production is risky and unsupported. Administrators should avoid such tactics on managed fleets.

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Enterprise and administrative implications​

The Start redesign is more than a consumer UI change; it has operational consequences for imaging, training, and helpdesk workflows.

• Deployment model matters: Microsoft ships the code in servicing updates and controls exposure via server-side feature flags. This means identical images can behave differently across devices until Microsoft enables the experience for each device group. Plan pilot deployments and staged user communication accordingly.
• Provisioning changes: The updated Group Policy for Start pins lets admins apply a pinned layout at first sign-in while allowing user changes to persist. That helps with standardized images and vendor bundles, but it doesn't provide a way to lock Start size or layout in the way some organizations might prefer.
• Support load: Because Start now exposes more features and can look dramatically different, help desks should update documentation and triage scripts. A single screenshot no longer captures every step a user might encounter — the view mode and phone linkage can change the UI’s appearance and behavior.

Administrators should treat this as a desktop-policy change, not a cosmetic option: test, pilot, document and communicate to users before broad rollout.

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User reaction and ergonomics​

Reactions among Windows power users and IT pros have been predictable: a split between those who appreciate the improved discoverability and those who find the new size and density harmful to desktop workflows.

• Benefits people commonly cite:
• Faster discovery for obscure or rarely used apps without extra clicks.
• Better use of large, high‑DPI displays and external monitors where a larger canvas feels natural.
• Modern continuity with Phone Link integration brings phone content within the primary launcher.
• Common complaints:
• Loss of compactness for laptop users who rely on small, focused launchers.
• No manual resize option removes a familiar way to reclaim screen real estate.
• Phone Link and recommended content can make the Start menu feel like a near-fullscreen overlay on smaller screens.

Design trade-offs are at the heart of the debate: Microsoft prioritized a single, information-dense canvas that scales to large displays and touch workflows, at the cost of the tight, compact launcher that many desktop power users prefer.

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Risks, regressions, and things to watch​

While the redesign is intentional and broadly vetted in preview channels, there are practical risks and early regressions worth noting.

• Phased enablement creates inconsistent behavior across fleets; two identical machines can show different Start experiences, complicating support and documentation.
• Compatibility with third‑party shell extensions and start replacements: complex Start behaviours can interact badly with legacy shell mods; administrators should test common third-party tools used in their environment.
• Usability on small screens: the Phone Link side panel and recommended feeds can cause Start to appear to dominate screen real estate and interfere with quick context tasks; this is especially visible at common laptop resolutions (e.g., 1920×1080 at 100% scaling). Early tests reproduced very tall Start surfaces in those scenarios.
• Telemetry-driven rollouts: Microsoft can modify the experience via server‑side controls, which is an advantage for stability but means administrators must monitor release-health channels and patch notes closely for changes or corrective updates.

Where claims are less solidly documented — such as precise column-count defaults on every resolution or the internal engineering rationale for forbidding manual resize — cautionary language is warranted. The company’s public statements cite animation/transition fidelity as a reason for limiting free resizing, but the specific implementation constraints are not fully disclosed; treat those claims as Microsoft's stated rationale rather than independently verifiable technical mandates.

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What to expect next​

Microsoft’s staged rollout and servicing-driven delivery mean the design will continue to evolve:

• Expect polish and bug fixes to arrive via cumulative updates and feature enablement iterations rather than a single major release.
• Microsoft may tweak density defaults and responsiveness logic based on telemetry and feedback from the wider deployment; small adjustments to how many columns or how the Recommended area collapses are plausible.
• Administrative controls may expand over time, but no immediate return to free manual resizing is currently visible in the public rollout notes — the company appears committed to the single-surface design philosophy for now.

For organizations, the prudent path is clear: pilot the new Start in representative devices, update support materials, and communicate the change to users with concrete guidance on how to switch to List view or hide Recommended content for a more compact experience.

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Practical checklist: what to do if Start suddenly appears huge​

• Open Settings → Personalization → Start and:
• Disable Recommended items and other toggles to reduce clutter.
• Switch the All apps view to List for the most compact layout.
• Collapse pinned rows and keep fewer daily‑use apps on the pins area.
• If you must, adjust Display scaling to a smaller size for the entire system (note: this affects every app).
• For managed fleets: pilot the update in a controlled group and update provisioning policies to account for the new Group Policy behavior for pinned layouts.

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Conclusion​

The sudden “giant” Start menu in Windows 11 is a purposeful shift in Microsoft’s launcher philosophy: move from split panes to a single, scrollable canvas that prioritizes discoverability and cross-device continuity over the compact, manually scaled launcher favored by many desktop users. The change arrived via a staged servicing rollout that began in preview in late 2025 and broadened through November and January servicing channels, which explains the sudden and uneven exposure users are reporting.
For many users on large, high‑DPI displays the new Start will feel more productive and modern. For users on smaller laptops or those who prize compactness and manual control, the shift is jarring: manual resizing that once offered a quick remedy is intentionally absent, and the only in‑OS mitigations are view mode choices and display scaling. Microsoft’s platform-led delivery model makes the redesign both a product decision and an operational change for administrators, so treating it as a real UX policy update — with pilots, documentation, and user coaching — is the best way forward.
Ultimately, the new Start is not a bug to be fixed with a hotpatch; it is a deliberate reorientation of the Windows 11 launcher toward a single-canvas, content-rich model. Users and IT teams can adapt with the available settings, scaling workarounds, and administrative controls, while Microsoft continues to refine the experience through its servicing and staged‑enablement model.

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Source: igor´sLAB Windows 11: Why the Start menu is suddenly huge | igor´sLAB

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft’s quietly shipped redesign of the Windows 11 Start menu has transformed the once‑compact launcher into a tall, scrollable workspace — and that sudden change, delivered through late‑2025 servicing updates and server‑side feature flags, explains why many users now see a “huge” Start that dominates laptop screens and behaves very differently from the centered menu long associated with Windows 11.

Background / Overview​

Microsoft reworked the Start experience and began surfacing the new interface to mainstream Windows 11 devices in late 2025. The redesign was included in Release Preview builds (notably builds 26100.7015 and 26200.7015) and folded into mainstream servicing in November 2025 (cumulative update KB5068861), while initial preview bits appeared in an October preview package (KB5067036). The core delivery model is important: Microsoft shipped the binaries in servicing updates but uses staged, server‑side enablement (feature gating), so instae necessary but not always sufficient to see the change immediately. At the highest level the new Start does three things differently:

• It consolidates Pinned, Recommended, and the fullry onto a single, vertically scrollable canvas.
• It adds multiple presentation modes for All apps—Category, Grid, and List—and persists the user’s last chosen view.
• It integrates tighter Phone Link functionality (a collapsible phone panel) and adapts layout density to screen size and DPI, which can dramatically change how much vertical space Start consumes.

These changes are purposeful: Microsoft’s stated goals are to reduce clicks to reach installed apps, improve discoverability for large app libraries, and make the launcher more useful on larger and touch‑capable displays. The trade‑off is a launcher taptop configurations, appears far larger than the previous centered menu.

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What changed — the technical essentials​

One continuous canvas replaces two panes​

The old Windows 11 Start separated Pinned items and the All apps list into distinct interactions. The redesign collapses that two‑step flow into a single, continuous surface where everything is reachable by scrolling. Thatmain reason Start now feels “huge”: the full app inventory is no longer hidden behind a separate page.

Three views for All apps​

All apps can be presented in three selectable modes:

• Category — groups apps by function (e.g., Productivity, Games), surfacin inside those buckets.
• Grid — alphabetically ordered tiles optimized for visual scanning on wide displays.
• List — a compact, vertical A→Z view aimed at keyboard power users.

This flexibility lets the OS adapt the launcher’s density and organization to different user mental models, but some views consume more vertical space by design.

Phone Link integration and additional chrome​

A new Phone Link button near Start’s search field expands a collapsible sidebar that surfaces recent calls, messages, photos, and quick phone actions for pairedd, Phone Link increases the Start panel’s visual footprint — on some systems it can push Start toward a near full‑screen appearance.

Responsive layout and DPI behavior​

Start now scales column counts, piation tiles to match the device — not a single fixed pixel height. On large monitors you’ll see more columns and less vertical stacking; on 14‑inch 1920×1080 laptops at 100% scaling the same layout can occupy a large fraction of vertical space. Independent hands‑on tests reproduced by multiple outlets show that in some configurations the visible Start height increased from about 50–60% to roughly 90% of the screen height after the November 2025 servicing rollup. That “90%” figure is a measured, environment‑dependent observation, not a universal constant — resolution, scaling, and the selected All apps view all matter.

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Why thedenly huge​

The perception of “sudden” size comes from a combination of design decisions and delivery methods:

• All apps on the main canvas: moving the full alphabetical index onto the primary page means Start is now a much taller element whenever the app list is long. That single architectural change is the biggest driver of perceived size.
• Adaptive density defaults: Microsoft’s responsive logic increases column counts and visible pins on larger displays and reduces them on smaller screens — but the vertical stacking that results on many laptops makes the panel appear to dominate the screen.
• Phone Link and extra content: when the mobile panel is expanded the launcher can appear nearly full‑screen; even when collapsed, the Start chrome reserves space for this feature which can change perceived proportions.
• Server‑side phased enablement: because Microsoft flips the feature with feature flags, the change can appear overnight on home PCs that previously had a familiar Start, creating the impression of a suddel rather than a gradual opt‑in.

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Cross‑checked facts and verification​

• The redesign first moved through Insider/Release Preview builds (builds 26100.7015 / 26200.7015) and the new Start was later included in servicing updates identified as KB5067036 (preview) and KB5068861 (November 11, 2025 cumulative). Microsoft’s update notes explicitly add a Boolean option to the Configure Start Pins policy, confirming administrative changes shipped in the November cumulative.
• Independent testing and coverage from mainstream outlets (PCWorld, Windows Central) corroborates — the single‑page Start, multiple All apps views, Phone Link integration, and increased visible height on many laptops. Those outlets also reproduce the measurement that, in certain real‑world test cases, Start occuptical screen space. Because that 90% metric depends on test hardware and scaling, it should be treated as an empirical observation that illustrates the magnitude of the change rather than a fixed specification.
• The delivery model (binaries via servicing + staged server‑side enablement) is documented across Microsoft Release Notes and community coverage; the practical effect is inconsistent appearances across identical device builds until Microsoft completes rollouts.

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Practical implications for everyday users​

Benefits​

• Fewer clicks to find apps — everything is on one canvas, so infrequently used programs are easier to reach.
• Customizable discovery — the Category/Grid/List options let users choose how apps are organized and found.
• Better use of larger displays — on high‑DPI or wide screens the canvas looks filled and purposeful rather than sparse.
• More explicit toggles — Settings now include clearer controls to hide Recommended content if you prefer a minimal Start.

Downsides and friction​

• Smaller screens feel crowded — laptops with common 1080p resolutions can see the panel consume most vertical space, which many users interpret as intrusive.
• Phone Link can make Start feel full‑screen — the integrated phone panel can tip the balance toward a near full‑screen overlay on some systems.
• Inconsistent rollout causes confusion — identical machines may show different Start versions during the phased enablement, complicating troubleshooting and support.
• Preview regressions and update risk — packaging the redesign into servicing updates has already exposed some devices to other non‑related regressions in early preview/flights; administrators should be cautious.

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Practical steps: how to make Start smaller or less intrusive​

The OS now provides several user‑facing controls; follow these safe steps firt footprint:

1. Open Settings → Personalization → Start and:
   • Turn off the Recommended items (look for toggles labeled like Show recently added apps, Show most used apps, Show recommended files — exact wording can vary by build). This removes the Recommended block and reduces vertical content.
2. Switch the All apps view:
   • Open Start, scroll to the All apps section and select List view (the most compact presentation) to minimize vertical density. The Start menu remembers your choice.
3. Collapse the Pinned area:
   • Use the expand/collapse control in the pinned area (if present) to show fewer pins by default.
4. Close or collapse Phone Link:
   • Click the phone icon near the search field to collapse the sidebar; if you don’t use Phone Link, you can disable the companioLink settings.

If those controls don’t restore nt, more advanced options exist but carry risk:

• Community tools like ViVeTool can toggle experimental feature flags to enable or disable the new Start immediately. These tools are unsilities; using them on production or corporate devices is not recommended because they can cause instability and are not sanctioned by Microsoft. Multiple outlets documented community methods, but they are unofficial and riskier than using Microsoft’s Settings or Update deferral.

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Guidance for IT administrators and organizations​

This redesign is more than a cosmetic tweak; it changes the desktop interaction model and prov administrative takeaways:

• Treat Start as a configuration change: update provisioning documentation, inform pilot groups, and adjust user training where relevant. The change affects discoverability, task flows, and first‑sign‑in experiences.
• Use the new Group Policy: Microsoft added a Boolean option to the Configure Start Pins policy that allows admins to apply a pinned layout once while letting users keep personalized changes after initial provisioning. This is useful for imaging scenarios where you want some day‑0 standardization without locking out personalization. The policy addition is listed in KB5068861 notes.
• Pilot before broad rollout: because servicinaries while server‑side flags control enablement, admins should stage feature exposure through pilot rings and monitor telemetry and helpdesk tickets closely.
• Defer or block updates where necessary: use Windows Update for Business, WSUS, or your chosen management tooling to control when devices receive the servicing packages that carry the redesign binaries if you need additional vetting time. Document and test any third‑party tools before deploying.

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Risks, regressions and stability considerations​

A design shift of this size carries real operational risks:

• **User confusion and brupt changes to primary UI elements can spike helpdesk calls and reduce productivity until users adapt or admins roll out training and communication.
• Hidden regressions: preview and servicing channels that carried the Start redesign also produced unrelated regressions in some early deployments; bundling UI changes into servicing updates increases the chance that a single update affects multiple areas of the OS. Monitor release health dashboards and known issues closely.
• Accessibility and discoverability trade‑offs: while the new Start aims to be more discoverable, some assistive workflows or keyboard shortcuts may behave differently; accessibility testing in your environment is prudent.
• Inconsistent end‑user experiences: server‑side gating means two identical machines might show different Start versions, complicating support documentae articles.

Flagged claim — the “90%” number: multiple outlets measured large start‑height increases on a 14‑inch 1920×1080 laptop at 100% scaling and reported roughly 90% visible height; this is an empirical, hardware‑dependent measurement reproduced by independent reviewers and community testers. Treat it as illustrative rather than a fixed spec: actual behavior varies with screen size, scaling, and selected Start view.

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The design trade‑creens, invasive on small ones​

Microsoft’s trade‑off is clear: a single, scrollable Start is objectively better for users with large displays, extensive app collections, or tablet/touch workflows. It reduces clicks and modernizes the launcher for continuity features like Phone Link. For many users this will be a net improvement.
However, on the smaller, more common la same priorities make Start feel like a full‑page launcher rather than a lightweight overlay. That difference in perceived weight is the root of the controversy: design benefits for some become pain points for others. The gradual, server‑side rollout reduced the risk of catastrophic global regressions but increased surprise for users who woke up to a different desktop without a clear opt‑out route.

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What Microsoft could do next (and what to expect)​

Based on rollout patterns and coverage from mainstream Windows outlets, likely near‑term directions include:

• Tighter user controls: adding explicit size or compactness toggles and better-preserved user preferences for density.
• Refinements to Phone Link behavior: more granular control over the embedded phone panel or defaulting it to collapsed for new devices.
• Improved transparency in rollout: clearer communications and feature‑flag status reporting so admins and users understand when and why the new Start appears.
• Bugfixes for preview regressions: subsequent cumulative updates will likely address reported stability issues that accompanied early flights.

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Final assessment and recommended actions​

The Windows 11 Start redesign is a deliberate, broadly reasoned UX decision with measurable benefits for discoverability and cross‑device continuity. Its delivery via servicing updates and server‑side gating explains why it felt sudden to many users. However, the same design that is helpful on large monitors can be intrusive on smaller laptops, and the rollout method has created support and provisioning headaches for organizations.
Recommended actions:

• Home users: try the Settings toggles (Personalization → Start) first, switch to List view, and collapse Phone Link before trying community feature toggles.
• Power users: if the new Start is unacceptable, test community flag tools in a disposable environment but avoid them on production devices due to stability and support risk.
• IT admins: pilot broadly, use the updated Configure Start Pins policy to control provisioning behavior, and gate the servicing update with your existing update management processes until you finish compatibility testing.

This is a meaningful evolution of one of Windows’ most visible UI elements. For organizations and individuals who value control and predictability, conservative rollout and measured pilot testing remain the best path forward; for people on larger displays or those who prize discoverability, the new Start may already be an improvement worth keeping.

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The Start menu’s sudden growth is not a bug in the common sense — it’s an intentional, server‑gated redesign with clear goals and real trade‑offs. Understanding the how, why, and where it came from makes that large blue panel less mysterious and gives both users and administrators concrete options to regain a workspace that fits their needs.

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Source: igor´sLAB https://www.igorslab.de/en/windows-11-why-the-start-menu-is-suddenly-huge/]