How To Replace Your Windows 11 Start Menu With Something Better - Try My Favorite Or This Free Option

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Start11 Windows 11 Start Menu Replacement.

The Windows 11 Start paper has disappointment galore users pinch its clumsy layout, rigid limitations, and deficiency of customization. Instead of enhancing and improving nan erstwhile paper designs from Windows 7 and 10, Microsoft seemed to spell backwards pinch a redesign that near galore of america wondering, "What were they thinking?"

Hit by personification complaints, Microsoft has taken steps to effort to revamp nan menu. One action added successful precocious 2022 lets you create folders successful which to shop your Start paper shortcuts. A much melodramatic overhaul that strives to address immoderate of nan menu's flaws and quirks rolled retired to each Windows 11 users successful October 2025. Though that update surely improved nan look and layout, nan Start paper is still saddled pinch an awkward design.

Also: Your Windows 11 Start paper is getting a creation makeover - here's really to effort it first

Switch to an alternative

If you dislike nan Start paper successful Windows 11 arsenic overmuch arsenic I do and want thing much usable and customizable, your champion stake is to move to an alternative.

Several third-party apps tin switch nan Windows 11 Start menu, giving it a much acquainted two-column layout and helping you tweak and customize it successful different ways. The programme I usage connected my Windows 11 machines is Start11. But location are different utilities worthy checking out, including StartAllBack and Open Shell Menu.

Here's really to get nan Windows 11 Start paper you deserve.

Start11 (my favourite replacement menu)

Stardock's Start11, priced astatine $9.99 for an yearly licence and $15 for imperishable use, lets you take among 7 Start paper layouts. The Windows 7 and Modern styles connection nan accepted two-column show pinch each apps aliases favourite apps connected nan near and shortcuts to various Windows features and locations connected nan right. A Windows 10-style layout uses nan acquainted paper and tiled surface combination.

There are moreover 4 different Windows 11 styles, but they supply much features and elasticity than nan built-in menu. I've ever liked nan two-column display, truthful I usage nan Modern style menu.

Choices for nan Start11 Start paper style.

Whatever paper you choose, you tin tweak its look, layout, and design. You tin opt for a regular paper that uses nan afloat width aliases a much compact creation that shrinks definite items. Further, you tin configure nan Apps list, adhd and region shortcuts, set nan colour and appearance, and find erstwhile and really nan Start11 paper is triggered.

Start11 besides provides much-needed assistance to nan Windows 11 taskbar, which has been criticized for its limitations and deficiency of flexibility. You tin tweak nan taskbar's colour and transparency, set its size, take wherever it should look connected some a superior and secondary monitor, and determine if and erstwhile taskbar buttons should beryllium combined.

Another prize is that you tin rename, move, and delete folders and shortcuts straight from nan Start menu, conscionable arsenic Windows agelong agone allowed you to do. To revert to nan regular Start menu, you tin alteration nan actions that hap erstwhile you click nan Start fastener aliases property nan Windows key. Uninstalling Start11 will besides bring backmost nan default menu.

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Whether you usage Start11 arsenic is aliases dive into its galore customizations, I deliberation you'll find it a friends and effective replacement to nan regular Windows 11 Start menu, conscionable arsenic I do.

StartAllBack (basic and much affordable)

At a costs of $4.99 for 1 license, StartAllBack is simply a much basal but still tin Start paper replacement. Right disconnected nan bat, nan programme asks what taxable you wish to usage for nan menu, offering 3 choices: Proper 11, Kinda 10, and Remastered 7. Despite their names, each 3 footwear successful nan accepted two-column layout pinch programme shortcuts connected nan near and Windows features connected nan right. The differences betwixt them are much artistic and dangle connected whether you for illustration rounded aliases quadrate corners, for example.

After you've chosen your preferred theme, caput to nan Start Menu conception successful nan programme to tweak nan menu's style, appearance, and functionality. You tin power nan size of nan menu's icons, opt to show modern apps successful their ain folder, take to item recently installed programs, and group up nan shortcuts connected nan correct broadside arsenic menus aliases links.

Like Start11, StartAllBack possesses nan powerfulness to pine up nan taskbar. You tin prime a civilization image for nan Start button, prime a ocular style for nan taskbar, and find really to harvester taskbar buttons. Best of all, you tin position nan taskbar astatine nan top, bottom, left, aliases right, a capacity that Microsoft offered successful Windows 10 but killed successful Windows 11.

StartAllBack moreover taps into File Explorer, letting you take betwixt nan ribbon interface aliases bid bar, move connected nan classical hunt box, and reconstruct nan classical discourse menus from Windows 10. If you ever want to revert to nan regular Windows 11 Start menu, conscionable uninstall StartAllBack.

Also: Your Windows 11 PC has an emergency shutdown characteristic - here's wherever to find it

If you want a elemental but tin Start paper replacement, StartAllBack is simply a coagulated choice.

Open Shell Menu (a free alternative)

Open Shell Menu is simply a free Start paper replacement that useful good successful Windows 11. After downloading and installing nan program's exe record from its GitHub page, click nan regular Windows 11 Start fastener to entree Open Shell Menu and prime your preferred style. You tin take a classical one-column layout, a classical two-column layout, aliases a Windows 7 layout. To alteration nan Start button, cheque nan container for "Replace Start button" and prime 1 of nan built-in images.

At nan settings screen, you tin customize different options. You tin find really to trigger nan Open Shell Start menu, show caller aliases often utilized programs, take nan behaviour of nan Shut Down button, and opt to show nan Search box.

Next, you tin tweak nan tegument options to group nan size of fonts and icons. Another conception lets you set nan size, color, and opacity of nan taskbar. Then you tin prime which features you want to spot successful nan Start paper and whether they look arsenic links aliases arsenic menus.

To delve deeper into nan program, cheque nan "Show each settings" container and reappraisal nan further options. Otherwise, click nan Start fastener to spot nan results. As pinch nan different 2 programs, uninstalling Open Shell Menu brings backmost nan regular Windows 11 Start menu.

Also: Microsoft said my PC was 'too old' to tally Windows 11 - really I upgraded successful 5 minutes anyway

Though it's not arsenic polished arsenic Start11 aliases StartAllBack, nan Open Shell paper is surely worthy considering, particularly if you're looking for a free Start paper replacement.