Customize the Windows 10 Start Menu
It takes some getting used to time to get accustomed to the new start menu that Microsoft ships with its Windows 10 operating system. While there is still enough time for changes, it is likely that they won't be major unless feedback is predominantly negative.
One of the things that you can do for instance is to remove all tiles from the start menu. That's handy if you don't use apps at all or don't want them listed in the start menu.
What you may have noticed however is that there are other changes. There is no direct link to the control panel for example, only a link to the PC settings menu.
Another behavior that feels kinda strange is that pinned programs or apps are always displayed as icons on the right side of the start menu when you select the pin to start option. There is no option to pin it as a program to the left side instead so that it is displayed directly there when you open the start menu.
Customize the Start Menu in Windows 10 version 1703 and newer
Microsoft moved most Start Menu customization options to the Settings application in recent versions of Windows 10.
You can access them in the following way:
- Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Go to Personalization > Start.
The following options are listed there:
- Show more Tiles on Start.
- Show app list in Start menu.
- Show recently added apps.
- Show most used apps.
- Occasionally show suggestions in Start.
- Use Start full screen.
- Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar.
A click on "choose which folders appear on Start" lists options to show or hide system folders on Start. The following are supported right now:Â File Explorer, Settings, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, HomeGroup, Network, and Personal folder.
Old Information
Customizing the menu in Windows 10
You can configure which system tools, folders and settings are displayed in the start menu. Here is what you need to do for that:
- Right-click on the Windows taskbar and select properties from the context menu.
- Switch to the Start Menu tab when the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window opens.
- Click on the customize button on that page.
- Here you find items listed that you can pin to the start menu or unpin from it.
- Listed here are the Control Panel, Downloads, Homegroup, Devices or Network which are all not listed in the Start Menu by default.
Pin items to the left side of the start menu
You have a couple of options when it comes to pinning items to the left side of the start menu.
- Pin an item from the right side of the start menu to the left using drag and drop.
- Pin an item from the recent programs listing to the fixed area at the top.
- Drag and drop an item from File Explorer, the desktop or the taskbar to the left side of the start menu.
What you cannot do is use the right-click context menu to pin apps to the left side. This won't work and will always result in the item showing up on the right side instead. From here it is however possible to drag and drop it to the left side.
It is interesting to note that you can pin executable files but also other files or folders to the start menu. There does not seem o be any restriction in this regard. I tested the pinning with folders, images, executable files, archives and documents and they all pinned just fine to the start menu.
Now You: What's your take on the new start menu?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277