Hello my dear friends.
Many of my readers ask me how to change the startup in Windows 10 so that it is more familiar. It cannot be completely changed due to technical limitations, but today I will tell you what can help in this case. The topic of the article is customizing the Windows 10 start menu for simpler and more ergonomic work on the computer. So, let's go!
Styling for Windows 7
So, to configure the launch as in Windows 7, we need a software such as classic shell. Let's download it from here. Install and launch. We will need a software module called Classic Start Menu. On the first page we choose the menu styling itself.
Now go to the cover selection tab and select the one you want.
After pressing the OK button, the screen will blink several times and the start menu will be the same as in Windows 7.
Setting up via StartIsBack++
In order not to touch gpo (group policy objects), we use this software. Download it from here. After installation, click on the settings button and go to the start menu appearance editor.
By the way, in this software you can even change the button itself.
Under this menu there are switching options, where we select everything at our discretion. Next, we go to the additional block and set everything there as it is at my peak below.
That's it, our customized menu is completely ready.
If you want even more customization, then you should purchase the pro version.
How to remove all applications from the menu?
Now I will tell you how to remove the application list. Go to the settings of our Windows and click on the personalization tab with the cursor.
Go to the start block and turn off the switch that I highlighted with a rectangle in the picture.
If everything is fine, then your startup will be something like this.
All applications have been removed.
Conclusion
Of course, you can try to configure the start menu through the registry. However, due to a lack of knowledge, you can create much more problems than achieve positive results. If you get error 1703 while changing the menu according to the last tip, then the Windows distribution kit itself is simply not suitable. In this case, download another one and reinstall.
How to customize the Start menu in Windows 10?
There are two ways to make settings in the Start menu:
open “Personalization” and edit the Start section;
direct change of parameters, directly from the desktop.
Removing and adding tiles
From Windows 8 to the 10 version of the operating system, tiles have been transferred that can be customized to your liking. The following settings are possible:
Unpinning tiles. Right-click on any of them and click “Unpin”. If you unpin all the tiles, Start will look like it did in Windows 7.
Consolidation of programs. Right-click on any of the program shortcuts and select “Pin to Start Screen.”
Groups of tiles. Create groups of tiles by dragging them into one zone. By clicking at the top of the group, you can easily change their name.
Dimensions. It’s easy to change sizes with the right mouse button, there are only four of them: large, wide, medium and small.
By default, tiles are updated all the time if it is news, weather or something in that format. Using the context menu, in one click, you can disable this function.
Full screen mode
Some users really liked the full-screen Start menu mode that was in Windows 8. The developers left the option to do the same on Windows 10. To do this, follow these steps:
Right-click and select “Personalize”.
Launch the Start menu.
Look for the “Open in full screen” option, then switch it to the active position.
Editing size and background
The developer of Windows 10 made sure that Start was convenient for everyone. If it seems too small, large or inconvenient for other reasons, you can now edit almost all sizes and colors.
To change the size, just click on the edge of the Start and stretch or shrink it as you wish.
If desired, you can change the color scheme:
Go to the “Personalization” menu.
Click on the “Colors” tab.
Choose from existing shades and approve the one you like.
Other options
By going to the “Personalization” section, the user can change several more Start menu elements at his discretion. All settings are visible in the screenshot attached above.
Windows 10 brings back the Start menu and makes it more customizable than ever. Here's a rundown of all the ways you can personalize your Start menu settings.
Organize, edit, delete or add items
You can easily manage the Start menu folder structure through Explorer to edit, change or even add new items. It also gives you the ability to search for new shortcuts you create. Of course, you can do this by dragging items individually (or together) into the Start menu, but rearranging through File Explorer is much faster if you need to change a lot of items at once.
To open the Start menu folder directory, paste the following link into the address bar of Explorer:
%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
It's worth noting that the Start folder doesn't show universal apps that you've installed, so they need to be managed directly from the Start menu window.
For the most part, you can uninstall any app, with the exception of some built-in apps, by right-clicking them in the Start menu and selecting Uninstall.
Resizing the Start Menu
You can quickly resize start menu by simply dragging the top or right edge of the menu with your mouse.
Resizing vertically works as we expect. When you resize horizontally, you can expand the Start menu with one full column of icon groups to four columns. Unfortunately, you can reduce the size of the entire menu to the width of one column.
Disable Live Tile Updates
If all those flashing tiles are annoying you, just right-click them and select "Turn off live tiles."
For the most part, live tiles needlessly distract our attention, but they can be useful in the case of tiles like Weather or Calendar when having access to up-to-date information is important.
Grouping tiles into folders
You can also group tiles in the Start menu—provided you've updated Windows 10 to the Creators Update. These folders work just like application folders on a smartphone. To create a new folder, simply drag any tile and drop it onto another tile. These fragments will then be grouped into a folder. You can add other tiles to the folder by dragging them on top of the created folder.
Once you already have tiles in a folder, you just need to click on the folder to expand it. You can then click on any slab inside to launch the application. Click the arrow above a folder to collapse it again.
If you want to remove tiles from a folder, simply drag them back out of the folder and drop them directly into the Start menu. You can also remove a tile from the Start menu and then add it again if dragging it around is too awkward.
Remove all live tiles
If you really don't like the tiles in your Start menu, you can remove them. Just right-click them and then click "Undo from start" until they disappear.
Once you've separated the last tile, you can resize the Start menu horizontally by grabbing the right edge and dragging until the tile section disappears. After this, only the semi-classic list of applications will remain.
Change the color of the Start menu (and taskbar)
You can easily change the color of your Start Menu and Taskbar. Go to Settings → Personalization → Colors to get started. Windows allows you to select one accent color from a pre-created group, or you can fine-tune the accent color by clicking Additional color. Just click any color you want to use. You can also let Windows choose an accent color based on your current wallpaper by selecting the option Automatic selection of the main background color.
After choosing an accent color, the next step is choosing the places where this color will be used. Scroll down a bit to the section Other options. You will have two options available: “In the Start menu, taskbar, and notification center” and “In window title bars.” The first option uses an accent color as the background for your Start menu, taskbar, and action center, and highlights certain elements in those places—like app icons in the Start menu. The second option uses an accent color for the title bar of your active window.
Unfortunately, the Start Menu, Taskbar, and Action Center items are all grouped together and you can't set them to different colors. You can poke around a little in the registry, but this will not completely solve the problem.
On the color personalization screen, you'll also find a Transparency Effect option to make the Start menu, taskbar, and action center transparent. This setting does not affect the accent color if it is used for these elements.
Lastly, you can enable dark mode for settings and apps.
How application lists appear in the Start menu
By default, the Start menu displays some of your recently installed and most frequently used apps on the left side, followed by a list of all the apps installed on your system.
If you don't like it, hide the list of new or frequently used apps. Open Settings → Personalization → Start. Find "Show list of apps in Start", "Show recently added apps" and "Show most used apps" and turn off anything you don't want to see in the Start menu.
What folders appear in the Start menu
The User, Settings, and Shutdown options are now semi-hidden in a tiny column to the left of the Start menu. Click the button in the upper left corner of the Start menu to expand this column.
You can see the classic options with their full names, as well as a lot of open space above them. You can add other items in this space.
Open Settings → Personalization → Start. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Choose which folders appear on the Start menu."
Select all the folders you want to appear on the Start menu.
Using the full screen menu
If you really like tiles. Go back to the days of Windows 8 - open the Start menu in full screen mode. Go to Settings → Personalization → Start. Enable the "Open Start menu in full screen" option.
Now, whenever you open the Start menu, you will see it in all its glory.
Remove suggested apps
Since you've been using the Windows 10 Start menu, you've probably noticed that it sometimes prompts you to install other apps.
note that the apps offered are different from pre-installed apps like Candy Crush, which you also probably don't need. To get rid of them, you need to right-click each one and delete it.
Do you have other tips for customizing the Windows 10 Start menu? Let us know! And don't forget: if you don't like the Windows 10 Start menu, you can go back to the glory days of Windows 7 by replacing the Start menu with something like Start10 or ClassicShell.
During the announcement of Windows 10, Microsoft announced the long-awaited return of the Start menu. With the release of the first test releases of the operating system, it became obvious that the returning “Start” is something new, representing a hybrid of the tiles from Windows 8 and the two-column “Start” from Windows 7.
I liked the new start menu and I’m not going to give it up, as I said right after. In the G8, the Start menu existed nominally and a button in the taskbar was only required for a right click. Now the menu and button are back in action.
This is what the Start menu looked like immediately after the update.
Conservative-minded citizens continue to favor the classic, Windows 98-style start menu. These citizens, after a free upgrade to “ten,” will be joined by numerous Windows 7 users who still did not want to use the “innovative” “eight”, among other things, because of “stupid and incomprehensible tiles.”
For some users, the new menu will not be suitable on a personal level; for others, it means a negative impact on productivity and ease of use. That's why…
Classic Shell
Classic Shell is a utility that can return peace to the homes of old-fag-minded users. Download the Russian version from the official website. Install what you need.
I'll go through the points from top to bottom. Classic Explorer turns Explorer into a kind of good old file manager. It looks weird on my computer. A toolbar appeared on the right above the work area, under the search window, and folder icons were cut off in the left panel.
But the modified “Control Panel” will definitely please fans of the classics.
Classic Start Menu— the main function of the utility. You can install the Start menu from Windows 98, XP or 7 in Windows 10 in two clicks. See the gallery with examples and comments on the screenshots.
Classic Shell is highly customizable: classic with one/two columns and Windows 7 style, whatever you like. You can turn menu items on and off, rearrange them, even application icons can be customized.
If necessary, the native Windows 10 menu can be called up using hotkeys or a mouse click. You can disable or access program settings by right-clicking on the “Start” button.
Classic IE in theory, it changes the appearance of the Internet Explorer browser, bringing it to a classic look. I don't know who needs this feature, but I tried it and the utility didn't do anything with IE 11. Look at the screenshot, maybe you will find traces of the work.
well and Classic Shell Update- this is a function to check for application updates, this part must be installed. Good luck.
After the release of the new edition of the Windows 10 operating system, many users began to encounter various errors in its operation. This is due to the fact that the new version has not been fully debugged and is being finalized during operation. One of the shortcomings of the system was the frequent failure to activate the Start key menu: it does not respond to commands. At the same time, the icons in the “Taskbar” stop responding. Microsoft gradually resolves software issues through periodic updates. Until errors in system files are eliminated, it is recommended to use methods that have been developed and widely used to correct this defect.
What is the difference between the Start menu in Windows 10 and previous versions?
Due to the fact that the Windows 8.1 edition was criticized all over the world due to the lack of a Start key, the developers decided to return to the previous view of the Desktop with a familiar interface to everyone.
The Windows 10 Start button menu has a tiled interface
The Start button and its menu, presented in the Windows 10 edition, have a changed appearance.
The updated Start key menu is a hybrid edition that includes both the classic-look menu for older versions of Windows and the tiled architecture first introduced in Windows 8, which is most suitable for touch control.
The icons on the left half of the menu and the live tiles on the right side duplicate each other, so you can use the part that is more suitable for a particular user. They can be disabled, deleted or edited.
Unlike previous editions of Windows, in Windows 10 you can resize the Start menu like a regular window. To do this:
All the previous items remain in the menu, such as programs, power management icons and others.
If you click on the “Start” button with the right mouse button, a menu with system management tabs will open. With its help, you can manage disks, change system settings, configure the network, search and perform other operations.
Right-clicking the Start button brings up a menu with system management tabs It is possible to remove tiles and add new ones using the icons on the left side of the menu. To do this you need to do the following:
If you remove all the tiles, the menu will take on an almost classic look. This can be done if the user does not use the right half when working. In addition, this increases RAM resources, since tiles take up a significant amount of it due to drawing graphic images.
How to return the classic Start menu design
Due to the fact that the appearance of the key and the Start menu is very different from the usual classic look, naturally, many users will want to return to the interface they have become familiar with over the years, like Windows 7. To do this, you can use two well-known methods:
- take advantage of the standard features of Windows 10;
- install third party software.
How to use standard features is described in the previous chapter of this article.
Installation of third-party programs requires the use of one of the publicly available and proven utilities listed below:
- StartIsBack++;
- Classic Shell;
- Start10.
You can use other utilities that allow you to return to the classic design of the Start menu, but the above ones are the undisputed leaders in this direction. They take up little space on your hard drive and make it possible to change the menu view with a minimum number of steps.
To take advantage of the utilities for changing the external interface of the key and the Start menu, you must perform a series of sequential actions:
- StartIsBack++ allows you to return the usual image of the menu and Start key. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Classic Shell gained popularity after the release of the eighth edition of Windows. This utility made it possible to return the “Start” key to the “Taskbar”, since in the usual design the key was not there. In the Windows 10 edition, this problem no longer exists, but now, using the program, you can return to the classic design. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Start10 changes the standard Windows 10 menu to its own immediately after installation. This menu is more similar to the Start menu in Windows 7 and is not much different from it. In the utility settings, you can remove the Start key, select the size of menu icons, and configure other settings. To run the utility, you need to perform the following operations:
Changing the key and the Start menu makes it possible to return the familiar working interface for most users. In addition, such manipulations can improve computer performance.
The Windows 10 operating interface certainly looks more attractive than its predecessors, but at the same time it uses a very large amount of RAM and video memory. For standalone devices, such as a laptop or tablet, the Desktop takes up even more resources. After returning to the classic view, you can increase the amount of free memory and battery power by reducing the requirements for drawing graphics.
Video: How to return the Start menu to the classic look using Classic Shell
Customizing the Start Menu in Windows 10
The new Start menu in Windows 10 consists of two parts:
- left half - classic view using pictograms;
- the right half is "live" tiles using the Metro interface.
The menu has its own settings, which can always be changed if necessary.
Video: How to customize the Start menu in Windows 10
Switch the desktop from classic view to full screen and vice versa
Initially, Windows 10 is installed on the computer’s hard drive, already having a “Start” button in the “Taskbar”. To switch the “Desktop” display to Start screen mode, you need to perform the following sequence of actions:
In addition, you can launch full-screen mode by activating “Tablet Mode”. This will require the following:
Video: how to switch the “Desktop” to full-screen display mode
Set the Start menu color
Changing the color and shape of the Start menu in Windows 10 is carried out according to the following algorithm:
Video: How to change the color of the Start menu in Windows 10
Rules for working with live tiles in the Start menu
Users can change the size of live tiles if desired. You can also move them, edit groups, pin and unpin.
How to resize and move live tiles
To transform the size of a “live” tile, you must perform the following steps:
How to edit groups of "live" tiles in the menu
Windows 10 has a feature to distribute tiles into different groups. To create a new group:
More Start menu settings
To customize the apps that appear by default in the Start menu, follow these steps:
You can also set a specific set of directories to display in the Start menu. To do this, a sequence of certain actions is performed:
Video: How to change basic Start menu settings
Reasons why the Start menu may not open in Windows 10
The exact cause of problems when working with the Start menu has not yet been clearly established. According to Microsoft experts, this can happen for several main reasons:
- incorrectly installed system updates;
- failures when drawing the graphical interface;
- damage to system files and directories;
- inheritance of system errors when installing Windows 10 on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1;
- failure in the system registry;
- penetration of malware into the system.
In addition to these reasons, there may be many other, minor reasons that affect the operation of the Start menu when the key does not respond to user commands.
What to do if the Start menu won't open
There are several proven methods used to fix errors that affect the key and the Start menu.
Solving problems in the Start menu using a special utility
To fix errors when working with the Start menu, Microsoft specialists have developed a small utility. It can be downloaded from the company's official website. The utility works without installation immediately after launch. To use it, you must follow the following instructions:
- Go to the official Microsoft website.
Select the "Support" tab on the Microsoft website - Click on the "Support" tab.
- Select the problematic Windows product.
Click on the Windows icon - In the window that opens, click on the “Troubleshoot problems when opening the Start menu or Cortana” tab.
Click the "Troubleshoot problems when opening the Start menu or Cortana" tab - Select the "Try the troubleshooter" tab from the suggested list of troubleshooters.
Click on the "Try the troubleshooter" tab - In the drop-down tab, click on the line “Start Menu Troubleshooter”.
Click on "Start Menu Troubleshooter" - Open the startmenu.diagcab batch file.
Click on the "Open" button in the pop-up window - Launch the startmenu CAB file.
Launch the startmenu file through Explorer - In the “Main Menu” panel that opens, click on the “Next” button.
Click on the “Next” button in the “Main Menu” - The utility will begin the process of searching for Start menu problems.
Wait until the end of the search for problems with the Start menu - At the end of the procedure, click on the “Close” button. All bug fixes that are found are carried out automatically.
Click the “Close” button if the utility does not detect any problems
Use the View More Information tab to view your problem search criteria. The utility checks the Start menu for the following parameters:
- system registry errors;
- incorrect installation of received updates;
- state of the live tiles database.
Based on the results of the check, a report is generated, which, if necessary, can be sent to print.
Using the Start Menu Troubleshooter is the most effective method at the moment, which fixes errors in the Start menu with an almost one hundred percent guarantee.
Restarting Explorer to fix errors in the Start menu in Windows 10
Sometimes, to restore the Start menu, it is enough to restart the explorer.exe application. To execute it:
Video: how to restart Explorer in Windows 10
Restoring the Start Menu Using Registry Editor
You can restore the correct operation of the Start menu by changing the system registry. To do this, you need to make some corrections and perform a number of operations:
- Right-click on the Start button.
- Click on the “Run” line.
In the menu, click on the “Run” line - Enter the regedit command and click OK.
Enter the regedit command and click OK - Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
- Right-click on an empty space in the right half of the panel.
- Hover your mouse over “New” and click on “DOWRD (32-bit) Parameter” in the drop-down menu.
Create a new DOWRD parameter (32 bits) - Name it EnableXAMLStartMenu.
- Click on the new parameter with the left mouse button and enter the number 0 in the “Value” field.
In the “Value” field, set the value to 0 - Restart your computer.
It is recommended that only experienced users make changes to the registry. If you are not sure that you can handle it, then it is better to entrust the solution to the problem to professionals, so as not to accidentally make an irreparable mistake that can only be corrected by reinstalling the system.
Video: How to restore the Start menu using Registry Editor
Recovering the Start menu using the built-in Maintenance utility
You can try to fix the Start menu error using the built-in Maintenance utility. To run the utility, do the following:
- Launch the “Control Panel” by double-clicking on the icon on the “Desktop”.
Double-click the Control Panel icon to open it - Click on the “Security and Service Center” icon.
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