How to Add a New Kind of Start Menu to Windows 11
Microsoft has added a new kind of centralized Start menu to Windows 11. If you haven’t fallen in love with the default Start menu in Windows 11, then maybe you should consider changing it.
You can change Windows 11’s Start menu to a different kind of menu with Start Everywhere and Start Menu X. Those third-party software packages add replacement Start menus to Windows 11. This is how you can change your Start button’s menu with those software packages.
How to Add a New Start Menu With Start Everywhere
Start Everywhere is a lightweight and portable app that adds a Start menu with a very different look to the default one. That menu is smaller but incorporates many additional submenus for accessing programs, folders, and files. Some users might prefer Start Everywhere to the default menu because of its superior accessibility. You can add the Start Everywhere menu to Windows 11 like this:
Now you’ve got an entirely different Start menu at your disposal. you could access software from its Programs menu, shortcuts in Desktop, and your files from User Profiles. That Start menu’s System menu is a handy addition from which you canopen Control Panelapplets, Windows tools, and Settings app pages.
you could add custom shortcuts to that menu. Right-click the Start Everywhere system tray icon and selectOthers>Settings>Open. Click theSelect Menutab and select aCustomcheckbox for a menu. Select theCustommenu with the mouse in the Settings window, and click theChangetab that appears.
Press theDirectorybutton for your selected menu on theChangetab. Select a software or user file folder for the shortcut to open, and click the window’sOKbutton. Select theSavetab to apply the new settings. Then you’ll see a shortcut for your newly added folder on the Start Everywhere menu from which you can select to open its files or software.
you may open the Start Everywhere menu in numerous ways. It has an active corners feature that enables you to open the menu by moving your cursor to desktop corners. To activate that feature, selectOthers>Active Corners>Enableon the menu. Then the four active corner options on theGeneraltab in Start Everywhere’s Settings window will work when you select them.
Alternatively, you’re able to open the Start Everywhere menu anywhere on the desktop with a hotkey. Select two of the hotkey checkboxes on the Settings window’sAdvancedtab. Choose a letter to combine with those keys on the drop-down menu. If you then select theCursor position hotkey locationoption, pressing the keyboard shortcut will open the menu at your cursor’s position.
Start Everywhere’s Settings window also includesColorandFonttabs from which to customize the menu. Choose an alternative menu color on theColorstab. Click a radio button on theFonttab and pressChangeto customize the menu’s text. Then select theSavetab to apply.
How to Add a New Start Menu With Start Menu X
Start Menu X adds a much more customizable menu to Windows 11 with novel personalization and time-based shutdown features. That software has freeware and professional versions, but the difference between them is relatively marginal. This is how it’s possible to changeWindows 11’s Start menuwith the freely available Start Menu X:
Start Menu X resembles a slightly more conventional Windows Start menu than Start Everywhere. It looks a bit like a hybrid Start menu from the Windows Vista and 7 eras. However, this is anything but a conventional menu from times gone by.
Start Menu X incorporates Programs, Control Panel, This PC, Videos, Music, Pictures, Documents, and Desktop menus. The Programs menu provides access to installed software; you’re able to open your user files from the Videos, Music, Pictures, and Documents submenus. Its Control Panel menu enables you to bring up applets from there.
The top part of that Start Menu above the line is an area where you may add custom shortcuts. Click theAdd items into Menubutton, and select theChoose your itemoption. Then you can select a folder or file shortcut to add and clickOK.
This Start menu isn’t attached to its button. You can move it anywhere on the desktop by left-clicking the dotted line at the top of the menu and dragging it to a different position. The menu will open at that position whenever you clickStart.
When you clickPower Controlto shut down, you can select several options. Each option there has an hourglass button you can press to select scheduling settings. To schedule Windows to shut down, press the hourglass button for that option. Then click theminutesbutton, enter a value in the text box, and selectRun. Windows will automatically shut down when the set timer has elapsed.
To check out Start Menu X’s customization settings, press itsOptionsbutton. ClickOptionson the smaller menu, and select thePersonalizationtab. There you could choose numerous menu themes on theSkindrop-down menu.
This menu provides differentStartbutton icons for users to choose from. Click theStart buttontab to view its selection. you’re able to select alternative Start icons from a choice of 39 in the basic set. Or add your own by clicking theSelect Imageoptions on theCustomtab.
Start Menu X enables users to add and remove control buttons to and from the menu. To do so, click theControlstab. Then select or deselect the checkboxes to add or remove buttons from the menu.
Customizable Start Menu X hotkeys for some options are another nice feature. SelectShortcutsto view that tab’s options. You can see what the default menu hotkeys are there, and change them by entering different keys in the boxes.
Get Yourself a New Windows 11 Start Menu
The Start Everywhere and Start Menu X Start menu replacements offer clear enhancements over Windows 11’s default menu. Both incorporate more extensive menus that provide wider folder, file, system tool, and software access. They also pack in much more in the way of built-in customization settings. With all their other additional novelties on top, many users might well prefer them to Windows 11’s Start menu.
Windows 11 has a Start menu that’s somewhat different from those of the past. Find out how you can customize that menu to your liking in this guide.
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