Forum Discussion
Windows 11, Start button menu, make it show all apps by default
Changing registry is not recommended and it cause issue in the Windows and method you shared is not official and it is not working in the Windows 11.
The best way would be sharing your feedback using the Feedback Hub app, so the Windows team will see.
In case you really need this feature, you try use the Windows 10 for a while.
Your reply - and the implied attitude of Microsoft behind it - is wholly unacceptable. You (Microsoft) have disabled and unacceptbly altered the working of a product (Windows 11 start menu) which the user has paid for, without the users permission. Instead of agreeing to undo the damage (restore full start menu) you suggest that they use a differrent product (Windows 10) ????? One wonders whether you would consider accepting a mechanic's advice to drive a different kind of car if the servicing garage that took your current vehicle (without your permission) and "improved" it, damaged it unacceptably ?
To be honest I love loads of features that Windows 11 brings, except the fact that Microsoft in there infinite wisdom thought that having recommend or mostly used application list on the start menu was ever a good idea to have as default.
Up until last week I was more than happy to have all my applications listed every time I opened the start menu but now Microsoft have gone and negated the registry key and now it doesn't work. Now I have to find another solution that forces Windows to do what I want, not what Microsoft has the amazing intuition (being sarcastic) of deciding people want. Having the option built into the Start menu settings would be something, but Microsoft likely would see this as a nauseous or unnecessary.kitkat54 Same here.
- Agreed! Hitting the start key to be displayed with a completely blank window with nothing in it is subpar at best.
I test drove Start11 today by StarDock and while it's certainly better and gives you the old 10 start menu exactly how I want it there are two major bugs. 1) When you click the Start Menu Button you still get the Win11 Start Menu. This is an actual bug, it's not supposed to do that. I notified support. Until they fix it though the only way to get the Win10 Start Menu is with the Win Key. Secondly, it can't properly handle the user image so in place of that you get a huge black dot. Bleh. With that said I'm not sure I want an entire extra program installed if it's not going to be just right.
I also tried Open-Menu on Github and that takes the menu back TOO FAR. MaggotdrownerAll the issues I mentioned happened on two different systems. In addition to that the constant notifications that "symbols" were updated is rather annoying. Good luck to you I guess.
Justin_Emlay I can't say I've ever had an issue with ExplorerPatcher.. sits there doing exactly what I want it to do..(tells me when it needs updating). No problems with any updates on W11 or most progs on my machine.. only one that is a bit touchy is Corel's PSP 2023.. each to their own I suppose 🙂
real awesome UI they have here for the start menu.</sarcasm>
it is just peak idiocy that no one stopped to think that they already had a taskbar that you could pin apps to, and that users would pin the things they wanted pinned to that so they didn’t need to click the start button at all for apps important enough to pin. Literally the ONLY reason I’d EVER go to the start menu at all is to get a list of all apps. DERP.
- Middle of 2023 and this is still not resolved!
Also, ExplorerPatcher is a horrible suggestion. It causes lots of issues with explorer. Drag and drop issues, updating desktop issues, outright crashing explorer. All that nonsense went away once I removed it. - Thank you for sharing your concern, in any case it is the best to report it using the Feedback Hub app and also share the link with others so they upvote.
Reza_Ameri I got a new device that came with 11 on it rather than having been upgraded -- all my windows PCs have "metered" connections to keep it from downloading crap without my permission. My only choice would be to wipe the device and install windows 10 on it, which I might actually do, despite the pain in the **bleep** that it is to get all the drivers setup. (luckily the device is Ryzen based and doesn't have mixed cores).
It just astounds me that no one involved in designing the new start menu stopped to think that "pinned apps sounds an awful lot like what the taskbar already does, so who or what is this even for?" or that "maybe we should at least make a config switch to bring up something more like the existing all apps behavior by default." or that 18 months later they STILL have not figured out how to make a config setting to do that, and in fact have doubled down on forcing this bad UI choice on users by breaking the registry setting that brought back the old behavior.
- There is a workaround of disable auto-upgrade using registry and group policy which has been discussed a bit here. I am not representing Microsoft and I am a user like you. However, the current process is to share idea , suggestions, bugs and concerns through the Feedback Hub and people who agreed with your concern could upvote it.
PJAngert005 - you actually highlighted just how absolutely stupid the new start menu is (at least in terms of not being able to change the behavior).
If I want to PIN an app there is already a thing called a TASKBAR for that. I only ever use the start menu for the cases where I am looking for something that ISN'T pinned to my taskbar. There is literally no use for "pinning" stuff in the start menu. If I was going to pin it, it's in the taskbar already. The pins in the start menu are a totally useless waste of space, and a waste of my time having to click a secondary button just to get the old default behavior which is what I ALWAYS want. This is a classic example of some designer trying to make something look pretty for screen shots without even stopping to think for even 30 seconds about function and use cases.
(I am late to the party because I've stuck with 10 as long as possible, and only just now ended up with a device with 11 inflicted upon it. Blah).
- Man, glad I have most of the apps I use most pinned to my taskbar - this start menu is BS.
