Forum Discussion
The New Start Menu Is a Perfect Example of Microsoft Forcing Unwanted “Features” on Users
I’m posting this because I’m beyond fed up with the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows, and the latest Start Menu redesign is really unwelcomed. Whoever decided to implement the new “All” section with forced Categories, Grid/List views, and a permanently attached app list seems to have completely forgotten something fundamental: this is my Start Menu, not theirs.
I’ve already turned off every bit of clutter I can — Recommended, recent files, “suggestions,” all of it. Yet Windows still insists on injecting an enormous block of UI I never asked for and will never use. I don’t care whether it’s Categories, List, or Grid. I don’t want any of it. I want the Start menu to show ONLY the pinned items I chose, nothing else, the same way it worked for years.
But now?
Microsoft has deliberately removed the ability to collapse, hide, disable, or eliminate this lower “All” section entirely. It wastes space, disrupts workflow muscle memory, and provides zero value for users who already know exactly what they need. It’s an unwanted visual and functional takeover of the one UI element that should be the most personal and customizable.
This is exactly the type of “change for the sake of change” that pushes long‑time Windows users away. It feels like decisions are being made by people who never actually use Windows for real work, and who believe their design experiments matter more than respecting users’ preferences.
I’m tired of being forced into UI experiments I never opted into. I’m tired of updates that remove more choice than they add. And I’m tired of Microsoft ignoring the most universal feedback users keep giving: Stop shoving new UI elements in our faces and give us back full control over our own operating system.
If Microsoft wants people to stay enthusiastic about Windows instead of increasingly frustrated with every forced redesign, then we need true user‑controlled customization — not “pick between three unwanted layouts,” not “view modes,” not scripts, not policies, not third‑party hacks. Just a simple, basic ability to hide what we don’t want.
Give us the Start Menu we choose, not the Start Menu you decide we should have.
6 Replies
This update was honestly disheartening but unfortunately not surprising. Microsoft seems totally oblivious to what most users want. I'm a software developer and this new start menu update is a joke to all developers that use Windows. I was already looking into Linux alternatives due to Windows' ironically limited window management system. PowerToys had to come and somewhat fix this issue for them, but it's still far from what some Linux distros can offer. Now they plaster this ugly and useless UI element onto one of the most used OS tools and force everyone to use it. They are reverting to their headless chickens era from the Windows 8 fiasco. They will just keep losing users who want real OS control.
I woke up this morning to all of my desktop start menu layout taken away (by the latest Windows 11 update) and this big large uncustomizable thing put in it's place. Its a significant productivity killer and I can't believe Microsoft thought taking away someone's carefully curated efficient start menu layout was a good thing. It took me almost two hours to strip out this unwanted and highly productivity killing change and get my start menu back. Thanks for nothing :-(
It's appalling. I've spent an hour (with Copilot) trying to get rid of these damned new "features" - tweaking Settings, the registry, Group policies, a custom StartMenu XML file - all to no avail. In the end Copilot "admitted" that nothing could be done about them. So.. come the morning (it's late here now) I'm looking for a third party app to replace it altogether.
MIcrosoft seem to be doing all they can to alienate their users.
I agree completely. There needs to be an option to opt out. It's just a bunch of useless clutter that I will never use. Give us back control of our own computers.
The "new and improved" START just appeared on my laptop. New is somewhat correct. Improved is not. I didn't think it was possible but the New Start is, arguably, worse than the original W11 Start. I am seriously considering something like START11.
What I do not understand is the complete disregard of Windows users by the developers.Fully agree.
MS has not learn its lesson after the Windows 8 Start Screen failure a few years back.
Offering the choice of changing to an updated layout is fine, imposing this as the new normal to everyone is not.
Offering this choice would something that would be very easy to do; i.e. such as the choice for keeping the Start Menu button in the taskbar in the left, as opposed to the center.
I will be using third party tools to revert this back to something that is actually acceptable for me, as I did back in Windows 8.
And Microsoft wonders why people want to disable updates, well, imposed changes like this is part of the reason.
