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.
Windows 11 that causes severe eye strain and headaches
Hello, I am reporting a serious display-related issue in Windows 11 that causes severe eye strain and headaches and makes the OS unusable for me and a few other people. We migrated the entire company, 300 people, from Windows 10 to Windows 11 due to security requirements, but now about 30 employees are suffering from headaches. Since switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11, I experience strong headaches and visual discomfort even during short sessions and even when simply looking at the desktop with no active workload. This issue is consistent and reproducible. Based on extensive testing, I suspect Windows 11 applies forced temporal dithering or other frame-to-frame color modulation at the OS / DWM / graphics pipeline level, even when using a native 8-bit display. System configuration: Native 8-bit IPS monitor (not 6-bit + FRC) NVIDIA GPU HDR fully disabled (Windows, driver, and monitor) Tested via DisplayPort and HDMI Multiple refresh rates and timings tested Troubleshooting steps already performed: Clean installation of multiple NVIDIA drivers (Game Ready and Studio, DDU used) Explicitly set 8 bpc color depth Tested RGB and YCbCr output formats Disabled G-SYNC / VRR at both driver and monitor levels Disabled MPO (Multiplane Overlay) via registry Reset NVIDIA Control Panel to defaults Removed all custom ICC profiles and reverted to default sRGB Disabled Night Light, blue light filters, and all adaptive color features Tested different brightness levels and fully disabled monitor post-processing Tested multiple scaling settings (100–150%) Tested different resolutions and timing standards (CVT / CVT-RB) Tested output via integrated GPU (where available) Key observation: With the exact same hardware, cables, monitor, and settings, Windows 10 does not cause these symptoms. The problem appears only on Windows 11, which strongly suggests a change in the Windows 11 graphics pipeline, DWM behavior, or color management. This is not a subjective preference issue but a health-related problem. Questions: Is there any supported or undocumented way to fully disable THIS in Windows 11? If not, then are there plans to provide explicit user control over color modulation in future Windows versions, given that this behavior causes severe eye strain and headaches for some users? I would appreciate a response from a technical specialist familiar with Windows graphics, DWM, and display output behavior.
Windows freezes when booting
Recently, i decided to switch from windows 10 to windows 11. I went with a new C drive too (3rd gen m.2, motherboard mounted), which i made sure was clean before installation. Many problems have developed since. The system itself is not sluggish, but takes long to start up. When it goes into stand-by mode due to inactivity, it needs a reset in order to register anything again. It also does not immediately detect new drives, only once the system has been reset. Furthermore, currently the system freezes when starting up. If i choose the C drive, it states it has no operating system. If i choose the boot manager on the same drive, it goes into the automatic system repair tool. otherwise it freezes. From there i went into safe mode, tried repairing it with recommended commands but no internal errors were found to begin with. This is on a custom build, with a processor that windows 11 does support. I tried resetting BIOS, incase this was a hardware issue instead, but no luck there either. is it better for me to reinstall windows altogether, or is there a solution i missed?Can't Sign in to anything with my Microsoft account
After the last update or so, I can't sign in to the Microsoft store or the Xbox app or the settings. There is no error code or anything, it just flashes the sign in page and disappear. In the store I get the error "We encountered an error. Please try signing in again later." and that's all. I tried all sorts of thing like resetting and repairing the Microsoft store and Xbox app, but those did nothing. i tried these commands "sfc /scannowsfc /scannow" and "Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" but still nothing. Does anyone have the same error or knows a fix, please let me know. Thanks
Windows 11 account issues: lock screen skipped, device not showing in Microsoft account
Hi everyone, I’m facing a few strange issues on Windows 11 that seem to be limited only to my main user profile, and I’m hoping to fix them without creating a new profile and migrating all my data. Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings: I see a sign-in-related issue & an error code 0x80860010. The lock screen is skipped when the PC starts. On power-on or restart, the lock screen flashes for a split second, and then Windows directly goes to the PIN entry screen. This happens only on my main user account. If I create a new local or Microsoft account, the lock screen works perfectly even after a restart or cold boot. My Windows PC does not appear under Devices on my Microsoft account page, even though the PC is signed in with my Microsoft account locally. I’ve already tried restarting, signing out and back into my Microsoft account, checking sign-in options, and testing Fast Startup on and off. Since everything works fine on newly created accounts, I believe my existing user profile or account state may be corrupted. I’m trying to avoid creating a new profile and manually migrating data if possible. Any guidance on repairing the current user profile, re-linking the device to my Microsoft account, or restoring normal lock screen behavior would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help. ~GouravSave the date: Windows Office Hours - January 15, 2026
Join us for our next monthly Windows Office Hours, January 15, from 8:00-9:00 AM PT! We will have a broad group of product experts, servicing experts, and engineers representing Windows, Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, Windows 365, Windows Autopilot, security, public sector, FastTrack, and more. They will be standing by -- in chat -- to provide guidance, discuss strategies and tactics, and, of course, answer any specific questions you may have. For more details about how Windows Office Hours works, go to our Windows IT Pro Blog. If you can't make it at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time, post your questions on the Windows Office Hours: January 15th event page, up to 2 days in advance.Windows 11 24H2 breaks the .exe and .com file associations
Hello world, Recently updated to 24H2 feature update on my Dell Latitude 7450 laptop. Update took hours to complete. However, after login in, we found all the exe and com file extensions are broken. From notepad, task manager to Command prompt are not working. Tried all possible ways to restore the file associations thorough the recovery startup page, but did not help, until completely uninstall all quality and feature updates. 24H2 is still matured till this day, i believe. Please let me know if there is a workaround on this issue or a patch is available addressing this issue. Thank you.
