Solved Start Menu - clean Recommended Area of icons ?

AGTDenton · Sep 20, 2023

Taliseian said:
If you are doing a Clean Install, you can choose "English (World)" for Currency during the install process and end up with a very clean Start Menu - How to install Windows 11 without Bloatware Apps. Understand that it doesn't remove those apps from my understanding - it just doesn't install them.

After, you will need to go back and change the currency to English for the Microsoft Store and other apps to work correctly.

Thanks, an interesting tip, but won't help with the Recommended area. Its programs & applications that will be installed over time after install that appear there, rather than initial bloatware.
If you see my example of SQL Server appearing in that area, it poses a security risk if users are able to suddenly launch an app like that and play around with it.

dacrone · Sep 20, 2023

Explorer Patcher or Upgrade to Education Edition (Ed - can disable this via GPO & it works)

AGTDenton · Jan 22, 2026

Yep, a few years and several million attempts later (not quite that many

) we have a solution!!!!

So I found a post with some alternate registry keys that fool the Start Menu into believing it to be Education edition....
This finally works for me. I can only hope this helps others, maybe our lord and saviour @Brink might add these to the following tutorial as an additional solution

Remove Recommended Section from Start Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Recommended section from the Start Menu for specific users or all users in Windows 11. The Start menu in Windows 11 is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended. The Recommended section on the Start menu shows a list of your...

www.elevenforum.com

Batch:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Education]
"IsEducationEnvironment"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start]
"HideRecommendedSection"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"HideRecommendedSection"=dword:00000001

Brink · Jan 22, 2026

AGTDenton said:
Yep, a few years and several million attempts later (not quite that many ) we have a solution!!!!

So I found a post with some alternate registry keys that fool the Start Menu into believing it to be Education edition....
This finally works for me. I can only hope this helps others, maybe our lord and saviour @Brink might add these to the following tutorial as an additional solution

Remove Recommended Section from Start Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Recommended section from the Start Menu for specific users or all users in Windows 11. The Start menu in Windows 11 is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended. The Recommended section on the Start menu shows a list of your...

www.elevenforum.com

Batch:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Education] "IsEducationEnvironment"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start] "HideRecommendedSection"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer] "HideRecommendedSection"=dword:00000001

Hello mate,

Option Three below should remove the Recommended section on the Start Menu without having to trick W11 to be an Education edition.

Remove Recommended Section from Start Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Recommended section from the Start Menu for specific users or all users in Windows 11. The Start menu in Windows 11 is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended. The Recommended section on the Start menu shows a list of your...

www.elevenforum.com

AGTDenton · Jan 22, 2026

Brink said:
Hello mate,

Option Three below should remove the Recommended section on the Start Menu without having to trick W11 to be an Education edition.

Remove Recommended Section from Start Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Recommended section from the Start Menu for specific users or all users in Windows 11. The Start menu in Windows 11 is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended. The Recommended section on the Start menu shows a list of your...

www.elevenforum.com

Howdy,

That method just doesn't want to work for me with LTSC Enterprise 2024 IoT or Windows 11 Pro 22H2/23H2/24H2/25H2.
I have to use all 3 registry entries above for it to work.

Yet that method you mentioned does work for me in LTSC Enterprise 2024 without IoT.
I found another post somewhere with pictures that was highlighting the same issues I had so there are some weird subtle differences caused by something.
I don't know if it's because the ISO's I've been using came from the Action Pack (or whatever it is known as now) or that I'm using International English/ en-GB versions.

Thanks

Brink · Jan 22, 2026

AGTDenton said:
Howdy,

That method just doesn't want to work for me with LTSC Enterprise 2024 IoT or Windows 11 Pro 22H2/23H2/24H2/25H2.
I have to use all 3 registry entries above for it to work.

Yet that method you mentioned does work for me in LTSC Enterprise 2024 without IoT.
I found another post somewhere with pictures that was highlighting the same issues I had so there are some weird subtle differences caused by something.
I don't know if it's because the ISO's I've been using came from the Action Pack (or whatever it is known as now) or that I'm using International English/ en-GB versions.

Thanks

Odd. It's working on my W11 Pro 25H2 26220.7653. Did you restart the explorer process afterwards to apply?

Edwin · Jan 22, 2026

I can't remember how I got rid of everything, but, this is mine...
... which is why I don't use it!

AGTDenton · Jan 22, 2026

Brink said:
Odd. It's working on my W11 Pro 25H2 26220.7653. Did you restart the explorer process afterwards to apply?

Rebooted, re-installed, tested many different installation and upgrade scenarios but nothing has ever worked as consistently as the combination of the 3 entries above.

The only version that worked correctly for me was LTSC Enterprise 2024 without IoT.

I just realised that the post I found on Reddit actually credits an original post to this site below: I'm definitely not alone in this weirdness. There is something unique in our setups but I have not stumbled upon it yet. I'm just glad that now I am finally rolling out Windows 11 that a solution is available.

Can't turn off Recommended on start menu

Hi, not sure what has happened, there was a windows comulitive update last night and only noticed since that. On my start menu it keeps showingapps in the recommended section and this option is off in start menu options. Regards James

www.elevenforum.com

Brink · Jan 22, 2026

I like the solution, but just don't like having to trick the OS into thinking it's an Education edition.

Skeptic Mike · Jan 22, 2026

Brink said:
like the solution, but just don't like having to trick the OS into thinking it's an Education edition.

Although you could regard setting the registry entry IsEducationEnvironment to 1 as a trick, you could also follow an MS documented method to set Education Policy CSP by creating a provisioning package with Windows Configuration Designer

whether or not you want to change your Pro to resemble Education edition depends on how you view the differences. For instance, you'll lose the opportunity to have Windows Spotlight as your lock screen, and I think that this may break consumer features for integrating mobile phone functions. Settings app allows you to 'Add or remove a provisioning package'

XxXxX · Jan 23, 2026

just as an add on to all the above
the new Windows 11 start menu doesn't have a 'recommended' section

best of luck Steve ..

AGTDenton · Jan 23, 2026

Skeptic Mike said:
whether or not you want to change your Pro to resemble Education edition depends on how you view the differences. For instance, you'll lose the opportunity to have Windows Spotlight as your lock screen, and I think that this may break consumer features for integrating mobile phone functions. Settings app allows you to 'Add or remove a provisioning package'

That would actually be a desired result in my scenario. The more disabled the better.

XxXxX said:
just as an add on to all the above
the new Windows 11 start menu doesn't have a 'recommended' section

View attachment 160824

best of luck Steve ..

Thank goodness! I doubt it will end up in LTSC OOBE until 2027 (assuming they keep to the current 3 year cycle).

Out of interest, in the new Start Menu is the dreaded 'Get Started' app still there?

XxXxX · Jan 23, 2026

AGTDenton said:
That would actually be a desired result in my scenario. The more disabled the better.

Thank goodness! I doubt it will end up in LTSC OOBE until 2027 (assuming they keep to the current 3 year cycle).

Out of interest, in the new Start Menu is the dreaded 'Get Started' app still there?

sorry some not very good news 'Get Started' hasn't gone anywhere its still there.
best of luck Steve ..

Solved Start Menu - clean Recommended Area of icons ?

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