What happened to my Start menu?

BlueShark · 2026-06-10T05:33:56-0400

Something really strange has happened to my Start menu overnight.

Seemingly out of nowhere it has added a bunch of pins to groups (I made the top ones myself though):

{9AF7FAFB-11AB-45C3-8F1B-499A2502354E}.webp

And in the settings I can no longer set the Start layout:

{BAB798DC-504A-4A29-988B-B95168AA0C2C}.webp

It used to look something like this:

{87BE598A-0832-44E3-9DDD-047243E9E2E6}.webp

Helmut · 2026-06-10T06:17:02-0400

Click on View: Category V and change it to Grid or List.

BlueShark · 2026-06-10T06:43:26-0400

Thanks. That does change the layout, but not like it was previously. Has anything changed in Start with the previous updates? I am on LTSC so I shouldn't really get feature updates as far as I know.

Previously it looked somewhat like this:

{93F1F9EC-773C-4C12-9F78-7394C39EE35B}.webp

Ghot · 2026-06-10T07:03:58-0400

@BlueShark

Microsoft removed the old Start Menu. Even the tweaks can't bring it back.
You can personalize it a bit...

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Helmut · 2026-06-10T09:36:44-0400

BlueShark said:
That does change the layout, but not like it was previously. Has anything changed in Start with the previous updates? I am on LTSC so I shouldn't really get feature updates as far as I know.

Pretty minor changes, why worry. LTSC is not absolutely no changes see the MS info on the subject.

Been like that for some months for the standard consumer version.

BlueShark · 2026-06-10T14:44:43-0400

When was this introduced? I am still on 24H2 and I am not aware that I ever updated to such a release.

Ghot · 2026-06-10T15:13:43-0400

BlueShark said:
When was this introduced? I am still on 24H2 and I am not aware that I ever updated to such a release.

The 'new' Start Menu was a phased rollout.
Some have had it for a while, some are just getting it.

MS broke the tweaks that would give us (non-Insiders), the old Start Menu.

neldog · 2026-06-10T15:34:43-0400

At first, I was not too sure about the new Start Menu. But after a while now I have warmed up to it a little.

FrancoDT · 2026-06-10T15:45:01-0400

neldog said:
At first, I was not too sure about the new Start Menu. But after a while now I have warmed up to it a little.

View attachment 173960

I've been using it since the first buggy versions appeared LOL. It's getting better especially now that they have introduced a size choice (Large or Small) in the insider builds which should be going public and supposedly a customizable category view is in the works.

neldog · 2026-06-10T16:26:10-0400

FrancoDT said:
I've been using it since the first buggy versions appeared LOL. It's getting better especially now that they have introduced a size choice (Large or Small) in the insider builds which should be going public and supposedly a customizable category view is in the works.

You were the one who made me want to get the new Start Menu back when you first got yours.

idgat · 2026-06-10T19:19:52-0400

BlueShark said:
I am on LTSC so I shouldn't really get feature updates as far as I know.

I'm not sure this change was ever defined as a "feature update"

BlueShark said:
When was this introduced?

It was a gradual (phased) introduction of an evolutionary cosmetic change to Windows 11 (irrespective of versions and/or editions). Plenty of posts in this forum from users ... at one time it seemed like every time someone noticed it, a new thread was established, as if they were the first user to report it.

Edwin · 2026-06-10T19:29:00-0400

Still an eyesore!

Klaver7 · 2026-06-10T19:41:50-0400

BlueShark said:
Thanks. That does change the layout, but not like it was previously. Has anything changed in Start with the previous updates? I am on LTSC so I shouldn't really get feature updates as far as I know.

Previously it looked somewhat like this:

View attachment 173896

One of my systems runs iot LTSC 2024 and it got the same "wide-screen' Start Menu also, not sure why MS bothers.

gmcgee78 · 2026-06-10T20:00:23-0400

Why are you still on 24H2?

Klaver7 · 2026-06-10T20:04:29-0400

gmcgee78 said:
Why are you still on 24H2?

It's lightweight and gets updates for 10 years.

Ghot · 2026-06-10T20:35:51-0400

Klaver7 said:
It's lightweight and gets updates for 10 years.

And you get ten points for filling out your computer specs.

What happened to my Start menu?

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