Will MS ever get the Start Menu Right?

jimbo45 · Oct 28, 2023

Stigg said:
No.

Actually XP was OK for start menu - as well as the standard one you could alter it

Here's the old menu from the Black Luna theme

It all went down hill from then on

cheers
jimbo

Pocah · Oct 28, 2023

I don't care about the start menu, I just wish they hadn't messed with the taskbars.

Stigg · Oct 28, 2023

jimbo45 said:
Actually XP was OK for start menu - as well as the standard one you could alter it

Here's the old menu from the Black Luna theme
View attachment 75661

It all went down hill from then on

cheers
jimbo

You're right, Jim.

Not long after, the third party start menu industry started.

Edwin · Oct 28, 2023

As far as I'm concerned, the Start Menu simply needs to be a list and jump lists of Programs and folders, nothing more.
It doesn't need to be a browser or advertising platform.

SlicEnDicE · Oct 28, 2023

Edwin said:
As far as I'm concerned, the Start Menu simply needs to be a list and jump lists of Programs and folders, nothing more.
It doesn't need to be a browser or advertising platform.

How else are we all gonna download Candy Crush Soda Saga? :wink:

Edwin · Oct 28, 2023

SlicEnDicE said:
How else are we all gonna download Candy Crush Soda Saga?

MitchAtHome · Oct 28, 2023

Edwin said:
the Start Menu simply needs to be a list and jump lists

For Sure

Stigg · Oct 28, 2023

In Windows 8, they made the start menu the entire screen. That was a dismal failure.

cereberus · Oct 28, 2023

Edwin said:
As far as I'm concerned, the Start Menu simply needs to be a list and jump lists of Programs and folders, nothing more.
It doesn't need to be a browser or advertising platform.

Well, that may be ok for you but not everybody is as dextrous, or have such good vision.

The W11 menu is not perfect but you can get a list or icons.

I do agree about crap like recommended section.

Kees · Oct 28, 2023

What I hate about W10 and W11 menu is that you can't use (sub) sections or groups for different art of programs. So Excel will come somewhere up in the menu as Word comes far down, where I would like to group those in one group Office. Some of the functions are indeed in groups (like Accesoires), but there's (as far as I know) nothing that you can do to manage that.

I have several programs grouped in several folder in [C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs], but one is indeed presented in the menu as an expandable folder, where others out of one folder are spread all over the list!

But for me that is no problem at all as I use either the OpenShell menu (used that using Start11) or StartAllBack menu.

Edwin · Oct 28, 2023

Kees said:
I would like to group those in one group Office.

Custom folders won't show up unless there are executables inside, and they can be hidden...

Catnip · Oct 28, 2023

I don't really have an issue with the start menu, per se, but I do wish that when you have scrolled all the way down to something and selected it, it would be nice if the start menu stayed at the same place when you opened it again, instead of going back to the top, forcing you to re-scroll.

That's really my only complaint about it. Except maybe the adverts. Don't like those either.

Caledon Ken · Oct 28, 2023

They invested a lot of money in Start and aren't about to walk away from it no matter how shX77y it is.

Edwin · Oct 28, 2023

I don't want pinned tiles..., I don't want to have to navigate to get to All Apps..., I don't want Recommendations, suggestions.....
I just want a UI with links and lists!

A Guy · Oct 29, 2023

I'm on 10, but like mine clean. Start Is Back

A Guy

Stigg · Jan 17, 2024

Another thing about the recent Windows start menus is a very obvious one. At least it is to me.

I like to work quickly and efficiently, but the pinned Windows start menus have icons all over the place in random order. I find that my eyes are going from left to right and back to center trying to find what I'm looking for. Couldn't the pinned icons be automatically alphabetized? And why do the icons need to be so BIG? I know a lot of Windows users are growing older, just like me, but I don't need BIG childlike icons just yet.

I'll leave the stupid "Recommend" section for another rant.

Steve C · Jan 17, 2024

Just use Open Shell which fixes most of your issues. I configure it so mouse hover on the Start button opens Open Shell and left click opens the standard Windows menu so you can use both.