Windows 11 Dark vs. Light Start Menu
- Thread starter Lj2025
- Start date
Is this a poll? Dark for me, every time.
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 Home
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
- CPU
- AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
- Memory
- 8GB
- Graphics Card(s)
- Radeon Graphics
- Monitor(s) Displays
- laptop screen
- Screen Resolution
- 1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
- Hard Drives
- 1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
- Internet Speed
- 150 Mbps
- Browser
- Edge, Firefox
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.
My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Pro
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Latitude E4310
- CPU
- Intel® Core™ i5-520M
- Motherboard
- 0T6M8G
- Memory
- 8GB
- Graphics card(s)
- (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
- Screen Resolution
- 1366x768
- Hard Drives
- 500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
- Browser
- Firefox, Edge
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.
My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Dark Theme
its just so much better for my eyes.
best of luck Steve ..
its just so much better for my eyes.
best of luck Steve ..
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Debian Trixie KDE Windows 11 Home
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- Manufacturer/Model
- HP 24" AiO
- CPU
- Ryzen 7 5825u
- Motherboard
- HP
- Memory
- 64GB DDR4 3200
- Graphics Card(s)
- Ryzen 7 5825u
- Sound Card
- RealTek
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 24" HP AiO
- Screen Resolution
- 1920 x 1080 @60 Hz
- Hard Drives
- 1TB WD Blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
2x 1TB USB HDD External Backup/Storage.
- PSU
- 90W external power brick
- Case
- 24" All in One
- Cooling
- Default Air Cooling
- Keyboard
- HP WiFi UK extended
- Mouse
- HP WiFi 3 Button
- Internet Speed
- 1GB full fibre
- Browser
- Edge & Firefox
- Antivirus
- AVG Internet Security/Windows Defender
- Other Info
- Mainly Open Source Software
-
- Operating System
- Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell 13" Latitude 2017
- CPU
- i5 7200u
- Motherboard
- Dell
- Memory
- 16GB DDR4
- Graphics card(s)
- Intel
- Sound Card
- Intel
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 13" Dell Laptop
- Hard Drives
- 250GB Crucial 2.5" SSD
- Mouse
- Generic WiFi 3 button
- Internet Speed
- WiFi only
- Browser
- Firefox
- Antivirus
- ClamAV TK
- Other Info
- Mainly Open Source Software
- Local time
- 8:11 AM
- Posts
- 499
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8246)
@Lj2025 ALWAYS DARK on Windows 11
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8246)
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Precision Mobile Workstation
- CPU
- Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1535M v5 @ 2.90 Max Turbo 3.80
- Motherboard
- 00V5FJ
- Memory
- 64GB DDR4 ECC (Error-Correcting Code memory)
- Graphics Card(s)
- NVIDIA Quadro M2000M 4GB GDDR5 & Intel(R) HD Graphics P530
- Sound Card
- Realtek Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 15.6" 4K UltraHD
- Screen Resolution
- 4K UHD 3840x2160
- Hard Drives
- 2TB Crucial NVMe & 2TB Seagate SATA
- PSU
- Dell 180W 19.5V-9.23A
- Keyboard
- Backlit
- Mouse
- Logitech G703 & Logitech G305
- Internet Speed
- WIFI: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX210NGW(Gig+) 160MHz Bands 2.4GHz(574Mbps), 5GHz 2.4Gbps, 6 GHz (160MHz) 2.4Gbps
- Browser
- Mozilla Firefox
- Antivirus
- Windows Defender/Microsoft Security + additional Anti Spyware, Anti Malware, etc.
- Other Info
- Thunderbolt 3
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (OS Build 26100.6725)
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Precision Workstation T5610
- CPU
- Dual (X2) Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2690 0 @ 2.90GHz Max Turbo 3.80
- Motherboard
- 0WN7Y6
- Memory
- 64GB DDR3 ECC (Error-Correcting Code memory)
- Graphics card(s)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB of GDDR5
- Sound Card
- Realtek Audio & NVIDIA High Definition Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 3 Acer Monitors
- Screen Resolution
- 1920x1080
- Hard Drives
- 2 Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM008-2UB102 (RAID)
- Mouse
- Logitech G305
While I'm 77, live in flannel and sometimes forget to comb my hair, my computers are all about color and set up as if I were a Kardashian under the covers with a young boyfriend. Windows in light mode, Edge in dark mode, themes in Windows and Edge color coordinated in sexy jewel tones of deep burgundy and turquoise. My highlights, too. My Edge theme even highlights my tabs in color.
Don't judge me. I'm old, not dead. All I have left is imagination and setting a mood..
Don't judge me. I'm old, not dead. All I have left is imagination and setting a mood..
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro 25H2
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Optiplex 7080
- CPU
- i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
- Motherboard
- DELL 0J37VM
- Memory
- 32 gb
- Graphics Card(s)
- none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Sound Card
- Integrated Realtek
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Benq 27
- Screen Resolution
- 2560x1440
- Hard Drives
- 2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
- PSU
- 500w
- Case
- MT
- Cooling
- Dell Premium
- Keyboard
- Logitech wired
- Mouse
- Logitech wireless
- Internet Speed
- so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
- Browser
- #1 Edge #2 Firefox
- Antivirus
- Defender+MWB Premium
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Beelink Mini PC SER5
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
- Memory
- 32 gb
- Graphics card(s)
- integrated
- Sound Card
- integrated
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Benq 27
- Screen Resolution
- 2560x1440
- Hard Drives
- 1TB Crucial nvme
- Keyboard
- Logitech wired
- Mouse
- Logitech wireless
- Internet Speed
- still too embarrassed to tell
- Browser
- Firefox
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
- Local time
- 8:11 AM
- Posts
- 499
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8246)
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8246)
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Precision Mobile Workstation
- CPU
- Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1535M v5 @ 2.90 Max Turbo 3.80
- Motherboard
- 00V5FJ
- Memory
- 64GB DDR4 ECC (Error-Correcting Code memory)
- Graphics Card(s)
- NVIDIA Quadro M2000M 4GB GDDR5 & Intel(R) HD Graphics P530
- Sound Card
- Realtek Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 15.6" 4K UltraHD
- Screen Resolution
- 4K UHD 3840x2160
- Hard Drives
- 2TB Crucial NVMe & 2TB Seagate SATA
- PSU
- Dell 180W 19.5V-9.23A
- Keyboard
- Backlit
- Mouse
- Logitech G703 & Logitech G305
- Internet Speed
- WIFI: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX210NGW(Gig+) 160MHz Bands 2.4GHz(574Mbps), 5GHz 2.4Gbps, 6 GHz (160MHz) 2.4Gbps
- Browser
- Mozilla Firefox
- Antivirus
- Windows Defender/Microsoft Security + additional Anti Spyware, Anti Malware, etc.
- Other Info
- Thunderbolt 3
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (OS Build 26100.6725)
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Precision Workstation T5610
- CPU
- Dual (X2) Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2690 0 @ 2.90GHz Max Turbo 3.80
- Motherboard
- 0WN7Y6
- Memory
- 64GB DDR3 ECC (Error-Correcting Code memory)
- Graphics card(s)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB of GDDR5
- Sound Card
- Realtek Audio & NVIDIA High Definition Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 3 Acer Monitors
- Screen Resolution
- 1920x1080
- Hard Drives
- 2 Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM008-2UB102 (RAID)
- Mouse
- Logitech G305
Man, what did we do before MS gave us dark mode? I probably squinted a lot but maybe my younger eyes didn't mind it as much.
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 25H2
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Alienware 18 Area-51
- CPU
- Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24-Core)
- Motherboard
- Alienware
- Memory
- 64GB DDR5 6400MT/s
- Graphics Card(s)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and Intel UHD Graphics
- Sound Card
- Onboard, Realtek high-performance Audio chips (ALC3329 & ALC1708))
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 300HZ 18-inch QHD 500 nit Comfort View+
- Screen Resolution
- 2560 x 1600
- Hard Drives
- 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 5 SSD
- Case
- Magnesium Alloy
- Cooling
- Advanced Cryo-Tech Quad-Fan Cooling system & large vapor chamber
- Keyboard
- Cherry MX ultra low profile mechanical keyboard with per key AlienFX RGB lighting
- Mouse
- Logitech MX Master 4
- Browser
- Vivaldi (main), Firefox, Chrome, Edge
- Antivirus
- MS Defender and Malwarebytes Free
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 25H2
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
- CPU
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (12 Core) ARM based CPU
- Motherboard
- Microsoft Corp.
- Memory
- 16GB LPDDR5
- Graphics card(s)
- Qualcomm Adreno X1-85
- Sound Card
- Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos spatial sound
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 120 Hz 13.8-inch 600 nit PixelSense Flow touchscreen
- Screen Resolution
- 2304x1536
- Hard Drives
- 1TB NVMe Gen 4 SSD
- Case
- Anodized Aluminum
- Cooling
- Traditional active cooling fan system
- Keyboard
- Mechanical QWERTY, backlit when in use
- Mouse
- Logitech MX Master 4 and Surface Arc Mouse
- Browser
- Vivaldi (main), Firefox, Chrome, Edge
- Antivirus
- MS Defender and Malwarebytes Free
The original question was 'Start menu', but has morphed into light vs. dark mode. I like my Start menu dark, but I also prefer to read dark text on a white background (like it is on the printed page). So my windows mode is 'Custom'.
My Computers
System One System Two
-
- OS
- Windows 11 Home
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
- CPU
- AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
- Memory
- 8GB
- Graphics Card(s)
- Radeon Graphics
- Monitor(s) Displays
- laptop screen
- Screen Resolution
- 1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
- Hard Drives
- 1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
- Internet Speed
- 150 Mbps
- Browser
- Edge, Firefox
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.
My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
-
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Pro
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Latitude E4310
- CPU
- Intel® Core™ i5-520M
- Motherboard
- 0T6M8G
- Memory
- 8GB
- Graphics card(s)
- (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
- Screen Resolution
- 1366x768
- Hard Drives
- 500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
- Browser
- Firefox, Edge
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.
My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
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