1 Messing up the Start menu
The Start menu is the most frequent target of Microsoft’s tampering. It was ditched in Windows 8, then restored in 8.1 but bloated with live tiles that carried over to Windows 10. In Windows 11, Microsoft moved the Start menu from its traditional home in the bottom-left corner of your screen, and replaced its list of programs with a grid of pinned and recommended apps – which now includes ads for its products and services.
HOW TO FIX IT
The easiest way to restore the Start menu to its former glory is to install Open-Shell (www.snipca.com/46780). This free tool changes the Windows 10 Start menu to a classic, compact list, which gives you easy access to your programs, recent items, Windows settings, shutdown options and more. You can then customise it using different layouts and skins.
In Windows 11, because Microsoft has put a Widgets button where the Start button used to be, you first need to open Open-Shell’s Menu Settings, click the Start Menu Style tab and tick the ‘Replace Start button’ box (see screenshot above right). Choose your preferred button design and the Start menu will be restored to its rightful place in the bottom-left corner. To hide the Widgets button, right-click the taskbar, choose ‘Taskbar settings’ and switch off Widgets.
Alternatively, you can keep the Windows 11 Start button and menu, but place them in their traditional position, bottom left. Select ‘Taskbar behaviours’ in ‘Taskbar settings’, then click the ‘Taskbar alignment’ dropdown menu and change the
