How to Customize (or Replace) the Windows Start Menu.

The Start menu is usually at the heart of everything you do on Windows, giving you easy access to all your installed applications as well as the files and folders on your system. You’ll probably spend a lot of time looking at and using the Start menu, so it’s wise to configure it in the way that suits you best.

There are more ways to customize and personalize the Windows Start menu than you may have realized, and with the help of third-party software you can even replace it altogether (it’s a bit like redesigning Android). We’ve discussed your options below. (If you’re a macOS user, we have a similar guide for you here.)

It’s not hard to get started: you can right-click on any of the apps in the Start menu and choose Pin to startFor example. This means the app shortcut will appear in the window that first appears when you open the Start menu, so it’s a handy way to get to your favorite programs faster.

Apps pinned to the front of the Start menu can also be rearranged: just drag them to a new location. If this opening Start menu screen contains shortcuts that you don’t often use, right-click on them and choose Disconnect from Start. The app will remain on your computer, but you’ll have to dig deeper into the Start menu to find it.

You can further customize the Start menu by opening the main Windows Settings panel and then selecting Personalization And Start. You’ll immediately see that you can choose from three layouts, each offering a different combination of pinned app shortcuts and links to recently opened files and folders.

Ahead, you’ll find toggle switches that let you control what appears and doesn’t appear in the Start menu. Your options here include apps you recently installed, apps you use frequently, files and folders you recently opened in Windows, tips and recommendations from Microsoft, and occasional notifications. It’s up to you how cluttered or uncluttered you want your menu to be.

Select Folders and choose which folders are available via small icons at the bottom, directly from the first panel of the Start menu. Here include your options Documents, ImagesAnd Videosso you can set up quick links to the places on your system you visit most often.

The last customization option that Windows offers you is not in the Start menu of Settings. Go to Personalization and then choose Taskbarand under Taskbar behavior And Taskbar alignment you can choose whether the Start menu button appears in the center of your taskbar or on the left (where it traditionally did in previous versions of Windows).

It’s also not difficult to undo these changes and get the Start menu back to the center, as it looks on a fresh installation. Below Personalization And Start for example, from Settings, just click Standard to return to the default mix of pinned apps and recommended files.

If you’re really serious about customizing the Start menu, you can replace the built-in offering with something completely new. There are a few software packages that will do this for you, and you don’t have to worry about breaking anything: you can simply uninstall the customization program to get the Start menu back to normal.

One of the best apps in this particular business is Stardock start 11which lets you reconfigure the Start menu in all kinds of ways and even return it to the classic look of Windows operating systems from a bygone era. The software costs a one-time fee of $9.99 for one computer, but you can try it out for free first to see if you like it.

In addition to editing the layout and shape of the Start menu, you can also adjust its color scheme and transparency, and you can apply the same kind of reskin to the taskbar as well, for a uniform look. You can also navigate the Start menu and taskbar and even pin them to the top of the screen.

Another comprehensive Windows customization package is Rain gaugeAnd while it includes options for replacing and refreshing the Start menu and taskbar, it also gives you options for changing the look of the entire Windows desktop. If you want pixel-by-pixel control over the appearance of Windows, this is ideal, and it’s free to use too.

Because it is so comprehensive and complete, the process of getting started with Rainmeter is a little more complicated, but there is plenty of help and documentation. A good way to start is to download one of the skins created by other users (and there are many), and then customize it, rather than starting from scratch. Building your own skin is a bit like coding your own website, but it’s not that difficult.

If you use Start11 or Rainmeter, you can end up with a desktop operating system that doesn’t look much like regular Windows at all – and gives you the ability to get the apps, files, folders, and Windows features you use most often in places where they are easily accessible.