Solved Do You Use A Third Party Start Menu?


Do You Use A Third Party Start Menu?

  • Yes

    Votes: 35 45.5%

  • No

    Votes: 42 54.5%
  • Total voters
    77
The only time I used a 3rd party menu was on Windows 8 where MS completely dropped the ball by not having an intuitive menu (albeit there was the full screen menu but it was not obvious).

Windows 8.1 was technically very good but MS lost the hearts and minds of its users by one incredibly bad decision.

In the end, W11's start menu is perfectly adequate albeit it could do with a bit more flexibility.

The most important thing is to get rid of that useless pox ridden "recommended" section. There have been many thousands of upvotes on Feedback Hub to ditch it, and is probably the most upvoted item ever.

MS lie when they say feedback is important when they just do not care really.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
I use one cuz Windows is capable of all kinds of crazy :poop:, so why the hell not!? It's not sacrilege!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
I've never felt the need to use any 3rd party tooling. Most are not really needed. The only thing I use is Power Toys and I really only run apps from its run menu or from a terminal (which is where I spend a lot of my time anyways)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
cereberus said:
MS lie when they say feedback is important when they just do not care really.
Click to expand...

If they cared they would not hide the settings with each new release. The only possible motive is to frustrate users during new system setup. The Control Panel still lurks under the covers so why waste programmer time on shuffling the settings?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 10 S Mode (with S disabled)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    EV00
    CPU
    Celeron
    Motherboard
    WEIBU
    Memory
    2906 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    LC116LF3L01 (1920x1080@59Hz) Intel HD Graphics (Intel)
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    11.6" LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080P
    Hard Drives
    Interface SD
    Capacity 28.8 GB
    Real size 30,937,186,304 bytes
    RAID Type None
    Keyboard
    Integrated Laptop
    Mouse
    USB wired optical
    Internet Speed
    28 Mbs down 35 Mbs up on a good day
    Browser
    Opera/Edge both chromium based
    Antivirus
    none
    Other Info
    I purchased this for $109 because it is the only Laptop I have seen with 1920x1080 resolution for the money. OK for streaming, email, etc..
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 64-bit (22H2 Build 22621.1413)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Ideapad 5
    CPU
    AMD K19
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (FP6)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon Graphics 2 GB DDR4
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor on AMD Radeon Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB SKHynix_HFS512GDE9X084N (SSD)
    Mouse
    has touchpad but I use USB wired optical wheel mouse
    Keyboard
    backlit
    Internet Speed
    100 Mb/s
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    none
    Other Info
    Windows firewall disabled
I developed a desktop setup that I liked and was easy to use, way back in ??? Win-98 maybe? And, I've use the same basic setup ever since.
Yesterday I got a bit patriotic and hung some new wallpaper.
4thDesktop.jpg
I was getting tired of snow scenes anyway. The taskbar is hidden, (automatically).
But, when it pops up, it looks just like it did 20 years ago.
 

My Computer

System One

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-14700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB OC
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11 24H2)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe (Win 11 23H2)
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black + 7 Phantek T-30's
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.4830
    On System One (Dual Boot)
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC Black Gaming
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Hyper 212 EVO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
I put Control Panel on my Start and it is always ready., Nothing is hidden here.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 16 9640
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
    Memory
    32GB LPDDR5x 7467 MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16.3 inch 4K+ OLED Infinity Edge Touch
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    960 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium) + Bing
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft PowerToys
    Macrium Reflect X subscription
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    1Password Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    BitLocker
    CoPilot
The Start Menu fulfill my needs. Even when I had Windows 8 never wanted to use a third software solution.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 3Gen Extreme
    CPU
    I7 10750H
    Motherboard
    Intel MW-490
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD - NVIDIA 1650 Ti Max-Q
    Sound Card
    Realtek in-built
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 200% Scale
    Hard Drives
    C: WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00-1001 (1 TB)
    D: KINGSTON SNV2S2000G (2 TB)
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Free
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion 7i 16IRX9
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-14900HX
    Motherboard
    LENOVO LNVNB161216 Chipset HM 770
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics, NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Screen Resolution
    3200x2000 (3.2K)
    Hard Drives
    C: HDD 1 TB SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HCLR-00BL2
    D: HDD 1 TB CRUCIAL CT1000P3PSSD8
    Antivirus
    BitDefender
cereberus said:
The only time I used a 3rd party menu was on Windows 8 where MS completely dropped the ball by not having an intuitive menu (albeit there was the full screen menu but it was not obvious).

Windows 8.1 was technically very good but MS lost the hearts and minds of its users by one incredibly bad decision.

In the end, W11's start menu is perfectly adequate albeit it could do with a bit more flexibility.

The most important thing is to get rid of that useless pox ridden "recommended" section. There have been many thousands of upvotes on Feedback Hub to ditch it, and is probably the most upvoted item ever.

MS lie when they say feedback is important when they just do not care really.
Click to expand...
Exactly. I don’t want Candy crush saga, what don’t you get about that MS?!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 21H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Chillblast
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 3100
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix b450-f
    Memory
    Corsair 8GB x 2 (16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 27" 1440p
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Barracuda 1TB
    256GB NVME Seagate Barracuda
    Browser
    Firefox / Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Amd E2
    Memory
    4GB
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD
cereberus said:
The most important thing is to get rid of that useless pox ridden "recommended" section. There have been many thousands of upvotes on Feedback Hub to ditch it, and is probably the most upvoted item ever.
Click to expand...
All I see in my "Recommended" section are "Recent Items".
Although the "Recommended" section is much more obtrusive than "Recent Items" in previous Windows operating systems' start menus.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
I Use Power Start Menu (MS Store) and StartAllBack.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Yes I do. Because it's the easiest way to get rid of useless "Recommended" space. 😁
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    500GB Adata SSD (OS Only)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
Winuser said:
I Use Power Start Menu (MS Store) and StartAllBack.
Click to expand...

That might be worth a look. (y)

apps.microsoft.com

Get Power Start Menu from the Microsoft Store

Tweak the start menu of windows 11 to unleash the full POWER. This app currently enables you to customize the looks of the Start menu in Windows 11, including background transparency, hide search box, hide suggestions. You may customize how power button works, and how all apps panel is...
apps.microsoft.com apps.microsoft.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
I've been using Start11 from Stardock since the beginning of Win 11.
I'm using a linear start menu on the left. I got sick of using multiple clicks to get through the Win 11 start menu.
I use the Start11 mods for the taskbar and it also gives me seconds on the taskbar clock.
Given that Win 11 Momentum 3 is on us now it might change the way I work when I see what changes that brings.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Bob the Builder
    CPU
    Intel i7-13700KF @ 5.4GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi DDR4
    Memory
    G-Skill F4-3200C16-16GVK x 2 (32GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 2X 8G OCV1 LHR
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC4080 (mobo chipset)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 28 inch Display 288E2UAE
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (16 x 9)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro NVMe M2 500GB, Samsung 980 NVMe M2 500GB, Samsung 2.5" SSD 1TB, Seagate 2.5" ST5000 5TB, Seagate Barracuda NVMe M2 1TB, Samsung MZVL2512HCJQ OEM NVMe M2 1TB
    PSU
    MSI MPG R850GF PSU (850W)
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Compact ATX
    Cooling
    CoolerMaster MA610P
    Keyboard
    HAVIT mechanical keyboard HV-KB390L TKL
    Mouse
    Logitech M350 Pebble Mouse BT + wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 x 20 megabits / second fibre
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft
    Other Info
    Intel Ethernet 1226-V 2.5GHz @ 1GHz
    Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
    ASUS router RT-AX86U with Wi-Fi 6
    Logitech BRIO webcam
    Macrium Reflect 8.1 paid for backups etc.
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI SUMMIT E16 FLIP EVO A11MT-013AU
    CPU
    Intel i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Iris Xe graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16" 120Hz Pen Touch panel
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600 (16 x 10)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung NVMe 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Delta Electronics ADP-65SD B, HP 1HE08AA
    Mouse
    Logitech M350 Pebble Mouse BT + wireless
    Keyboard
    Full Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    50 x 20 megabits / second fibre
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft
    Other Info
    Killer Wi-Fi 6E 1675x (210NGW)
    MSI Pen
    Web Cam with Windows Hello Face
    Fingerprint Reader
    ASUS router RT-AX86U with Wi-Fi 6
    Macrium Reflect 8 paid for backups etc.
BobD said:
I've been using Start11 from Stardock since the beginning of Win 11.
I'm using a linear start menu on the left. I got sick of using multiple clicks to get through the Win 11 start menu.
I use the Start11 mods for the taskbar and it also gives me seconds on the taskbar clock.
Given that Win 11 Momentum 3 is on us now it might change the way I work when I see what changes that brings.
Click to expand...
ExplorerPatcher and StartAllBack also appear to be popular.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
CLassic Shell/Open Shell and Explorer Patcher used with my Windows 11 Pc's.
Classic Shell gives the original Start Menu and I've used it since MS stopped allowing you to have the start menu you wanted.
Classic Style with smoked glass skin.
Still the best way to view the start menu for me.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Intel i9-11900k
    Motherboard
    Asus Z590
    Memory
    16gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel cpu graphics
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD's
    4 Hard Disk
    PSU
    Corsair 1000
    Case
    Corsair
    Cooling
    Corsair H100
    Internet Speed
    1gb
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Build
    CPU
    Intel i9-11900k
    Motherboard
    Asus Z590
    Memory
    16gb
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel graphics
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD
    4 hard disks
    PSU
    Corsair 650
    Case
    Corsair
    Cooling
    Corsair H100
    Internet Speed
    400mb
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
Open Shell 4.4.190 has been released for Windows 11. Works just like 4.4.170 did for Windows 10.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Coofun (MinisForum) UM700
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
    Motherboard
    BESSTAR TECH LIMITED UM700
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 (Picasso) [AMD]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP 22 uh; HP N223
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    KINGSTON OM8PDP3512B-A01 500GB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1000GB
    Other Info
    System 3 Specs
    OS: Windows 11 Pro
    Lenovo ThinkPad X395
    AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U
    8GB RAM
    1920x1080 touch
    Samsung 12PCIeNVMeOPAL nVME SSD

    System 4 Specs
    OS: Windows 11 Pro
    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
    6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-6500U Processor(Core i7-6500U)
    8GB RAM
    2560x 1440 touch
    Samsung 512 GB SATA SSD

    System 5 Specs
    OS: Windows 11 Home
    HP Pavilion 23-p027c All-in-One
    4th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-4570T Processor
    16GB RAM
    1920 s 1080 touch
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 500GB
  • Operating System
    Windows 10-Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8650U
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 WQHD
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 EVO Plus - 1TB
I use Explorer Patcher because it gives me a Win10 Task Bar and Start Menu. It's compact, easy to use and free. The developer has been regularly updating it as necessary to adapt to new versions of Win11.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-13600K 3.50 GHz
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE B660M DS3H , DDR4, Dual M.2, PCIe 4.0,2.5GB LAN, USB 3.2, USB C
    Memory
    32GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GT 1030 2GB
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 X 2TB Samsung 980 Pro
    PSU
    APEVIA Prestige Series 800W
    Case
    Fractal Design Focus G
    Cooling
    Air 3 x fans
    Keyboard
    WASD V2, Realforce 103U-UW
    Internet Speed
    950 Mbps down, 25 Mbps up
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
For windows 10 I most certainly used a 3rd party menu—Start11. I’ve also loaded it in Windows 11 but after getting used to the native menu in 11 (on my laptop) I’m thinking of removing Start11.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.4249
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
I haven't used a 3rd party start menu since early on with Windows 8. I interact very little with the start menu. If I want to open notepad, (and I haven't pinned it to menu) I just hit the windows key on keyboard, type notepad and hit enter. Notepad pops up. To me, that's faster than reaching for my mouse, or cursoring through a bunch of flyouts.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
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