How to ressurect an alphabetical list of available programs down the left hand side of the screen?

Question

How to ressurect an alphabetical list of available programs down the left hand side of the screen?

Brian Fisher 80

My wife said she had this in Windows 10 before updating to Windows 11.

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Joe R 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T21:05:01.7133333+00:00

Click on the Windows key and in the menu, click on All (right side of screen).

This will take you to the alphabetized list. It's stupid and I hate it.
John Nasta 0 Reputation points

2026-03-28T19:23:22.12+00:00

The interface has changed. That "All" button isn't there anymore. If you click "Show all" it only shows all things that are Recommended. I would really like to know how to get the alphabetical list of programs back. I'm running Windows 11.

Answer accepted by question author

SD - IA 179.4K Independent Advisor

Hi Brian,

In Windows 11, the Start menu has been redesigned. You need to click the all button, then the alphabetical list would appear.

User's image

Improvements to the start menu is on the way and rolling out.

Via https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/october-28-2025-kb5067036-os-builds-26200-7019-and-26100-7019-preview-ec3da7dc-63ba-4b1d-ac41-cf2494d2123a

Improvements and fixes

[Start menu] New! The redesigned Start menu, built to help you access your apps more quickly and smoothly. Its redesigned layout makes it easier than ever to find what you need. 

Scrollable ‘All’ section: The main page now includes a scrollable “All” section, making it easier to find apps.

Category and grid views: Switch between two new views—category view, which groups apps by type and highlights frequently used ones, and grid view, which lists apps alphabetically with more horizontal space for easier scanning. The menu remembers your last selected view.

Responsive layout: The Start menu adapts to your screen size. Larger displays show more pinned apps, recommendations, and categories by default. Sections like Pinned and Recommended expand or collapse based on content. You can customize these views under Settings > Personalization > Start.

Phone Link integration: A new mobile device button next to Search lets you expand or collapse content from your connected phone. This feature supports Android and iOS devices in most markets and will roll out to the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2025.

I hope you find this information useful. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Otherwise, please take a moment to accept the answer. Wishing you good luck!

David Wallis 0 Reputation points

2026-09-17T11:26:52.5+00:00

In spite of the really extended explanation of how to find it this method from the Windows key no longer functions as described.

2 additional answers

Joe R 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T21:05:01.7133333+00:00

Click on the Windows key and in the menu, click on All (right side of screen).

This will take you to the alphabetized list. It's stupid and I hate it.
John Nasta 0 Reputation points

2026-03-28T19:23:22.12+00:00

The interface has changed. That "All" button isn't there anymore. If you click "Show all" it only shows all things that are Recommended. I would really like to know how to get the alphabetical list of programs back. I'm running Windows 11.
David Wallis 0 Reputation points

2026-09-17T11:26:52.5+00:00

In spite of the really extended explanation of how to find it this method from the Windows key no longer functions as described.

Answer 1

In Windows 11, the Start menu has undergone some changes compared to Windows 10. The alphabetical list of available programs you are referring to is part of the All apps section in the Start menu. To access it, you can click on the All apps button located in the upper-right corner of the Start menu. This will display a comprehensive list of all installed applications in alphabetical order.

However, unlike Windows 10, where the list was more prominently displayed, Windows 11 integrates this feature into the Start menu layout, and it does not have a dedicated section on the left side of the screen.

If you are looking for a similar experience to Windows 10, you might consider using the Taskbar to pin frequently used applications for quicker access, or explore third-party applications that can provide a more traditional Start menu experience.

Answer 2

By default the 'All' option is no longer available, however it can be returned using the following:- (Valid 17 September 2026)

Access 'Windows Settings' using your preferred method. (Start key, Windows key plus I, whatever). Select 'Personalisation', then 'Start' followed by deselecting the 'Recommended' items option. Now you can choose which Apps are shown using the 'Start' key from 'Category', 'Grid' or 'List'. 'List will return the alphabetical list. This is valid today 17Sept2026 but may well become nonsense following the next Windows update.