The start menu changed, I want to change it back

Question

The start menu changed, I want to change it back

Wyser Martin 35

I set the start menu to show only pinned items. It suddenly changed, it now shows all apps below the pinned items. I hate it. I want to change it back. How? Can I uninstall an update?

sakura kamado 15 Reputation points

2026-02-21T06:05:44.7766667+00:00

why did yall add folders i dont like those folders i want to get rid of them i want the way it use to look can i please get rid of the folder look and not just switch it to grid or some bs its actually annoying with the folders
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-02-27T05:36:58.79+00:00

For real. I pinned the apps I use all the time to the start menu because I want easy access to them. I don't need to see every app installed on my computer all the time. How do we change it back?
Ninjahedge 0 Reputation points

2026-07-29T13:49:14.8966667+00:00
There are several issues i am searching for an answer for, and this is one of them.

i am not getting a bulky start menu that has my pinned elements, but then starts with the "all" list below. This expands the window and makes it clunky.

On W10, I had my taskbar on the LHS of the screen widened out a bit so I could actually read the folder names and such but also so that I could have a permanent shortcut box at the top left of the bar. These icons were small and I was able to do things like make the shortcut to our reference directory into a bunch od library books instead of a blank folder.

So, my questions/requests are these:

How can I make that pin box smaller?

How can I customize the icons?

How can I get that toolbar on the side of the screen again?

BTW, Google has done the sidebar thing on Chrome... I am not sure I like that for a browser, but it would definitely be welcomed again on MSW11.

BTW, stop trying to make windows look like iOS.
Neil D 34,295 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-07-30T15:25:38.3466667+00:00

@Ninjahedge I would suggest you start your own thread. This has ran its course and ab answer accepted by the originator.

Regarding moving the Taskbar. Microsoft have indicated this is on the way but not available yet. It could appear in in version 26H2.

Answer accepted by question author

Hendrix-V 19,035 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Wyser Martin,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

In Windows 11, the Start menu has a fixed structure: Pinned apps, All apps, and Recommendations. Over time, settings or feature updates can reset parts of the layout, which is why you may now see apps listed below the pinned section.

Here are the possible settings that you can try in this situation:

Open Settings > Personalization > Start
Set Layout to More pins
Turn off:
- Show recently added apps
- Show most used apps
- Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps

The Start menu should now open with a larger pinned area and much less visual noise underneath.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Wyser Martin 35 Reputation points

2026-01-25T14:56:36.45+00:00

Hi Hendrix

Thanks for your answer, much appreciated. I had already turned off everything, so I had only pinned items left. I did this in response to the visual noise of previous start menu designs. Now, it seems that "All" is on again, and cannot be turned off again. As a consequence, I now have to travel a long way with the pointer to get to the pinned items.

I also don't know which particular update caused this, so I cannot uninstall that.
Hendrix-V 19,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-28T01:24:17.59+00:00

Hi Wyser Martin,

What you’re seeing is expected behavior in the current Windows 11 Start experience. The Start menu now uses a fixed structure that includes Pinned apps and All apps. While optional items (like recommendations) can be turned off, the All apps section can’t be fully disabled using supported settings. This isn’t caused by a single toggle being re‑enabled.

Regarding to updates, there isn’t a specific update that can be safely uninstalled to permanently restore the previous Start menu layout. These changes are part of ongoing Windows feature and UI updates, and rolling back updates typically results in the same layout returning automatically.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

Given these limitations, the most appropriate avenue for product changes or feature requests is to submit feedback through the official Microsoft feedback channels (or press Windows + F to open Feedback Hub app).
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-02-27T05:34:06.53+00:00

This is one of the dumbest changes made to windows. Change the start menu back so we don't have to see all the folders of apps.
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-03-05T03:39:09.5233333+00:00

Is there a way to go back to having the 'all apps' button instead of having all the apps shown from the beginning? It kind of defeats the purpose of have a frequently used section when all your apps are shown all the time.
Daniel Buchner 1 Reputation point

2026-04-25T21:29:40.0366667+00:00

When will MS stop trying to make my life easier. Bring back the former start menu. I pin the programs I want and you're not helping me to find stuff when you add a bunch of stuff I probably will hardly ever use. Now I need to find an aftermarket start menu.
Gastelum, Cameron 0 Reputation points

2026-06-30T15:43:05.6133333+00:00

This change is frustrating!

2 additional answers

Your answer

sakura kamado 15 Reputation points

2026-02-21T06:05:44.7766667+00:00

why did yall add folders i dont like those folders i want to get rid of them i want the way it use to look can i please get rid of the folder look and not just switch it to grid or some bs its actually annoying with the folders
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-02-27T05:36:58.79+00:00

For real. I pinned the apps I use all the time to the start menu because I want easy access to them. I don't need to see every app installed on my computer all the time. How do we change it back?
Ninjahedge 0 Reputation points

2026-07-29T13:49:14.8966667+00:00

There are several issues i am searching for an answer for, and this is one of them.

i am not getting a bulky start menu that has my pinned elements, but then starts with the "all" list below. This expands the window and makes it clunky.

On W10, I had my taskbar on the LHS of the screen widened out a bit so I could actually read the folder names and such but also so that I could have a permanent shortcut box at the top left of the bar. These icons were small and I was able to do things like make the shortcut to our reference directory into a bunch od library books instead of a blank folder.

So, my questions/requests are these:

How can I make that pin box smaller?

How can I customize the icons?

How can I get that toolbar on the side of the screen again?

BTW, Google has done the sidebar thing on Chrome... I am not sure I like that for a browser, but it would definitely be welcomed again on MSW11.

BTW, stop trying to make windows look like iOS.
Neil D 34,295 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-07-30T15:25:38.3466667+00:00

@Ninjahedge I would suggest you start your own thread. This has ran its course and ab answer accepted by the originator.

Regarding moving the Taskbar. Microsoft have indicated this is on the way but not available yet. It could appear in in version 26H2.
Wyser Martin 35 Reputation points

2026-01-25T14:56:36.45+00:00

Hi Hendrix

Thanks for your answer, much appreciated. I had already turned off everything, so I had only pinned items left. I did this in response to the visual noise of previous start menu designs. Now, it seems that "All" is on again, and cannot be turned off again. As a consequence, I now have to travel a long way with the pointer to get to the pinned items.

I also don't know which particular update caused this, so I cannot uninstall that.
Hendrix-V 19,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-28T01:24:17.59+00:00

Hi Wyser Martin,

What you’re seeing is expected behavior in the current Windows 11 Start experience. The Start menu now uses a fixed structure that includes Pinned apps and All apps. While optional items (like recommendations) can be turned off, the All apps section can’t be fully disabled using supported settings. This isn’t caused by a single toggle being re‑enabled.

Regarding to updates, there isn’t a specific update that can be safely uninstalled to permanently restore the previous Start menu layout. These changes are part of ongoing Windows feature and UI updates, and rolling back updates typically results in the same layout returning automatically.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

Given these limitations, the most appropriate avenue for product changes or feature requests is to submit feedback through the official Microsoft feedback channels (or press Windows + F to open Feedback Hub app).
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-02-27T05:34:06.53+00:00

This is one of the dumbest changes made to windows. Change the start menu back so we don't have to see all the folders of apps.
Phillip Cornett 15 Reputation points

2026-03-05T03:39:09.5233333+00:00

Is there a way to go back to having the 'all apps' button instead of having all the apps shown from the beginning? It kind of defeats the purpose of have a frequently used section when all your apps are shown all the time.
Daniel Buchner 1 Reputation point

2026-04-25T21:29:40.0366667+00:00

When will MS stop trying to make my life easier. Bring back the former start menu. I pin the programs I want and you're not helping me to find stuff when you add a bunch of stuff I probably will hardly ever use. Now I need to find an aftermarket start menu.
Gastelum, Cameron 0 Reputation points

2026-06-30T15:43:05.6133333+00:00

This change is frustrating!

Answer 1

press the key combo: Win + X
in the box that opens, click Terminal (Admin) or press "A"
accept the elevation request
in the new window that opens, paste the following line and then hit Enter until it submits, and then wait for explorer to restart (30 seconds or so).

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoStartMenuMorePrograms /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f && taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe

This adds a registry key to disable the More Programs section completely, effectively bypassing this awkward GUI layout which doesn't quite fit, looks like it was stuffed in as an afterthought, and reduces the space available for Pins which was previously adjustable. Note that the All Apps section is completely disabled compared to the previous version which still showed a link to view all apps.

To re-enable it while keeping the registry key around for future use, flip the 1 to a 0:

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoStartMenuMorePrograms /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f && taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe

Answer 2

If your Start menu has changed to show all apps below the pinned items and you want to revert it to only show pinned items, you can use the Group Policy settings or the LayoutModification.json file to customize the Start menu layout. However, if you have already set it to show only pinned items and it reverted back, it may be due to a policy setting being reapplied or a Windows update that changed the configuration.

To change it back:

Using Group Policy: If you are on a Pro or Enterprise version of Windows, you can use the Group Policy Editor to enforce the Start menu layout. You can configure the policy to only show pinned items.
Using LayoutModification.json: You can create or modify the LayoutModification.json file to specify the pinned items you want to show. This file can be used to customize the Start menu layout.
Uninstalling an Update: If you suspect that a recent update caused the change, you can uninstall the update by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates. However, this is not always recommended as it may affect system security and stability.

Make sure to sign out and back in after making changes to see if they take effect.