![]() Click on the All Programs entry to change the view on the left to all installed programs ( Figure C). The Open Shell Start menu appears with the layout you choose in Settings ( Figure B).įor example, if you selected the Windows 7 Style menu, recently-used apps appear on the left, while specific features and folders, such as Documents, Pictures, Control Panel, and Settings, appear on the right. Click OK to close the Settings window and then click on the Start button. You can then always return to the Settings window to fully customize the program. But the array of settings can be overwhelming so I would recommend using the Open Shell menu at this point to see if you like it. You can also check the box to Show All Settings where you can tweak every aspect of the program. You can click on the other sections in Settings, such as Basic Settings, Skin, and Customize Start Menu. You can also opt to replace the Start button with a different icon ( Figure A). ![]() At this screen, choose your preferred layout for the Start menu: Classic style With One Column, Classic Style With Two Columns, or Windows 7 Style. After installation, the Settings window opens for Open Shell. The last version of Classic Shell still works effectively, and it remains available for download at its website, but if you’d prefer to use a program that is continually updated, Open Shell is a better option.įirst, download the latest version of the OpenShellSetup. Since then, development has been taken over by volunteers on GitHub who christened the new program Open Shell. A popular program, Classic Shell ceased active development in December 2017. Open Shell is based on another Windows Start menu alternative called Classic Shell. SEE: Windows 10 power tips: Secret shortcuts to your favorite settings (TechRepublic Premium) Replacing the Windows 10 Start menu with a more traditional Start menu, Open Shell lets you customize the menu with the folders and shortcuts of your choice. One solid choice is a free program called Open Shell. If you’re not quite content with the Windows 10 Start menu or the tiled section, or just want to explore other options, a Start menu alternative is worth trying. But editing the menu itself is challenging–especially if you want to arrange and organize it into your own customized folders and shortcuts. You’ll find all your installed apps in the menu, and you can pin your favorite apps to the tiled screen for quicker and easier access. The Windows 10 Start menu strives to be versatile by offering you a traditional one-column menu and a tiled screen. For more info, visit our Terms of Use page. This may influence how and where their products appear on our site, but vendors cannot pay to influence the content of our reviews. We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored partnerships. Not happy with the Windows 10 Start menu? Open Shell is a free Start menu alternative worth trying. Once this is completed it can be added to your SCCM task sequence like we explain in our previous posts.How to use Open Shell as your Windows 10 Start menu Go back to the XML exported previously and replace the DesktopApplicationLinkPath by the DesktopApplicationID.Locate the application that uses the DesktopApplicationLinkPath and take note of the AppID.This returns the list of all applications in the Start Menu.In Powershell, enter the following command :.Application links are using the DesktopApplicationLinkPath.A StartMenu.xml file is generated in the specified directory.Export-StartLayout -path C:\temp\StartMenu.xml.Enter the following command line to export the Start Menu.Start a PowerShell command window as an administrator.Setup a Windows start menu as we would like to have.The first step to building a nice Start menu is to customize it manually : The following procedure works for Windows 11 as well.You must change DesktopApplicationLinkPath to DesktopApplicationID and provide the URL.įollowing our previous posts on Windows 10 Customization and how to modify the taskbar configuration, we will detail how to configure the start menu and taskbar with the latest indication from Microsoft. Note In Windows 10, version 1703, Export-StartLayout will use DesktopApplicationLinkPath for the.
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