For a key operating system feature, the Windows Start menu doesn’t do a great job of unleashing its potential from the get-go. For many, it is a nuisance filled with bloatware, a place to launch apps, search for files, or the place to go to shut down your PC. However, the start menu has much more to it than you might know, and it can supercharge your workflow. From customization options to secret tips, much more lies beneath this simple design that can make your PC experience faster and more efficient.

6 Reorganize your Pinned section

Move apps around freely and create folders

By now, you know how to remove bloatware and replace it with something useful. That said, you don’t have to settle on the order of apps the Start menu picks. You’re free to move apps around within the Pinned section. Many are also unaware that creating folders within the Start menu is possible.

To move apps around the Pinned section, click and drag them around. As you do that, you’ll see your other apps move around. Alternatively, you can right-click on any app and pick Move to front to make the selected app appear first.

Now, we’ll show you how to create folders within the Start menu’s Pinned section:

1. Open the Start menu and pay attention to the Pinned section.
2. Click and drag one app icon onto another app icon (those two apps will create a folder).
3. Once you drop the app, a folder will be created.
4. You can now add more apps by dragging them to the newly created folder.
5. Click on the folder and select Edit name to rename the folder.
6. You can also change the folder’s position, as explained above.

Once you create a folder, you can rearrange the apps you've added. Just drag and move their icons to change their position.

5 Choose between more pins or more app/file recommendations

Want more pins — or maybe focus on Windows’ recommendations?

By default, the Windows Start menu dedicates 50% of its screen real estate to pins and the other 50% to app and file recommendations. We already explained how to add pins, organize them, and even create folders. If you like that aesthetic, you can get an extra row of pins.

The same applies to app and file recommendations. If you like how Windows recommends files and applications you often use, you can make the pinned section smaller. Here’s how that’s done:

1. Open the Start menu and right-click outside of apps/icons.
2. Pick Start settings, and the Settings app will open.
3. Check out the section at the top called Layout.
4. Try More pins, Default, or More recommendations.

As explained above, the different visual options will apply immediately when you try them. You can preview them in real-time using the Start menu button.

4 Create Start menu shortcuts to often-accessed folders

Access your favorite folders and system functions in an instant

While you can turn off your PC by clicking the Start menu and selecting the Power button in the bottom-right corner, you can also take full advantage of that space by adding shortcuts to various folders and specific Windows functions. This is how you can have a shortcut to the Windows Settings app, your documents, downloads, music, and more.

Adding shortcuts to the Start menu is done via Settings in the following way:

1. Open the Start menu, type Settings, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to Personalization > Start.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select Folders.
4. Decide which folders you’d like to include by flipping the switches on the right to ON. That’s it!

Sadly, there is no way to reorganize the position of the folders you add to the left side of the Power button. We hope Windows will include this option in the future.

3 Access the Quick Link menu

Reach essential OS functions in an instant

Next, we have a simple tip that helps you bypass the Start menu to reach various essential Windows functions. We’re talking about the Quick Link menu, which you can activate by right-clicking the Start menu icon. Alternatively, you can also use the Windows + X keyboard shortcut. That’s it — as simple as that!

Right-clicking the Start menu icon opens the Windows Quick Link menu, which leads to the Settings app, File Explorer, or Task Manager. More advanced users will appreciate that this menu can also take them to their PC’s device manager, power options, network connections, and more.

2 Change the position of the Start menu

You can choose between center- or left-alignment

Older Windows versions used to place the Start menu icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen, while you’ll find it centered today. Many of us are long-term Windows users with overly strong muscle memory, reaching for the bottom-left corner far too often. Luckily, Microsoft understands that, so it’s possible to move the Start menu button.

You can choose to move the Start menu icon to the left, done in the following way:

1. Open the Start menu, type in Settings, and open the app.
2. Go to Personalization -> Taskbar.
3. Move to the bottom and select Taskbar Behaviors.
4. Click the button next to Taskbar Alignment and pick Left.

If you change your mind, you can always return the Start menu button to its original position. Follow the steps above and select Center.

1 Prevent the Start menu from showing ads

Keep your sanity and your privacy intact

In April 2024, Microsoft released an update for Windows 11 (the “KB5036980” update), allowing the Start menu to show ads for various apps and digital services. This wasn’t the first time that Windows dealt with advertising, but it’s among the most aggressive ways Microsoft used to implement ads into Windows.

Luckily, there is a way to prevent the Start menu from showing ads using the Settings app. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your PC.
2. Navigate to Personalization -> Start.
3. Turn off the toggle next to Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more. That’s it!

It’s also wise to turn off your Advertising ID to prevent Microsoft from serving targeted ads on your machine. Navigate to Settings -> Privacy & Security > General, and disable the Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID option.

Don’t underestimate the power of the Start menu

With these tips, you’ll have plenty of ways to tweak, organize, and optimize your Start menu and create a smoother, more polished Windows experience. If you want to bypass the Start menu altogether, Microsoft offers an app called PowerToys, free of charge, with a feature called PowerToys Run, which is very similar to macOS’ Spotlight.

Once you install PowerToys, you can use the Alt + Space command to open the PowerToys Run window. Then, start typing to search for folders, applications, and files — just hit Enter to open any of those. Or, you can stick to reorganizing your Start menu — you can't go wrong.