Menu
Is free
registration
home  /  BY   / Normal start menu in windows 10. Video: how to switch the “Desktop” to full-screen display

The usual start menu in windows 10. Video: how to switch the "Desktop" to full-screen display

Finally, Microsoft went to meet its users and returned to the Windows 10 operating system the classic Start menu. New menu Start more customizablethan ever before, so any user can customize it for themselves.

The secret to the new Start menu lies in its separation between the desktop and the tablet. For example, to turn off tablet or desktop mode, you need to press one button  in the notification center. In this article, we describe the main settings and properties of the Start menu that are available now. For review, we took the oldest version of Windows 10 Pro.

Resize the home screen window

Resizing Start for Windows 10 is easy. Enough to change it move the cursor to the top or right edge of the start screen, pulling him. For example, when reducing the top edge, the initial screen will become like this.

And if you reduce it to the right, it will look like this.

It can be seen from the example that increasing or decreasing the size of the Start menu to the user's needs can be quickly and very simply.

Attaching and Detaching Tiles

To disconnect a tile from the start screen, just right-click on it and in the list that appears, click on the item " Unpin from home screen».

To fix a tile from the list of installed and standard utilities on the start screen, go to " All applications»By selecting a program in it and right-clicking on it. Then a list will appear in which click on the item "".

Also, if instead of this item select " Pin to taskbar", Then we will see our utility on the taskbar. For example, the image below shows the fixation of the program " Calculator»On the taskbar.

To disconnect this application from the taskbar, just click on the shortcut on the taskbar and select " Unpin from taskbar».

In addition to the list of installed and standard programs for the Windows 10 Pro operating system, you can also install it on the home screen links to different resources. For example, to fix a link to a specific directory in the system for the start screen, just click on this directory and select “ Pin to start screen».

Still very useful are links to Internet resources on the initial screen. The procedure for fixing them is as transparent as possible. To fix an Internet link to a specific resource, just go to a specific page in the browser Microsoft edge. In our case, the Internet resource will be the Microsoft page www.microsoft.com/ru-ru in Russian.

After opening the page, go to the browser settings and select " Pin this page to the home screen».

If you need to fix any section of settings for the initial screen, then you just need to go to the necessary settings section  and right-click on it and select " Pin to start screen". For example, the settings section “ Topics».

In a similar way, you can pin notes from OneNote  or important contacts from the metro application " People».

Disabling live tiles on the start screen

If you don't like live tiles, you can easily turn them off. To do this, just click on the live tile with the right mouse button and select " Advanced / Disable live tiles". The image below shows disabling live tiles in the " news».

Thus, you can disable any live tile on the home screen. If you need to turn them back on, then this is done in a similar way.

Change the size of the tiles and drag them

For example, take the program " news»And go to the context menu of this tile. In it, select the items " Resize / Small».

To change the location of a tile, just drag it to any area of \u200b\u200bthe home screen. In the latest version of Windows 10 Pro, all tiles are divided into groups that can be called a specific name. We will transfer the link to the Microsoft Edge browser from one group to another. Now she is in the group " Events and Communication».

After dragging to the group " Fun and relaxation", Our tile will look like this.

As you can see from the example, the size of the initial screen after dragging the tile Microsoft edge  became larger and a new group formed. While the group does not have a name, but it can be set at any time. I would also like to note that all links can be dragged inside your group, and you can also swap their positions.

Adjust sorting and color options

To select a specific sorting method in the Start menu, you must go to the "" tab in the Start menu. After that we will pass to the section " System"To the tab" Applications and features».

This section has three sorting methods that will be applied to the Start menu after they are selected.

To change the color of the tiles, go to the same tab "" and go to the " Personalization / Colors».

After choosing a color, for example red, tiles will look like this.

To make the Start menu color red too, you must enable the " Show color in the Start menu, on the taskbar, in the notification center and in the window title».

It can be seen from the image that the Start window has significantly changed, so changing the color, we customize it, taking into account our preferences in the design of the OS.

Including additional folders

To enable additional directory parameters, go to the Start menu properties. To do this, go to the "" tab, and then go to the " Personalization / Start».

As you can see from the image, two switches are already selected. Select all the switches and look at the result.

As you can see in the image, all the selected items got into the Start menu.

To summarize

This time, Microsoft developers managed to make a truly unique Start menu, which any PC user can customize for themselves. Also, for menu lovers where there are no tiles, the developers have provided for a complete shutdown of the tiles, which will make it as similar as possible to the standard menu of Windows 7 or XP operating systems. The image below shows the menu on Windows 10 and it has no tiles.

According to the developer, the Windows 10 system will be improved every year, so the future functionality and properties of the Start menu will expand significantly. In addition, it remains to wait very briefly, because a major update for Windows 10 will be released in the summer of 2016, and in the spring of the same year another major update will be released. Microsoft promises in both updates new functionality  OS and user interface improvements.

We hope that our article will help you configure the properties of the Start menu in the Windows 10 operating system and its use will simplify access to resources, programs and OS parameters.

Related videos

After upgrading to Windows 10, many users were disappointed with the modernized Start menu. In Windows 7, it consisted of two parts: the left - the previously used programs, the right - My computer, Control Panel, other elements for configuring and managing the system. To return to the classic look of the Start menu in Windows 10, just use some tips.

  Ways to bring back the classic Start menu in Windows 10

In order to make the Start menu in Windows 10 look like the classic Windows 7 menu, you should remove all Metro tiles. To do this, perform the following steps.

  • Right-click on the item and select "Delete."
  • In this way, we delete all the tiles until we get the classic look of the menu.

You can restore the classic appearance of the Start menu in Windows 10 using the ClassicShell program, which works in compatibility mode.

  • Download and install the program. Select the components to install. In this case, we need the Classic Start Menu and Classic Explorer. The latter modifies Explorer. You can also return to the old look of the Control Panel, which in Windows 10 is not too different for the IE browser. We select the storage location of the program folder and click "Next".

  • Follow the prompts of the installation wizard. After completion, click on the Start button. A new settings window will appear. Select the model of the element.

  • The start menu will appear as follows.

  • All elements on this menu can be interchanged, size and other parameters can be adjusted.
  • The conductor will receive the following view.

  • The control panel will not be too different from previous versions of Windows.

Using the Options menu, you can also make the button and the Start menu a classic look. To do this, do the following.

Romanov Stanislav 04.10.2014 151037

How to return the classic Start in Windows 10?

The unfortunate "Start" menu, which was removed with the advent of Windows 8, and the same thing was repeated in Windows 8.1, finally returns to computers after starting Windows 10. However, the "Start" in the new version of the OS could not return to the original version, but there are a couple of ways to return the menu to the style of Windows 7.


Even though the start-up screen has become much more familiar and attractive, and you can turn on the “Start” in Windows 10 with a few clicks, not everyone will like the new menus that are enabled by default on traditional PCs and laptops. Typically, desktop systems use a keyboard and mouse (touchpad), so the desire to return the old “Start” is justified.

As you may have noticed, the Start menu in Windows 10 does not match the Start style of Windows 7 and Vista. The menu from the latest version of the OS includes elements from both Windows 7 and Windows 8, taking in all the best from two generations of the OS.

By default, the left part of the Start menu displays recently used and running programs, while the right column is a free canvas for live tiles. Users who do not like these tiles or want to use the simplest menu may need to make the menu from Windows 10 similar to the version from Windows 7.

If you prefer to use the “clean” Start menu, rather than the upgraded version in Windows 10, then just a few steps. You need to follow our instructions, or rather, one of the following methods.

[Method 1 - without installing programs]

The essence of the first method is to chop off all the tiles from the right column of the Start menu, so that in the end the menu becomes clean, but just as functional. Suppose that this does not coincide with the style of the menu from Windows 7, but in this way you can get the optimal version of “Start” without installing third-party utilities. And, if you intend to completely change the menu from Windows 10 and equate it to the style of Windows 7, then proceed immediately to the second method.

Step 1:  Open the start menu.

Step 2:  Right-click on all application tiles in the right column of the Start menu one by one, and then select the “Unpin from Start” option, thereby deleting all tiles.

Step 3:  After all the tiles are removed from the right column, you should see an approximate version of the Start menu without unnecessary details.

[Method 2 - using third-party programs]

How to enable Windows 7 “Start” in Windows 10 with third-party utilities?

If you wanted to install the exact Start menu in the style of Windows 7 back into your Windows 10 operating system back on your computer, you have the opportunity to do this with the help of many free and paid programs.

In particular, we recommend that you do not go far and try. Although, while the development team is in no hurry to add application compatibility with Windows 10. But we hope that this is a matter of time. Other alternatives include ViStart Menu and IObit Start menu. These programs are among the best for a free return to the old Start menu. But our choice with respect to Classic Shell has been tested for months of stable operation. In addition, the program is very flexible in customizing a variety of elements and its own style of work.

The Start menu, which has been dropped from Windows 8, can return to your computers, as you can see from the instructions above, after downloading the public preliminary version of Windows 10, which can be installed by

One of the main differences between Windows 10, noticeable to users, from previous versions, was the change in the operating system interface. We will tell you how to configure the Start menu in Windows 10 for yourself for comfortable work with the system.

Metro Style: New Implementation

The Windows graphical interface, dubbed Metro, replaced Aero several years ago when Microsoft mobile OS and desktop Windows 8 were introduced. Instead of glossy icons, the company introduced a new menu format consisting of rectangular tiles.

Such an interface turned out to be very comfortable for owners of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) equipped with touch screens. But users of desktop PCs and laptops perceived the innovation ambiguously. Navigating through the tiled menu with the mouse turned out to be noticeably more complicated than operating from the touchscreen, and some people took the innovation with hostility.

However, given the growing popularity of touch screens in the niche of laptops and desktop computers, we should expect that the popularity of the Metro-interface will only increase.

Start menu returns

The start menu has been an integral part of the Windows OS interface for many years, but in 2012 it was decided to abandon its use for the sake of the Metro desktop. Not everyone was happy with this innovation, and in the latest version of their OS, Microsoft decided to return it, pretty much finalizing it.


There was a lot of debate about whether the Start menu in version 10 of Windows was necessary, but most users spoke out for the need to return this interface element. It is not known whether Microsoft listened to the opinions of users, or were guided by ergonomics, but, one way or another, the finalized Start menu returned.

The main difference between the new implementation of this interface element was the combination of classic menu items and live tiles. Customization options have also expanded: now everyone can customize the Start menu for themselves.

Configuring the tile interface in Start

Unlike classic icons that are responsible for calling applications, tiles are interactive elements. They can be used not only as a shortcut, but also serve to display relevant information from the application. This can be a weather forecast, the number of unread messages, foreign exchange rates, service notifications.

The functionality of living tiles in the new OS remained at the Windows 10 level, Microsoft did not introduce any visible innovations. To customize the tiles for yourself, just right-click on the icon. You can edit the size, color, turn on or turn off the animation, send the icon to the taskbar or remove the icon from the "Start".

Adding and removing new tiles

To add a new tile for an application, find it in the list of programs and right-click on its name. In the pop-up menu, select the item “Pin to the home screen”.


Similar operations must be performed to remove the tile, only select the item "Unpin from the initial screen."


In order to change the location of the icon in the menu, you need to hold the tile with the right mouse button and drag it to the desired location.

Size setting

Users have the ability to change not only the location, but also the size of the tiles. There are several size options for each icon. Depending on them, the functionality of the tile also changes: with a minimum size, the tile serves only to call the program, but with an increase it can also be used as an output element. How much information an icon can display, and in what format it will do it, depends on its size.

To resize a tile, right-click on it and select the “Resize” option.


The tile may have a rectangular or square size. The larger it has, the wider the functionality, but on small screens the loss of space can block all the benefits of this.

A small drawback of tiles is that if the size is small and the number is odd, there will be empty spaces in the menu. You can fix it by changing the size of individual icons and their location.

Disable tile updates

It is quite convenient to receive various notifications from applications in real time. But sometimes developers pay too much attention to this feature, and as a result, insignificant program messages constantly distract the user. To avoid this, in the Start menu settings you can disable notifications from individual tiles.

To do this, right-click on the tile and in the pop-up menu select the last item "Disable live tiles".

After that, the tile design will always remain unchanged and annoying messages will stop bothering.


Coloring the Start menu

The background of the background in Windows 10 can be changed in the same way as the color of individual tiles. To do this, click RMB anywhere where the icon is not and select the “Personalization” menu item.


In the window that opens, you can specify the background color in the Start menu, as well as change some other parameters. You can choose for yourself not only the color, but also its saturation. The user can choose a ready-made color scheme, or customize it in detail to your taste yourself.


Pin a program shortcut to the Start menu start screen

If you want to ensure maximum access speed to the application or program in the start menu, it can be fixed in the initial menu screen.

To do this, right-click on the shortcut of the program or application on the desktop that you need. After that, a pop-up menu will appear where you need to click “Pin to the home screen”. Now you can open the menu and change the location of the created tile by moving it between groups.


Also for a newly added tile, you can specify the name of the group in which it is located. There is a reverse process, from any tile located in the initial screen, you can make a shortcut by holding the tile with the right mouse button and drag it to the desktop.

The icons fixed in the left part of the Start-up can be easily removed from there, just click the right mouse button and select the "Advanced" and "Do not show in this list" options.


Adding Special Elements

This feature is also present in Windows 10, but the principle of its operation is somewhat different from adding tiles. First of all, you should go to the Desktop, and then right-click on an empty space and select the "personalization" option. In the window that appears, select the "Start" tab at the bottom. In the dialog box that appears, you can find a list of items that can be added to the left half of the "Start".


Returning the Start Menu from Windows 7

Not everyone liked the updated Windows 10 interface. Some have long been accustomed to the old look of the OS, while others simply don’t like the tiled Start elements. In this case, the developers provided the opportunity to return the menu to the classic look familiar to everyone on Windows 7. You can configure the "Start" so that outwardly it will not differ from the year before last OS version from Microsoft.

The easiest way to do this is to remove all living tiles. Disable them in a couple of clicks, unfortunately, will not work, you will have to delete each of them manually. Then you can change the width of the right side of the window so that it is minimized.

Returning the Metro Tile Menu

Owners of small-screen tablets, accustomed to the Metro menu, may find returning the Start button uncomfortable on their device. Therefore, developers from Microsoft have provided the ability to manually activate the Metro startup screen in the OS.


To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select "personalization" from the pop-up menu. In the window that opens, open the Start tab and enable the option "Open the initial screen in full screen mode." In the final build, Windows will no longer offer to re-enter the system and you can enjoy the start menu, familiar from Windows 8 without rebooting the PC.

What you need to know before upgrading to Windows 10

In addition to the attractive innovations that many users have already liked, the new OS and its shortcomings are not without.

So, at the moment, full and error-free support for all devices that work fine under Windows 7 has not yet been provided. The inability to disable auto-update of the system in the usual way can also upset many users. Indeed, with limited traffic or low connection speeds, downloading updates can result in additional costs or affect the quality of Internet browsing for the download period.

Those who do not like interference in his life can be alarmed by the fact that the OS analyzes user behavior and collects information about him. This is done both to improve performance and for advertising purposes, so many are not happy with this approach.

So, when installing a new version of the OS, you should be aware of its features and take full responsibility for its unstable operation or the dissemination of information about the user.

Twice radically changed.

In the G8, the usual desktop (adapted for desktop systems) corner was replaced with a mobile start screen; in the G8, Start was again desktop, but the user had the opportunity to switch it to mobile - full screen mode.

And this is not the only change to the Windows main menu.

We will tell you what else new appeared in Start with the release of “tens” and how to configure it to your liking.

Customize the appearance and display of Start items

main parameters

Setting all the options for the Start menu in Windows 10 is done through the “Settings” application, the launch button of which is located inside the Start itself.

Clicking on it opens a window of the basic system settings.

Among them is the “Personalization” section, which contains functions for managing design elements: screen layout, color of panels, including the appearance of the Start menu.

In the "Start" section are sliders-switches:

  • Show recommendations. When you enable this option, the system will sometimes give you “useful tips” to help you learn Windows.
  • Show your most frequently used applications to quickly jump to the latest documents, browser tabs, etc.
  • Show recently added apps.
  • Switching Start to full screen.
  • Show the last open items in Start and on the taskbar.

At the very bottom - the button to go to the folder selection section that will be displayed in the menu.

The same parameters can also be configured through the properties of the taskbar on the Start menu tab (in the Russian version - Start).

In addition to lists of programs and folders in Windows 10 Startup there are live tiles for launching applications. How to work with them, we will talk further.

Customize Live Tiles

The entire default tile set is rarely needed by the user. How to change the display of Start menu tiles in Windows 10 "for themselves"?

Here are the features the system provides:

  • Move tiles around the free space of the menu (more precisely, on its right side).
  • Create groups of tiles and give each group a name.
  • Choose the size of the tile - large, medium, small or wide. The latter looks like 2 combined tiles of medium size or half large.
  • Delete tiles from the Start menu.
  • Create custom tiles.

Note!  There is no way to change the color of tiles in Windows 10, but you can change the background of the Start itself.

The control parameters for each live tile are in its context menu.

The size of tiles created by the user and initially installed in the system varies differently.

Custom tiles cannot be made large or wide, system tiles can.

How to group tiles

To create a thematic group, place the selected tiles next to each other and click on the empty field above them.

When you hover over this section, the inscription "Name the group" appears, and when you click - a line for entering text. Drive the name of the group into it.

To delete a name, click on the cross that appears next to it.

How to create your own tile in the Start menu

To create a custom tile, right-click on the program shortcut on the desktop or the icon in the "All Applications" list of the Start menu.

Select Pin to Start Screen.

Change the background and size of the Start menu

To adjust the color and transparency of the Start menu and taskbar, launch the Settings application and open the Personalization section.

Go to the “Colors” tab. Here you can enable or disable the following:

  • Auto select the main background color. When this setting is activated, the color of the taskbar and Start is selected depending on the hue of the desktop image.
  • Display colors in the Start menu, on the taskbar, and in the notification center. When turned off, they will turn dark gray.
  • Transparency of the Start menu, notification center and taskbar. More precisely, translucency, the level of which does not change
  • High contrast settings (for visually impaired).

When auto background color is turned off, a palette of 49 colors opens so that the user can choose the shade that he likes.

This shade will not change when changing the desktop wallpaper.

Troubleshooting Start Menu Errors

Critical Start and Cortana Mistake

Most often, Windows 10 users face two kinds of Start menu errors.

At the first - along with Start, the voice assistant Cortana and Windows Explorer stop working, and a notification appears on the screen: “The Start menu and Cortana do not work.

We will try to fix the problem the next time you log in. " However, neither the next nor further attempts to enter the situation change.

While Microsoft is pondering the error, a solution method was found without them. There he is:

  • Run the Msconfig utility: go to the control panel, launch the “Administration” applet and click “System Configuration”.
  • Open the “Download” tab in Msconfig and in the “Launch Options” section, check “Without GUI”. In non-GUI mode, the Windows icon animation does not appear when the computer boots.

  • Reboot and run Msconfig again. Click the General tab and check the Custom Startup box. Be sure to check the box next to each item.

  • Restart your computer again. A critical Start menu error in Windows 10 will no longer bother you.

Start menu is missing or does not open

The second mistake that users of the “dozens” encountered was the sudden cessation of the Start-up and a number of elements in the notification area — calendar, sound volume, power settings, and networks: nothing just happens when you click on these icons.

What to do if the Windows Start menu is missing or does not work:

  • Unload the antivirus program and turn on the Windows firewall in the control panel.
  • Open a command prompt (from the administrator) and follow the instructions: Powershell - this will launch the console application of the same name. After the prompt to enter PS C: \\ WINDOWS \\ SYSTEM32 appears, run another command:
    C: \\ WINDOWS \\ SYSTEM32 ″ insert and execute: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach (Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$ ($ _. InstallLocation) \\ AppXManifest.xml”)

  • Open the tab “Processes” in the task manager, find the Explorer in the list and click “Restart”.

After restarting the Explorer, the Start menu will work again.

Customizing the Start Menu in Windows 10

Customizing the Start menu and taskbar in Windows 10.