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How to personalize the Start menu in Windows 11

Are you tired of the default Start menu in Windows 11? Do you feel like it's cluttered with unnecessary apps and features? If so, you're not alone. Many users find the Start menu overwhelming and distracting, ultimately impacting their productivity. Fortunately, there's a solution - personalizing your Start menu.

How to personalize the Start menu in Windows 11

By customizing your Start menu, you can maximize your productivity and unleash the full potential of your Windows 11 experience. You can create a unique and effective Start menu that caters to your specific needs and preferences, making your computing experience more enjoyable overall.

To get started, you'll need to explore the various customization options available in Windows 11. From rearranging your app tiles to pinning your favorite programs, there are plenty of ways to make your Start menu work for you. By taking the time to personalize your Start menu, you can streamline your workflow and access the apps and tools you need with just a few clicks.

Consider customizing your Start menu today to improve your Windows 11 experience and maximize productivity. With time and effort, you can create a Start menu tailored to your unique needs and preferences, making your computing experience more enjoyable and efficient. Let's get started.

All the changes outlined in this article are done inside the Settings app. You can bring up the Settings app by:

  • Left-clicking on the Start button Windows logo to bring up the Start menu.
  • In the list of pinned apps on the Start menu, left-click on Settings.
  • or
  • Right-click on the Start button Windows logo to bring up the Power User menu.
  • In the list of programs that appear, left-click on Settings.
  • or
  • Press the Windows logo key Windows logo + I

Once you open the Settings app, left-click on Personalization in the left-hand column. This will display all of the Personalization categories in the right-hand column.

These customizations are in no particular order. Let's start with the alignment of the Start menu on the Taskbar.

Changing the location of the Start menu on the Taskbar

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors

Windows 10 only allowed the Start menu to be located in the corner of the Taskbar, although you could place the Taskbar along any of the screen edges (left, right, top, or bottom). With Windows 11, you currently only have the option of the bottom of the screen.

But you can change the Start button's alignment (left or center). Inside of Taskbar behaviors, you can change the alignment between left and center using the pull-down menu.

Changing the accent color of the Start menu

Settings > Personalization > Colors

This option can be changed inside the Colors category. The only way you can change the Start menu accent color is by selecting Dark or Custom mode under Choose your mode. If you choose Dark mode, you can set the accent color for the Start menu and the Taskbar. If you choose Custom mode, you must select Dark mode for Windows to be able to set the accent color.

Changing the Start menu options

Settings > Personalization > Start

Windows 11 Start menu features and areas

There are three (3) areas that you can customize on the Start menu; Pinned (programs /apps), Recommended (recently accessed files), and Folders (Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Network, and Personal Folder).

The first option is the layout of the Start menu. You have three (3) choices; More pins, Default (an even mix of pins and recommendations), and More recommendations.

The next set of options you can toggle on or off. They are:

  • Show recently added apps
  • Show recently used apps
  • Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer
  • Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more

The next option is the Folders category. Here, you can select which folders appear on the Start menu next to the Power button. You can choose any or all of the following folders: Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Network, and Personal Folder.

Changing the Pinned apps on the Start menu

To add a program or folder to the Pinned apps area, locate the folder or program and right-click on it. From the context menu that appears, select Pin to Start.

To remove a program or folder from the Pinned apps area, right-click on it and select Unpin from Start.

To rearrange the Pinned apps, press and hold the left mouse button on the app you want to move and relocate it.

Changing the Recommended files

The only way to add a file to the Recommended area is to open a file with the associated program, then save it.

To remove a file from the Recommended area, right-click on it and select Remove from the list.

Create great graphics with Paint.NET 5

Are you looking for an image editing program with more features than any built-in Windows apps? Something between Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop? If so, you should take a look at Paint.NET.

Create great graphics with Paint.NET 5

Having a program that can create professional-looking graphics is essential, and not having to pay an excessive amount for one is critical. You get the best of both worlds with Paint.NET 5. And depending on the version, Paint.NET can be free (more on this later).

Paint.NET is a versatile and user-friendly image editing program that can help beginners and professionals alike create stunning graphics. Some of the types of graphics you can make include logos, social media graphics, website banners, and more.

Now Paint.NET was initially meant to be a replacement for Microsoft Paint that is included with Windows, but it developed into a completely separate project. Paint.NET has a simple, easy-to-use interface that has an easy learning curve.

Paint.NET features rival Adobe Photoshop's features, including support for layers, history, plugins, and multiple file formats. Like Photoshop, Paint.NET has included special effects like blurring, shaping, distortion, noise, and red-eye removal.

I have written about Paint.NET before, and it keeps improving. With this version, there are some really great new features. They include:

  • Support for Windows Ink, including pressure sensitivity for brush tools
  • A graphics section for configuring GPU and hardware acceleration settings
  • A completely brand new plugin system that supports both CPU and GPU effect
  • Multiple new and revised Effects and various changes to the user interface

Now the system requirements have changed. Paint.NET 5 is currently only 64-bit and will only run on Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022. And there are two (2) different options for downloading Paint.NET.

The first option for downloading Paint.NET is free from the developer's website or the Microsoft Store for a fee. The only difference I have found is that the paid version gets updated automatically, but you must manually update the free version. For more information on Paint.NET and to download the free version, follow the links below.

Paint.NET 5

Download Paint.NET 5 (free version)

Create custom Windows installation media with Rufus

Do you want to install Windows 11 but want to avoid using a Microsoft account to sign in? Or maybe you want to install Windows without BitLocker drive encryption. You can do both and more when you use Rufus to create custom Windows installation media.

Create custom Windows installation media with Rufus

There may be a time when you want to customize the installation options for Windows. Whether installing Windows with only a local user account or bypassing the Windows 11 hardware requirements, you might need to create a custom installation media for Windows at some point.

As a computer technician, I have had some experience building Windows images (including drivers and apps) for corporate distribution, and it is a reasonably complex process. It is not something the average computer user would want to do.

Now there are a lot of articles out there that tell you how to modify the registry during the installation of Windows. For an experienced Windows user, these registry tweaks can be tricky to implement.

But what if you could take all of those registry tweaks and incorporate them into an installation media and then use that to install Windows? You can do just that with Rufus. Rufus is a stand-alone program for creating bootable USB drives from ISO (International Organization for Standardization) files.

Rufus works exceptionally well for creating bootable USB drives from Windows and Linux ISO files, as well as for making a bootable UBCD (Ultimate Boot CD) USB drive for diagnostics. The list of options for each operating system varies, so here are the customizations you can make to the current version(s) of Windows installation media.

Windows 10

  • Create a local account with username
  • Set regional options to the same values as this user's
  • Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions)
  • Disable BitLocker device encryption

Windows 11 (includes all of the above plus)

  • Remove requirement for 4GB + RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0
  • Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account

To create a bootable USB drive with Rufus, you will need an 8GB or larger USB drive, a Windows 10 or Windows 11 ISO file, and of course, Rufus. Remember that no matter what installation option you choose for Windows, you will need a legitimate product key to activate it.

  1. Download Rufus.
  2. Download and run the Windows Media Creation Tool for your version of Windows.
    Windows 11 / Windows 10
    The Windows Media Creation tool is a stand-alone program and does not require installation. Just start it up. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Accept the license terms, select the language, select ISO file as the media to use, and then select where to save the ISO file. Let the file download, and then proceed to the next step.
  3. Insert a USB drive (8TB or larger).
  4. Open Rufus. Since it is a stand-alone program, it does not require installation, just start it up. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

On the main screen you will find three (3) sections; Drive Properties, Format options, and Status.
The main screen in Rufus
Under Drive properties, make sure the USB drive you want to use is selected in the Device pull-down menu.

Right below the Device pull-down menu, you will find the Boot selection. Left-click the Select button, navigate to the ISO file you downloaded and select it. Rufus will recognize the ISO file and load default settings based on the operating system.

Usually, the default settings work perfectly, so there is no need to change them. Just go down to the Status section and left-click on Start. The Windows User Experience dialog box appears with the customizations that are available for the version of Windows you are working with.
Windows User Experience dialog box inside Rufus
Select all of the options you want to include in your custom installation media and then left-click on OK. At this point you should be ready to go.

How to repair the Start menu inside of Windows 11

The Start menu has been an essential component of Windows since Windows 95, helping users navigate the various programs and features. But what do you do when it does not work? Here is how to repair the Windows 11 Start menu.

How to repair the Start menu inside of Windows 11

You only realize how much you depend on the Start menu once it does not work correctly. And trying to fix it without being able to access any of the apps on it is hard. But there are ways to get to the tools required to fix the Start menu.

In this article, I want to show you some of the different things you can do to fix a broken Start menu in Windows 11. Most of the apps required for the following procedures can be found in the Control Panel under Windows Tools.

Since the Start menu is not functioning correctly, you must use an alternative way of getting to the Control Panel. Here is the easiest and fastest way to get there.

  1. Open a Run dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key Windows logo key + R (click here for more ways to open a Run dialog box).
  2. Type in Control and then left-click on OK.
  3. If viewing the Control Panel by Category, left-click on System and Security, then left-click on Windows Tools. If viewing by Large/Small Icons, left-click on Windows Tools.

Now that you have access to the Windows Tools, let's start with the solution that works most of the time, the PowerShell script.

Use PowerShell to repair the Windows 11 Start menu

1. In the Windows Tools folder, right-click on the Windows PowerShell shortcut and select Run as Administrator from the context menu that appears.

2. Copy and paste the following script into the Powershell prompt and press Enter.

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

If you get an error message stating the action could not be performed because the ShellExperienceHost is running, copy and paste the following script and press Enter to end the ShellExperienceHost task.

taskkill /ID ShellExperienceHost.exe /F

Then rerun the first script.

3. You must restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Since the PowerShell is open, copy and paste the following into the Powershell and press Enter to restart your computer immediately.

shutdown.exe -r -f -t 00

Check your drive for errors

If the Start menu is still not working correctly after running the PowerShell script, it may be time to check your drive for errors. There are several ways to run a disk check, but the easiest way is through File Explorer.

  1. Press the Windows logo key Windows logo + E keys simultaneously to bring up File Explorer.
  2. In the left-side column, left-click on This PC.
  3. In the right-side column, right-click on the drive you want to check and select Properties.
  4. Left-click on the Tools tab.
  5. Under Error checking, left-click on Check.
  6. Left-click on Scan drive.

For all of the different ways to run a disk check, check out 'How to check your drive for errors in Windows 11'.

Check for corrupt system files

If the Start menu is still not working, you might want to check for corrupt system files. To run the System File Checker (SFC), you must use either a Command Prompt or PowerShell with administrative privileges. Open the Windows Tools folder, right-click on the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell shortcut, select Run as Administrator from the context menu, Copy and paste the following into it, and then press Enter.

SFC /SCANNOW

If the scan finds corrupt files and fixes them, restart your computer. If it finds errors but cannot fix them, check out our article 'How to check and repair system files in Windows 11' for more in-depth ways to repair system files.

Repair Windows 11 with an in-place upgrade

If all else fails to fix the Start menu, performing an in-place upgrade might be the thing to do. I have seen in-place upgrades fix some of the most annoying problems with Windows. Check out our article 'How to perform a repair upgrade of Windows 11'.

Reset Windows 11

This would be the last resort to getting the Start menu running correctly again. The following article, 'How to reset Windows 11', will guide you through the steps you must take to reset Windows 11.

How to enable the local administrator account in Windows without logging in

Having a Standard user account in Windows is great for security, as it prevents malicious software from installing. But what happens if you need to install software and do not have administrative privileges? Here is how to enable the local administrator account in Windows without logging in.

How to enable the local administrator account in Windows without logging in

I recently had a customer with a somewhat unique problem; she needed to install software on her computer, but her user profile was only a Standard user. She shared the computer with her husband; his account was an Administrator user, and he used a Microsoft account for logging in.

But unfortunately, her husband passed away, and she proceeded to take care of her husband's affairs. In the process, she disconnected his cell phone and deleted his e-mail address. It was not until she needed to install some software on her computer did she realize she did not have administrator privileges.

The easiest thing to do would be to perform a clean installation of Windows. But since there was tax software that she could not reinstall, wiping the drive and reinstalling Windows was the last option.

And since all forms of recovering her husband's Microsoft account were gone, the only thing to do was enable the hidden local administrator account and change her account from Standard to Administrator. Since her account was only a Standard user, using a NET command line was impossible, so this would take a little more work.

Note: The following procedures require Windows installation media, editing the registry, and the BitLocker decryption key (if your drive is encrypted). Editing the Registry incorrectly can cause your computer to have errors and possibly not booting. If you do not feel comfortable editing the registry, please get in touch with a local computer technician for assistance.

The first step is to create the installation media, which will require a USB drive 8GB or larger. You will need administrative privileges to make the media, so you may need to create the media on another Windows system with a user with administrator privileges.

Create Windows 11 installation media

Create Windows 10 installation media

The second step is to check if the drive in your computer is BitLocker encrypted. The easiest way to find out if any of your drives are encrypted is by checking their properties in File Explorer.

  1. Open File Explorer using one of the following:
    1. Left-click on the File Explorer icon (manilla folder) on the Taskbar.
    2. Press the Windows logo key Windows logo + E at the same time.
    3. Use the Power User menu by right-clicking on the Start Windows logo button and selecting File Explorer.
  2. In the left-side column, left-click on This PC.
  3. In the right-side column, check the icons for the drives. Drives that are encrypted should have a little padlock in the icon.

If your drive is BitLocker encrypted, use the following link to log in to your Microsoft account and find your recovery key. If another person set up your computer, they might have the recovery key inside their Microsoft account. Once you get the BitLocker recovery key, print it out or write it down for future use.

Locate my BitLocker recovery key

Next, you will need to boot up your computer using the installation media. The easiest way to do this is to use the Advanced Boot Options. Make sure you have the Windows installation media connected to your computer before proceeding so that it will appear as a bootable device listed in the Advanced Boot Options.

How to get to Windows 11 Advanced Boot Options

How to get to Windows 10 Advanced Boot Options

Once you get to the Advanced Boot Options, select Use a device and choose the media you created earlier. Your computer will restart and boot from the installation media.

  1. When the Windows Setup dialog box appears, left-click on Next.
  2. On the following dialog box, left-click on Repair this computer. At this point, you may be prompted for a decryption key. Input it in the space provided and continue.
  3. On the Choose an option page, left-click on Troubleshoot.
  4. On the Advanced options page, left-click on Command Prompt.
  5. In the Command Prompt, type regedit and press Enter.
    Starting the registry editor from a command prompt
  6. In the Registry Editor, highlight HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left-hand column.
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE selected in the registry editor
  7. With HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE highlighted, pull down the File menu and left-click on Load Hive ....
    Load hive selection in the registry editor
  8. Locate the local drive that has Windows installed on it, then navigate to the Windows>System32>config folder.
    Drop down menu showing the Windows folder location
  9. Left-click on the file named SAM (Security Account Manager) and select Open.
    Selecting the SAM hive to load
  10. When prompted for a Key Name, give it a unique name (we used TempSAM) and select OK.
    Load hive key name
  11. Expand the registry hive you just attached, and navigate to:
    Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\WhateverYouNamedYourHive\SAM\Domains\Account\Users\000001F4
    The registry editor open to the F binary value
  12. Double-click on the F binary value to edit it.
    The default 00000038 binary value
  13. In the Edit Binary Value dialog box that appears, change the value at 00000038 from 11 to 10, then select OK.
    The modified 00000038 binary value
  14. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

The local administrator account should now appear as a logon option and has no password by default.

Free computer diagnostics

Repairing a PC can sometimes be expensive, and that is why we offer free basic in-shop diagnostics. Give one of our professional and experienced technicians a call at (602) 795-1111, and let's see what we can do for you.

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Here at Geeks in Phoenix, we take pride in providing excellent customer service. We aim to give the highest quality of service  from computer repair, virus removal, and data recovery.

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Repairing a computer can be time-consuming. That is why we base our in-shop service on the time we work on your computer, not the time it takes for your computer to work! From running memory checking software to scanning for viruses, these are processes that can take some time.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (602) 795-1111  and talk with one of our Geeks. Or you can send us a message from our contact page , and one of our Geeks will get back to you as soon as possible. Or you can stop by and see us. Here are our hours and location.

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