Windows 101 for Mac Transplants: The Start Menu

Last month, we touched on how Windows isn’t necessarily the standard in the home as in the modern office… and therefore, how many users may not necessarily be as familiar with the operating system as some might hope. In light of how vital familiarity with Windows is in the modern workplace, we wanted to share how Windows 11 works.

To continue this exploration, we wanted to take a closer look at the Start menu, which can be found on the toolbar.

Just as a reminder, don’t forget to check the “Learning Windows” tag here on our blog for more assistance with Windows 11 in the future.

What is the Windows Start Menu?

Appropriate to its name, the Start menu is where you begin just about everything you would want to do with your computer. Accessing it is pretty simple… all you have to do is look for the Windows logo, either on your screen or on your keyboard.

Screenshot courtesy: Microsoft

What the Start Menu Enables:

Once you have the Start menu open, you’ll see a region with four primary sections, each with its own uses. They are Search, Pins, Recommendations, and Account.

Search allows you to find the different contents of your computer, spanning from your apps and files and even helping you find different settings. You can quickly shorten the time needed to find what you’re looking for by typing the right keywords into the provided search bar.

Pins, or all the apps, files, folders, and websites pinned to the menu for easier access. A convenient button will give you access to all of your applications from here as well, listed in alphabetical order.

Recommendations will be populated with the apps you’ve used frequently and most often, as well as your most recently accessed files.

Account will give you access to your profile, as well as your capability to log out and lock/power off/log out of/restart your device.

The Start menu also allows for some pretty significant customizations to make it work harder for each user.

What You Can Do to Customize the Windows 11 Start Menu

You can add and remove pinned apps from the Start menu to create your own productivity hub simply by right-clicking on the app and selecting the Pin to/Unpin from Start option. You can pin folders to the Start menu in the same way, and if you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser, the three-dot menu offers More tools, where you can find Pin to Start to add the active website to the menu as a shortcut.

These pins can be rearranged and organized into folders by simply dragging them over one another.

There are also alternative layouts you can use in addition to the Default, accessible by right-clicking the bar at the bottom of the menu and selecting Start settings:

• More Pins
• More Recommendations

There are other settings in there to work with to further adjust what this menu displays to you, such as the ability to focus on apps that the user interacts with most often or even to show recommended tips.

You can also use your Start settings to customize what folders appear next to the power button, from Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Network, and Personal.

Finally, you can use the Taskbar settings to decide whether your Start menu remains centered on your screen or appears in its traditional place. Simply expand Taskbar behaviors and select the option you like the most.

There’s a Lot More to Windows to Go Over, So Keep Checking In!

You can also reach out to us for any assistance your Boston Metro and across the North East business needs with its IT, as we provide fully managed technology services and support. Give us a call at (978) 482-2020 to learn more.