Windows 11, Part 2, Start Menu

First, let us look at how you can customize the layout of your start menu. Click on the Start button in Windows (located on the left edge of your application icons in your taskbar), then right-click once on a blank area in the menu window where there are no icons, and then click on “Start settings.” Remember, I will always specify either a “right-click” or “click” (the latter indicating a left-click).

You will see three Layout windows at the top. First is “More pins,” which will allow you to show more pinned apps in the start menu and less recommended items at the bottom. Next, “Default,” showing about three rows of each. Then the last, “More recommendations,” which obviously does what it indicates. You see a graphical representation of each to help you choose. I prefer the first choice—more pins—but it is just a matter of preference and nothing else.

The next five choices are fairly self-explanatory as to what you prefer to show up in the Start Menu. They are “Show recently added apps,” “Show most used apps,” “Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists (more below), and File Explorer,” “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more,” and fifth, “Folders.” For new users of Windows 11, I suggest you set the first four to “On” and then ignore “Folders,” as it is not particularly useful for most users. You may change them again at any time. Below that area are some helpful topic links for you.

Now I will get back to “Jump Lists.”. Jump lists are handy menus in Windows 11 that provide quick access to frequently used items and application functions. You can find them by right-clicking several different areas in Windows 11, which is very similar to Windows 10’s jump lists. Try a right-click on any app icon on the taskbar that you have previously used. A jump list will appear. For example, if you do this with your Edge or Chrome icons, it will show a list of your recently visited sites. You may click them and return to anything you looked at earlier.

Try right-clicking on an app name in the Start menu list, and you’ll see its jump list.

Each application or feature may have different items included in its jump list. Some of the more popular are lists of recently opened documents or projects within the app. In some cases, you may access folders you often use with the app. And as I said before, you may see specific features or tasks directly related to an application in its jump list.