Customizing the Windows 11 Start Menu and Taskbar

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Customizing the Windows 11 Start Menu and Taskbar. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Customising the Start Menu

1. Pinning apps to the Start menu

1. Open the Start menu.
2. In the “Recommended” or “All apps” section, locate the app you want to pin.
3. Right‑click the app and select Pin to Start.

2. Unpinning apps from the Start menu

1. Open the Start menu.
2. In the “Pinned” section, right‑click the app you want to remove.
3. Select Unpin from Start.

3. Rearranging and grouping pinned apps

• Rearrange: Click and drag a pinned app icon to the desired position.
• Group: Drag one pinned app icon over another to create a folder, then name the folder.

4. Adjusting the Start menu layout

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Navigate to Personalisation > Start.
3. Under “Layout”, choose one of the following options:
   • More pins – shows more pinned apps and fewer recommendations.
   • Default – a balanced mix of pins and recommendations.
   • More recommendations – shows fewer pinned apps and more recommendations.

5. Showing recently added and most used apps

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Personalisation > Start.
3. Toggle “Show recently added apps” and “Show most used apps” on or off as required.

6. Adding or removing folders next to the power button

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Navigate to Personalisation > Start > Folders.
3. Toggle on the folders you want to appear (e.g., Documents, Downloads, Network).

Customising the Taskbar

1. Changing taskbar alignment (centre or left)

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Personalisation > Taskbar.
3. Expand Taskbar behaviours.
4. Under “Taskbar alignment”, select Centre or Left.

2. Pinning and unpinning apps to the taskbar

Pin to taskbar

1. Find the app in the Start menu, All apps list, or on the desktop.
2. Right‑click the app and select Pin to taskbar.
3. Alternatively, open the app, right‑click its icon on the taskbar and choose Pin to taskbar.

Unpin from taskbar

1. Right‑click the app’s icon on the taskbar.
2. Select Unpin from taskbar.

3. Showing or hiding taskbar icons (Search, Task view, Widgets, Chat)

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Personalisation > Taskbar.
3. Under “Taskbar items”, toggle the following options:
   • Search – the search icon.
   • Task view – the virtual desktops icon.
   • Widgets – the Widgets panel icon.
   • Chat – the Microsoft Teams Chat icon.

4. Managing overflow icons in the system tray

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Navigate to Personalisation > Taskbar > Other system tray icons.
3. Toggle on or off the icons you want to always show (e.g., Pen menu, Touch keyboard, Virtual touchpad).

5. Configuring taskbar corner overflow (hidden icons)

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Personalisation > Taskbar > Taskbar corner overflow.
3. Select which app icons should always appear in the system tray rather than being hidden.

6. Auto‑hiding the taskbar

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Navigate to Personalisation > Taskbar.
3. Expand Taskbar behaviours.
4. Check the box for Automatically hide the taskbar. The taskbar will disappear when not in use and reappear when you move the mouse to the bottom of the screen.

Troubleshooting

• Changes not applying: Restart your computer or restart File Explorer (open Task Manager, locate “Windows Explorer” under Processes, right‑click and select “Restart”).
• Missing icons: Ensure they are enabled in Taskbar settings. If an app has been uninstalled, its pinned icon will disappear.
• Taskbar frozen: Restart File Explorer as described above. If the problem persists, check for system file corruption by running sfc /scannow in an elevated Command Prompt.

When to seek further assistance

If you encounter persistent issues with customisation or system stability after making changes, open a ticket with IT support.

Still Having Issues?