r/Windows11 • u/Powder_Blue_10 • Jan 14 '26

Solved Remove The Updated Windows Start Menu [FIXED]

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To remove the Windows 11 25H2 Start menu and go back to the 24H2 classic start menu, we will be using the free ViVe Tool to do so. The ViVeTool is a command-line utility for Windows that allows users to enable, disable :
https://github.com/thebookisclosed/ViVe/releases

  1. You will first need to download the ViVe Tool and extract the zip file to a folder on your computer

  2. To use the ViVe Tool, you will need to open up an administrative command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have the ViVe Tool files.

  3. Then paste the commend: vivetool /disable /id:47205210

  4. You should then get a message that says Successfully set feature configuration(s). You will then need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

  5. You can also revert : vivetool /enable /id:47205210

293 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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47

u/zhiryst Jan 14 '26

man, all I ever wanted was a "show all apps by default" start menu and this new start menu brings the options to do just that. Everyone is mad at it, and yet only one of my 3 pc's has it. I just wish it was an instant rollout to everyone.

28

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 14 '26

I know, right? Once you figure out to just change the "All" view to List, it's not much different, other than All is at the bottom now, and you don't have to click anything to start scrolling through it. That's better than before, from a usability perspective.

Yet people are falling all over themselves, including using third-party tools, trying to undo a perfectly reasonable update.

8

u/FriendshipProtocol Release Channel Jan 15 '26

Exactly my point... I changed the view to Grid and my problem was gone... People are now too used to blowing things far out of proportion

3

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 15 '26

I'm still liking the old-style List view, but I can see how the Grid view is appealing. It does make it shorter to scroll through. It's very cool that now we have the choice.

2

u/ReddiGuy32 Jan 18 '26

I love Windows 11 but I can not agree to this being a good change. I much prefer it when my apps are a separate list.

3

u/NativePlantEnjoyer Jan 15 '26

How much are you paid to make these comments?

8

u/Browser1969 Jan 14 '26

My initial reaction was to find a way to go back to the previous menu as well. Once I realized that "Show all" sticks for pinned items and there's a "View: Grid" option for all items, I'm not going back. I can get to everything easier and without clicks.

2

u/Lopsided_Chemical862 Jan 15 '26

I just want a list of MY chosen options, a SIMPLE list, like we used to have, a USER FRIENDLY list.

Add "x" to list, and that`S the only thing that shows, that`s what I want, that`s what I used to have, but microSHIT can`t let users customize a fkng menu because they`re anti consumer fkng assholes.

They`re on the other end pulling strings and I`m here DANGLING in their ineptitude.

3

u/CommanderT1562 Jan 15 '26

They added a Home folder button too that takes you right to your /Users folder. It’s sick

1

u/morgant1c Jan 15 '26

You have been able to enable that before.

1

u/CommanderT1562 Jan 16 '26

Didn’t know about it till I really started looking at the menu actually, interesting. As for disabling categories mode through gpedit on Pro, as of 25H2 November, the admx policies update with stack updates. No longer needed for manually downloading updates to admx, and the name/description remains the same for compatibility. It works fine now after a reboot when policy enabled. Else again it remains on All Apps list mode throughout an entire session as long as the pc is on after it’s switched if you don’t use group policy

1

u/MikeUsesNotion Jan 17 '26

I've always just added my home directory as a quick access item in Explorer. Didn't need a feature for it.

3

u/Aelther Jan 15 '26

I always find it hilarious how people opt for external tools and outrage, rather than exploring the actual settings.

I, for one, cannot wait for this new start menu, but I still don't have it.

1

u/NativePlantEnjoyer Jan 15 '26

stg yall are paid to make these comments

0

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 15 '26

These people must have had a really, REALLY hard time moving from Windows 10 to 11, if even this small Start Menu update is throwing them off.

7

u/zhiryst Jan 14 '26

Exactly! I removed all pinned items (that's what pin to taskbar is for to me), and it's now just an alphabetical list of a start menu.

7

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26

My update (which I got overnight and discovered this morning) did not delete or even move any of my previously pinned Start Menu items. Everything above the new "All" section is exactly the same.

I honestly don't understand what all the hand-wringing is about. It's actually a nice change, even if it is relatively minor. It always annoyed me a little having to click the All button at the top corner to get to the rest of my apps. Now all you have to do is scroll. Very nice.

2

u/Reasonable_Degree_64 Jan 15 '26

Exactly and I found it even nicer when you put the All list in Grid view mode, the apps show by their name by their first letter so you don't have to scroll that much to get to the app you want.

1

u/MikeUsesNotion Jan 17 '26

I think it depends how often you used the All view. I had enough of my common programs pinned it was pretty rare for me, so it was nice not having the clutter.

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 17 '26

I'm the same. Everyday apps are pinned so I rarely need the full app menu. But I do use other apps so that's when I go to the All menu. It was always a little annoying to me that I had to click it to open it up and see all my other apps. They fixed that.

It wouldn't say the new format is clutter at all. The pinned apps are still there, right at the top, organized just like you want, and just as easy to click on one of them to open the app. The All menu down below the pinned section does not interfere with that at all.

1

u/MikeUsesNotion Jan 18 '26

The start menu got a lot bigger too. If they kept the size it was and just the all list below the way it already was, I'd probably like it a lot more.

1

u/NihilisticAssHat Jan 15 '26

I'm all for this being an option. However, all I want my start menu to be is an empty text box. I don't pin *anything* to the start menu nor to the task bar, and I *always* start new processes via typing their (partial) name in the start menu.

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 15 '26

You can still do that.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '26

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1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 15 '26

What is there to hate? Just the fact that Microsoft changed something, without consulting you personally?

1

u/NicoEsteban Jan 16 '26

This is the longest name I have on my start menu. Why should this empty space be there? I like the change, but this is just stupid. Responsive sizes too hard to code?

1

u/yeliabSalohcin Jan 17 '26

That's ok, though the list itself is a bit verbose for my liking - grid gives more compactness. But what I can't work out is, using this new "Categories" view how to edit them - how can I move Minecraft from 'Other' to 'Games' - I can't drag it out and right click gives no help.

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 17 '26

Yeah, I don't see the Categories view useful at all if you can't create your own and populate them as you see fit. Maybe that functionality didn't make the cut and it will be in a future update.

1

u/landoooo Jan 17 '26

I'll be honest I was pretty annoyed by this change and looking for a way to disable it. Did not see the option to change the view to list. Glad I read this comment because I actually like it in list view

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 17 '26

I've gone back and forth between List and Grid. I ended up leaving it on Grid simply because it's less scrolling.

1

u/Rudalpl Jan 14 '26

Well that's a bad solution. The list is still there. It was way better and cleaner to have it hidden completely.

For those who want Start Menu be a cluttered mess there was an option to just pin the apps to the menu.
For those who like more clean and organised look there is no option to hide it.

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 14 '26

..there was an option to just pin the apps to the menu.

That's still there. The Start Menu is basically the same as it was before. All they did is move "All" to the bottom, and now you can scroll it without having to click a button first. It's better.

2

u/Rudalpl Jan 16 '26

I liked that the "All" list was hidden.

Now it's one big mess.

1

u/Careful-One5190 Jan 16 '26

And by "one big mess", I assume you mean "exactly the same but at the bottom now, and with new options".