Microsoft once loved and promoted the Live Tiles feature in the Start Menu. Now that users have started using the same, Windows 11 has completely ditched it. However, there are few ways to restore the “Classic” Windows 10 Start Menu in Windows 11 latest build, complete with Live Tiles.
Windows 11 is clearly detaching itself from Windows 10, and the Start Menu is the first one to change fundamentally. However, there are still a few tricks for those who have a strong habit of using things ‘as they are’, which includes a left-aligned Start Button and Live Tiles from Windows 10.
Microsoft abandons Live Tiles for good in Windows 11, but they aren’t entirely gone from the OS:
Back when Windows 11 arrived, the most obvious change was the revamped Task Bar and the redesigned Start Menu. Microsoft had clearly ditched the Live Tiles feature, which was a big thing in Windows 10.
Interestingly, users were able to switch back to the ‘Classic’ Windows 10 Start Menu, complete with Live Tiles. Just change the setting in Registry Editor of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Advanced\ “Start_ShowClassicMode” to 1.
I'm going to miss Live Tiles a lot, but Windows 11 looks minimalistic and I love it. ❤️ https://t.co/vgE0BJh3bS
— NokiaLoop (@NokiaLandID) July 10, 2021
However, the latest build of Windows 11 disables this hack. Simply put, even the Registry change does not revert the Start Menu to Windows 10.
Incidentally, it is quite possible that Microsoft might leave an option to return back to the classic menu for enterprise users. And this is perhaps the reason why Live Tiles are hidden and not completely removed from Windows 11.
How to bring back the “Classic” Windows 10 Start Menu with Live Tiles in the latest Windows 11 build?
It is interesting to note that when Microsoft introduced Live Tiles, several Windows 7 holdouts strongly objected. However, as time went on, the redesigned Start Menu was gradually adopted, and perhaps even loved.
Hence, it is quite possible that there will be thousands of Windows OS users who now prefer or even insist on using the still prevalent Windows 10 option.
Live Tiles gone forever as Microsoft disables Windows 11 Old Start Menu registry hack – https://t.co/2ZD1R1mzLW pic.twitter.com/SxdwztYrR7
— MSPoweruser (@mspoweruser) July 10, 2021
For such determined users, there’s a freeware program called TenStartMenuFixer which is available on GitHub. Strangely, the program can and does bring back the Windows 10 Start Menu on Windows 11.
Simply download and run the executable, and a command prompt window will open. It does not have a GUI, and merely offers two options.
By pressing 1, on the keyboard, TenStartMenuFixer starts working in the background, and displays a message which reads: “Applying fix…Fix Successful”. Merely close the window, and either restart or log out and log back in to witness the change.
I think Live Tiles with rounded corners would fit Windows 11 style better. Something like this: https://t.co/eKBd29Ig4r
— Yevhen Fetysenko (@YevgenFetisenko) July 10, 2021
Incidentally, TenStartMenuFixer doesn’t change the alignment of the taskbar icons. However, Windows 11 does offer users the option of shifting the entire Task Bar to the left.
Right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. Scroll down to the Taskbar Behaviors section, click the downwards arrow to expand the list. Click the menu next to Taskbar Alignment, and choose Left.
Doing so will force a left-aligned Windows 10 Start Menu with Live Tiles in Windows 11. The change is permanent. However, to restore the Windows 11 Start Menu, simply run TenStartMenuFixer again, and press 2 on the keyboard.