According to Neowin, Windows 11 has finally received a much-improved Start menu redesign as part of the October 2025 non-security update, addressing years of user complaints about the controversial original design. The new version eliminates the split-page layout, allows users to disable the Recommended section entirely, and provides three viewing options for apps: grid, list, and categories. Available for Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2 users, the update requires build 26100.7019 or 26200.7019 and can be enabled immediately using ViVeTool with specific feature IDs. This represents Microsoft’s most significant response to user feedback about the Start menu since Windows 11’s initial release. This development signals an important shift in Microsoft’s approach to user interface design.
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The Power of Persistent User Feedback
What’s most remarkable about this update isn’t the features themselves, but the timeline. Users have been vocal about Windows 11‘s Start menu shortcomings since the operating system launched in 2021. The fact that Microsoft took nearly four years to address these fundamental complaints reveals both the company’s initial stubbornness and eventual responsiveness. In an era where tech companies often ignore user feedback in favor of design vision, this represents a notable course correction. The ability to disable the Recommended section is particularly significant – it acknowledges that not all users want Microsoft’s content recommendations forced upon them, a concession that earlier versions of Windows resisted making.
The Technical and Strategic Implications
The requirement for users to employ third-party tools like ViVeTool from GitHub to access features immediately highlights Microsoft’s continued experimentation with gradual rollouts. While this approach reduces risk, it creates a fragmented user experience where some users get features months before others. The specific feature IDs referenced (57048231,47205210,56328729,48433719) suggest this wasn’t a simple toggle but involved multiple interdependent components. This complexity explains why the redesign took so long – Microsoft wasn’t just rearranging elements but rebuilding underlying architecture. The simultaneous update to the battery indicator suggests broader system-level UI refinements are underway.
Windows in the Evolving Desktop Landscape
This Start menu update arrives at a critical time for Microsoft‘s desktop dominance. With alternative desktop environments gaining traction and users increasingly platform-agnostic, Microsoft can no longer afford interface missteps. The original Start menu design represented a radical departure from Windows 10‘s established patterns, alienating power users who rely on efficient navigation. By restoring functionality while maintaining Windows 11’s visual identity, Microsoft strikes a balance between innovation and familiarity. This approach may become increasingly important as Microsoft positions Windows as the platform for AI integration, where user acceptance of new features will depend on trust built through responsive design improvements.
What the Update Doesn’t Address
While these improvements are welcome, they don’t solve all of Windows 11’s interface challenges. The system still lacks the customization depth that power users enjoyed in previous versions. The continued reliance on Command Prompt and third-party tools for advanced configuration highlights how Microsoft’s modern settings interface remains incomplete for technical users. More fundamentally, this update doesn’t address the philosophical tension between Microsoft’s desire to curate user experience and users’ demands for control. The fact that disabling recommendations requires digging into settings rather than being a first-run option suggests Microsoft still hopes to gently push users toward its content ecosystem.
The Road Ahead for Windows Interface Design
This Start menu revision likely represents the beginning, not the end, of Windows 11’s interface evolution. As Microsoft prepares for future Windows versions, the company appears to be learning that radical interface changes require more user consultation. The prototypes Microsoft considered suggest the company explored even more dramatic redesigns before settling on this balanced approach. Looking forward, we can expect Microsoft to continue refining the Windows interface with smaller, more frequent updates rather than sweeping redesigns. This incremental approach, combined with better feedback mechanisms, could finally deliver the stable yet evolving desktop environment that users have wanted since Windows 8’s controversial debut.
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