How to Force Enable the New Windows 11 25H2 Start Menu

Summarize This Article:

Recently, Microsoft pushed a new update to all Windows 11 PCs- the Windows 11 25H2 update. The update included the usual security enhancements and several useful features. We have listed many of the new features from the Windows 11 25H2 update and how to enable them in this guide.

One new feature that has flown under the radar and is only getting attention now is the new Start Menu. The current Start Menu on Windows 11 is a basic, bare-bones one that has been the same since the release of Windows 11.

However, with the new Windows 11 25H2 update, the Start Menu looks cleaner and now has categories that are created by default. So, if you have received the Windows 11 25H2 update but haven’t gotten the new Start menu UI, we’ll show you how you can enable it forcefully with a simple and easy-to-use tool.

How to Enable the new Windows 11 25H2 Start Menu

Make sure that your Windows 11 PC has the latest Windows 11 25H2 update. If you haven’t checked for updates recently, do check for them by opening the Settings app and clicking on the Windows Update tile in the top right corner of the Settings app.

Once you have confirmed that your Windows 11 PC has the Windows 11 25H2 update, it’s time to force enable the new Start Menu.

Download ViveTool

The ViveTool is a great third-party tool that can help you with enabling features on your Windows 11 PC that have not been enabled by an update. This tool helps to force-enable as well as force-disable features of your choice.

To download the ViveTool, head over to this GitHub page. Once you have downloaded the zip file for the latest ViveTool version, extract its contents into a folder whose location you can easily remember. Once this is done, it’s time to enable the new Start Menu on your Windows 11 PC.

Enabling the new Windows 11 Start Menu UI

Follow these steps carefully to enable the new Start Menu on your Windows 11 PC.

Open up Command Prompt, but make sure to run it as Administrator.
Now, copy the address path of the extracted ViveTool folder.
In the Command Prompt, type in cd /d [paste the folder path that you just copied over here]
Hit the Enter key to change the file directory.
Now, type in vivetool /enable /id:47205210,49221331,49381526,49402389,49820095,55495322 and hit the Enter key to run the command.
Now, close the Command Prompt and restart your Windows 11 PC.
Once you have restarted the PC, you should see the new Start Menu.

You will see the new category style blocks on your new Windows 11 Start Menu. However, if you click on the View Category option, you can choose from three different view styles – Category, List, and Grid. Pick the style that works best for you. However, one thing that you will have to be aware of is that the Start Menu will now appear and look a little bigger than the previous old-style Start Menu.

We do hope to see Microsoft bring in a few customization options and settings for the Start menu so that people can tweak and play around to make the Start Menu suit their needs.

Closing Thoughts

This concludes everything you need to know about how you can forcefully enable the new Windows 11 Start Menu if you have received the Windows 11 25H2 update. What are your thoughts about the brand new Windows 11 Start Menu? Is this something that you like? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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