How to Resize the Start Menu in Windows 11 [2 Ways]

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Microsoft has been trying its best to improve the Start Menu for years, and yet they have failed to perfect the Start Menu. Recently, Microsoft released a Windows 11 update that introduced new features but also made the existing Start Menu look hideous.

If you are still running Windows 10 on your PC, that Start Menu is miles better than whatever Microsoft has done with the Windows 11 Start Menu in its current form. The new Start Menu is hilariously large, and the worst part about it is that you can no longer resize it. Microsoft has removed that option, making the Start Menu even more annoying.

So, what’s the solution, and how do you resize the Start menu in Windows 11? Let’s take a look.

Resize the Start Menu in Windows 11

While Microsoft has removed the option to resize the Start Menu in Windows 11, there are various third-party tools that you can use to resize the absurdly large Start Menu in Windows 11.

Using Windhawk to Resize your Windows 11 Start Menu

Thanks to third-party tools that have been created by users who are fed up with Microsoft’s nonsense in terms of designs and features, we can easily change the size of the Start Menu. The app being used today is called Windhawk.

Step 1: Download Windhawk from the official website.

Step 2: With the app installed, launch it. Click on the Explore button.

How to Resize the Start Menu in Windows 11

Step 3: Scroll through and search for the Start Menu Size mod and select it.

Step 4: Now, click on the install button to install the mod on your PC.

Step 5: In Windhawk, click on the Settings tab.

Step 6: You can enter values for the following items:

Start Menu width
Start Menu height
Search Menu width
Search Menu height

Step 7: Once you have entered all the necessary details, click on the Save Settings button.

Step 8: Your Start Menu will now reflect the size based on the values you have just entered.

As an example, I played with the Start Menu width and height values at 720px and 1024px, and it does look good. Yes, it looks a bit too tall, but you can always play around with the values and choose what works best for you. After changing to 720px and 720px, my Start Menu now looks so much better, similar to the size of the Start Menu that we all know and love from Windows 7/Vista/XP, and older eras.

Also, you need to remember that the values will change based on the screen size of your Windows PC or laptop.

Now, if you want to restore abc to the original height and width of your Start Menu, simply enter the width and height values as 0. And, if you don’t want to use the mode anymore, simply click on the blue Disable or Remove button- whatever you wish to do.

Use Open Shell to Bring Back the Classic Start Menu

Now, if you just hate everything about the new Start Menu for Windows 11 and don’t want to bother with resizing and adjusting values, you can make use of Open Shell. This is a third-party app that brings back the classic-style Start Menu that everyone loves. Here’s how you can use it.

Head over to this GitHub page and download Open Shell.
Install the program and launch it.
You will get to choose from three different classic-style Start Menus. Select the one that suits you best.
Open Shell also has a lot of other options and settings that you can play around with.

The benefit of using Open Shell is simple- no wasted space and a clean, classic look without any of the fancy frills.

Closing Thoughts

This concludes how you can easily resize the Start Menu in Windows 11 using a third-party app called Windhawk. This is an extremely useful tool that has a lot of mods that you can easily use to improve the overall user experience of Windows 11. Or, you can simply use Open Shell and not worry about playing around with the values and sizes by going back to the classic Start Menu styles. Which one will you pick?

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