Hate Windows 11's Start menu? Rumors suggest Microsoft is fixing pretty much everything that's wrong with it — and speeding up File Explorer too

Big fixes for key parts of Windows 11

20 Apr 2026, 14:11 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/darren-allan · TechRadar

News By Darren Allan published 20 April 2026

(Image credit: MAYA LAB / Shutterstock)

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Become a Member in Seconds

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Explore

An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

Windows 11's Start menu is rumored to be getting a bunch of important fixes
That includes full control over what elements appear in the menu, and the ability to manually switch between the small and larger layouts
Microsoft is testing changes to make File Explorer perform better, too, and that should arrive with the next Windows 11 update in May

Windows 11's Start menu is going to get the changes many people have been clamoring for, and Microsoft is busy fixing the performance of File Explorer, too, as the company moves to shore up key parts of the operating system's interface.

Windows Central reported the work on the Start menu, although it should be noted that this is just a rumor. That said, we do know that Microsoft intends to revamp the menu as part of the major campaign to fix Windows 11, so something will certainly be done with this part of the UI.

According to sources who spoke to Windows Central, the main change will be a much greater level of control over the customization of the Start menu. Windows 11 users will be able to turn off any section of the menu that they don't want to see.

Article continues below

That means not just the ability to ditch the recommended panel — which you can do now (that was part of the most recent major overhaul for the Start menu — but you can also get rid of pinned apps, or even the list of all apps installed on the PC.

Apparently, you'll also be able to choose to have a small (6-column) or larger (8-column) Start menu layout, which is a decision Windows 11 makes itself right now. For example, if you have a small screen, the OS will automatically elect for the more compact view, which is sensible enough. However, not everyone is happy with the way this works in certain scenarios, so Microsoft is set to let users override this decision should they wish.

Windows Central says Microsoft is trying to make the Start menu "much faster and responsive" on top of this, and we've heard about this before (and that the UI should work snappily even when the system is straining under a heavy workload). The search function in the Start menu is going to be made speedier, too.

As for File Explorer — the app that powers the very folders that contain the files on your desktop — Microsoft just released a new Windows 11 test build in the Release Preview channel which boosts its performance.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors