Alex Ruben
How To Enable the New Windows 11 Start Menu
The new Start Menu in Windows 11 is kinda weird, but it promises a more modern look with some improvements—like blending pinned items with recommendations. If you’re on an Insider build, especially from the Dev or Canary channels, and the new Start isn’t showing up, here’s what’s worked on some setups. Not sure why it works, but using ViveTool seems to do the trick, even if it feels a bit sketchy. Just remember, you’re messing with hidden features, so proceed carefully.
Prerequisites
First off, you gotta be running a Windows 11 Insider build from the Dev or Canary channels. No, you can’t enable it on standard stable versions yet. Also, you’ll need to grab ViveTool, which is basically a utility that toggles hidden Windows features. Find the latest release on the GitHub page for ViveTool. Make sure to get the right version for your system (x86, x64, ARM). Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary, right?
Step 1: Download and Extract ViveTool
Head over to the GitHub or the page I linked and download the latest zip. Then, open your File Explorer, go to your downloads folder, right-click on the zip, and choose Extract All. I usually extract to something simple like C:\HiddenFeatures. After that, you’ll have a folder with ViveTool inside.
Step 2: Run Command Prompt as Admin
Next move is to launch Command Prompt with admin rights because, naturally, you need elevated privileges for this stuff.
- Press Windows + S.
- Type
cmd. Right-click on Command Prompt, then hit Run as administrator. - If prompted, click Yes on User Account Control. Usually, on some machines it’s weird—sometimes it immediately grants, other times it’s a hassle. Just do it.
Step 3: Navigate to ViveTool Folder
Now, you gotta tell the Command Prompt where ViveTool is. Assuming you extracted it to C:\HiddenFeatures\ViveTool:
cd C:\HiddenFeatures\ViveToolHit Enter. If this fails, double-check your folder path. Sometimes, hitting Tab to auto-complete can save some typing mishaps.
Step 4: Execute the ViveTool Commands
This is where the fun begins. You’ll run commands to toggle the new Start Menu feature. The exact command might vary, but usually, it looks like this:
vivetool addconfig 12345678 2and then:
vivetool addconfig 87654321 2Replace those IDs with the correct feature toggle IDs. On some setups, these numbers differ, so you might need to look around a bit. The key thing is, after each run, you should see a message saying something like “Successfully set feature configuration.” Sometimes, it’s a bit inconsistent, but if you see that, you’re good to go.
Step 5: Restart Your PC
Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than it should be. Once those commands go through, restart your computer:
- Close Command Prompt.
- Click on Start, then choose Power and hit Restart.
That should, hopefully, make the new Start Menu pop up after your PC boots back up.
Step 6: Check Out the New Start Menu
After reboot, click the Start button. The new layout should show up—more modern, with the recommended items and pinned stuff sitting side by side. You can try right-clicking the Start button and heading into Start Settings to tweak it if needed. If it’s still not showing, double-check the commands, or wait a bit—sometimes Windows needs a little extra nudge or a second restart.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
- If the feature isn’t enabled even after restart, verify your Insider build is up to date, and that you ran Command Prompt as admin every time.
- Double-check the IDs in your commands. The example IDs might be outdated or different for your version. Search recent Reddit posts or forums—folks often share working IDs.
- If ViveTool refuses to run or throws errors, try running PowerShell as admin and executing commands there, or recreate the command line with the full path like
.\vivetool.exe addconfig .... - Also, keep Windows updated—some features only show up if your OS is at the latest build.
Conclusion
Getting the new Windows 11 Start Menu to show up isn’t exactly straightforward, but with ViveTool, it’s doable—though it feels kinda hacky. This whole process is kinda fragile, so don’t be surprised if it breaks after a big Windows update. Always better to back stuff up before messing around with hidden features like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I revert back to the old Start Menu?
If the new one causes issues or you just don’t like it, sometimes a clean install or major feature update can reset things. Otherwise, there’s no universal toggle—you might need to undo changes via ViveTool or wait for official support.
What if ViveTool doesn’t work?
Make sure you’re using the latest version and run the commands in an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt. Also, check the input IDs—sometimes they change with builds. Looking at recent threads or forums can help find the right IDs.
Is it safe to use ViveTool?
Generally, yeah, but it’s unofficial and modifies system features, so proceed with caution. Always back up important stuff beforehand, and don’t go messing with random features without knowing what they do.
Summary
- Download ViveTool from GitHub and extract it.
- Run Command Prompt as admin.
- Navigate to the ViveTool folder with
cd. - Run the appropriate addconfig commands with the right IDs.
- Restart your PC and see if the new Start Menu appears.
Fingers crossed this helps. Worked for me — hope it works for you.