Key Takeaways
- Apps like Start11 and StartAllBack can improve the Windows 11 Start Menu’s functionality.
- Tiny11 can help you remove unnecessary Windows 11 apps before installation, giving you more space.
- Users are banding together to create ad-blockers for Windows 11 to combat the increased ads from Microsoft.
How much do you like using Windows 11? If you’re like some users, there’s a good chance the operating system has a lot of pain points for you. In fact, Windows 11 has so many that even a Microsoft employee said the Start Menu sucked, and an ex-employee called it “comically bad.” People working on the Start menu said they wanted to make positive changes and bring the iconic feature back to its former glory – right before adding ads to it. So there’s that.
Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with how Windows 11 is designed if you don’t want to. There are plenty of people out there who have stepped in to improve Windows 11, either by adding what Microsoft hasn’t added or removing what Microsoft has. So, here’s why the people who use Windows 11 are also its best developers, whether the Redmond tech giant likes it or not.
Apps can make the Start Menu look and work a lot better
No need to wait for Microsoft to fix it for you
First up, let’s tackle that pain point of the Windows 11 Start menu. As it is, the menu is alright; at the very least, it’s functional. However, there are some areas where Windows 11’s Start menu is missing features that are around in Windows 10. Anyone who has tried to shove the taskbar around to the edges of their screen on Windows 11 will know this all too well.
Microsoft doesn’t seem to have much interest in restoring these missing settings. Instead, it has added ads and additional “Companion” widgets, which might be frustrating for people who just want transparency settings for their taskbar. Fortunately, third-party apps are here to save the day, especially Start11 and StartAllBack. Neither of the apps are free, but they give users a lot of control over their Windows 11 Start menus. You can check out our comparison of Start11 vs StartAllBack to figure out which is best for you.
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You can get rid of unwanted Windows 11 apps
Don’t make do with what Microsoft wants you to have
These days, Windows comes with a lot of apps you may not want. If you don’t want to edit your videos with Clipchamp, store files using OneDrive, or use Copilot for your AI-based needs, you’ll find yourself uninstalling a lot of stuff to make room on your PC for the things you want; that is, if Microsoft lets you uninstall them.
Fortunately, there is a way to get rid of all of the unnecessary bloat before Windows 11 even touches your system. It’s called Tiny11, and we gave the app a spin for ourselves. During our test, we managed to cut Windows 11’s footprint from 6.34GB to 3.52GB – that’s a lot more space for stuff you actually care about.
Tiny11 achieves this by allowing you to tinker with the Windows 11 ISO before you install it on your system. The app gives you options on what you want to be enabled and disabled, and once you’ve picked out your perfect Windows 11, you can use the ISO to install the operating system without any of the flak. It’s a great way to create a “master ISO” that’s tweaked to your liking, ready to be installed on any PC you want it on.
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How to debloat Windows 11
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People are uniting to remove the ads that Microsoft has added
The real example of users being Windows 11’s best developers came to light when Microsoft began adding ads to Windows 11. Once the ads began rolling in, people from all over banded together to give users a way to fight back and let Microsoft know what they thought of the ads.
As the Redmond giant prepped to include ads in the Start menu, we saw two adblockers appear on the same day to combat them. The first was by a Linux user who took pity on us poor Windows folk and made an app that manages ads for you. After that, the developer of Winpilot added an adblocker to their suite, complete with a Clippy mascot that helped you through the process. Winpilot is also a handy tool to debloat a Windows 11 PC, making it a real Swiss army knife of options for tweaking your operating system.
Microsoft is already planning to introduce more ads into the system; for example, the latest Windows Beta build features an ad for Game Pass in the settings. But as long as people can still find a way to get rid of ads, Microsoft will always be faced with a battle on its hands.
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Windows 11 is better with a little bit of modding
All of this isn’t to say that Microsoft can now kick its feet up and let the community do all the work for it. Ideally, people should not need to download third-party apps to restore basic functionality for their operating system. However, even if Microsoft never gets around to enhancing these areas of Windows 11, it’s good to know that someone will give us the tool we need to do the job the Redmond giant should be doing.