How to return my start menu back to Windows 7 style

Larry Roach 0 Reputation points
2026-08-10T22:18:10.9566667+00:00

Somehow my start menu changed to "Classic Windows" version 10. I had and different start menu and it suddenly changed.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Desktop, Start, and personalization
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  1. Kai-H 26,125 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-11T09:21:18.41+00:00

    Hi, Larry Roach

    Windows 10 does not include a built-in Windows 7-style Start menu. If you had one previously, it was likely provided by a program such as Classic Shell or Open-Shell, and that program may have been disabled, reset, or removed.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Press the Windows key, type Open-Shell Menu Settings or Classic Shell Menu Settings, and open the matching result.

    Select Windows 7 style, then select OK. Open-Shell includes Classic, two-column, and Windows 7-style menu choices.

    If no settings app appears, open Settings > Apps > Apps & features and check whether Open-Shell or Classic Shell is installed.

    If it is installed but does not start automatically, open Task Manager > Startup and enable its Start menu entry, then restart the computer.

    If it was removed, it is recommended that you reinstall Open-Shell only from the official Open-Shell project. Avoid registry changes claiming to restore the Windows 7 menu, since Windows 10 has no supported built-in switch for that layout.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 


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