The Windows 11 start menu is now completely different from what it was in previous versions of Windows. The start menu is divided into pinned apps and all apps. The pinned apps section is a great way to quickly launch your most used apps. And you can always access more apps by going to the all apps menu. But what if you want to add folders to the start menu?
So the question is how to add more folders to the Windows 11/10 start screen for quick access? Well, you can easily do that by personalizing the Start Menu. And here’s how to do it.
How to add more folders to the Windows Start Menu for quick access?
- First, click “Start”and select “Settings”on your Windows 10 computer.
- In the settings, go to “Personalization”located on the sidebar.
- Scroll down and select Start > Folders.
- Now scroll down and select “Personal Folder”. In addition, you can turn on advanced options such as File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, Music, and more if you want to quickly access these folders.
- After that, click on the Windows start menu and you should see all the options you have selected at the bottom level.
How to customize the Windows Start Screen?
You can customize the Windows Start screen in a variety of ways. You can manage pinned apps on the Start menu, view recently installed apps and most used programs, change the background color of the Start menu, and more.
However, to help you get started right away, here are some quick ways:
- To change the background color of the Start Menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and select the color you want.
- To view recently installed apps, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn on Show Recently Added Apps, Show Most Used Apps, etc.
- To unpin apps from the Start menu, right-click the app and select Unpin from Start. Alternatively, you can add apps to the Start menu by selecting Start > All Apps > Right-click an app and select Pin to Start.
So, here are some quick ways to customize the Windows Start Screen. Apart from these, you can go to Settings > Personalization and explore different ways to customize the Windows Start Menu.
How to add files to the start menu?
Adding files to the Start menu is relatively easy. However, adding a file to the Start menu is more difficult than adding a folder to the Start menu.
Let me talk about the simplest one – add a folder to the start menu. Right-click on a folder and select “Pin to Start”to access the folder from the Start menu.
For files, here’s what you need to do:
- First, copy the file you want to add to the start menu.
- Go to the following path:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs - Then paste the copied file.
- You should now see the file in the start menu.
So, that’s all for your question on how to add more folders to the Windows Start screen for quick access. I hope this solved your question. If you get stuck on something feel free to leave a comment below.
How to add folders to the Windows 10 start menu?
Windows 10 comes with its own legacy folders like Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, etc. which are very useful for anyone starting with Windows. However, I have always recommended keeping the files on a separate drive. Back on topic, in the recent Windows 10 update that brought the new Windows 10 Start screen, the power button, settings icon, etc. have been moved to a separate column along with File Explorer.
While you can pin any folder to your home screen with two simple clicks (Right Click > Pin to Home Screen), if you want to access all of these legendary folders with a single click on your Home screen, you can.
- Settings > Personalization > Start.
- Scroll down until you find the “Choose which folders to show”link.
- On the next screen, you can select folders such as Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, Homegroup, Network, and Personal Folder.
- Personal folder gives you access to all those folders that are used to save media and documents, just for your account.
Once you select folders, they will appear right above the File Explorer icon on the home screen, like the personal folder icon in the image above. If any of the icons confuse you, click on the “Hamburger”menu at the top left to see the full details.
Here’s a tip. If you want to access any of the pinned folders or frequently used folders, just right-click the File Explorer icon and you’ll get quick access to files and folders.
The specific section of the Windows 10 Start screen is currently restricted. I personally would like this space to be more useful, allowing me to add whatever I want. Small icons are my preferred choice over large tiles.