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How to get the new Start Menu design on Windows 10

The Start Menu on Windows 10 goes through small changes in its design. The feature has only changed slightly when the option to hide the app’s list was added, tile grouping, and folders. The tiles on the Start Menu have been a bit of an eyesore for some; the color behind them is a brighter tone of the accent color and it conflicts with fluent design. The next major Windows 10 update addresses these shortcomings.

New Start Menu design on Windows 10

If you’re on the stable release channel of Windows 10, you can get the new Start menu design right now. To that you need to;

  • Install Windows 10 update KB4568831
  • Edit the Windows registry

Install Windows 10 update KB4568831

This update is delivered via the usual Windows Updates channel. It is an optional update so you will have to opt-in to install it.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to Update & Security.
  3. Select the Windows Update tab.
  4. Click the ‘View update history’.
  5. Expand ‘Other’ section.
  6. Look for an update with “KB4568831” in the name.
  7. Click ‘Download and install’.
  8. Restart your system to complete installing the update.

Edit Windows registry

Now that you’ve installed KB4568831, you need to edit the registry.

  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Paste the following in the file.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\0\2093230218]
"EnabledState"=dword:00000002
"EnabledStateOptions"=dword:00000000
  1. Save the file with the REG file extension. You can name it whatever you want.
  2. Right-click the file you’ve just saved, and select Merge from the context menu.
  3. Confirm all on-screen prompts.
  4. Restart the system.
  5. Open the Start Menu and you will see the new design.

Roll back new Start menu design

If you do not like the new design, you can roll it back easily enough though when it rolls out officially, you may be stuck with it. To get rid of the new design, follow the steps below.

  1. Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the run box.
  2. In the run box, enter ‘regedit’, and tap Enter.
  3. Navigate to the following key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\0\2093230218

  1. Delete the two DWORD values under this key. They will be called EnabledState and EnabledStateOptions.
  2. Restart the system. The Start menu design will be returned to the old one.

Conclusion

The new design seems like a small, and subtle change but for users that like the light theme on Windows 10 will welcome the change. The new design is expected to arrive officially this Fall and they may not be a way to opt-out of it once it does.

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