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Can I customize the Windows 10 Start menu?

In Windows 10 there are four options you can use to turn off different features of the Start menu and customize it to your liking.

There are a number of different options you can use to control the look and feel of the Windows 10 Start menu.

You can access some of the menu options through the system settings. To do so, click on the Start button and then click Settings > Personalization. When Windows displays the Personalization dialog box, click the Start tab.

The Start tab contains four options for turning various Start menu sections on or off, including:

  • Show most-used apps
  • Show recently added apps
  • Use Start full screen
  • Show recently opened items in Jump Lists or the taskbar

The Start menu actually contains sections labeled Most Used and Recently Added (although Recently Added is automatically hidden if you haven't installed any new apps recently). The Use Start Full Screen makes Windows 10 behave more like Windows 8 by using a Start screen rather than a Start menu.

Many of the customization options revolve around the Start menu's live tiles. Right clicking on a live tile displays a number of different options. For example, you can unpin the live tile from the Start menu and you can resize a live tile. Resizing a live tile often affects the amount of information on display within the tile. For example, a medium-sized weather app tile might display the current conditions, while a large tile might display the entire forecast.

It's also worth noting that you can rearrange live tiles by using drag and drop. You aren't limited to using the default live tiles either. You can create a live tile for any app by opening the Start menu, clicking on All Apps and then right clicking on an app and choosing the Pin to Start option. Keep in mind some apps use live tiles, while other apps use static tiles.

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