Help! My Windows 10 Start menu has changed!

 

I’ve come across a couple of Windows 10 computers recently where the Start Menu – what you get when you start up the computer – has changed, inexplicably, to something like what you see above.  Note on the very left of the picture, little icons with 3 lines at the top and bottom, plus a Power icon. Whereas before you would get a list of all your programs and Apps.

I don’t know why it changed but I have found out how to fix it:

Click the “3 lines” icon top left.  “Settings” appears bottom left.

Click Settings, then when the box opens, click “Personalisation” on the right.

Then “Start” on the left.

Then on the right “Use Start Full Screen” – move this to the Off position.  Job done.

Another weird Windows 10 quirk!  I suspect it might be a virus which caused the issue, so do a virus check as well.  I hope this helps you.

 

 

Windows 10 gets closer…

If you are a Windows computer user, you may have noticed a new little “icon” has appeared in your “tray” – on the bottom right of the screen, near the time and date.  It looks like this: See the square icon on the left?  Microsoft has put this there to encourage you to register to download Windows 10. Windows 10 is due out later this year, and it promises to be much, much better than the ill-fated Windows 8 (later 8.1). Upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 (8.1) will be free for the first year. What should you do? There’s no harm in registering – you will be notified when the download is available.  You can download it, but I would not advise installing it right away. With all new systems there are “teething problems”, and it would be wise to wait a month or two before jumping in. If you currently have Windows 8, or 8.1, there is every reason to then install Windows 10 and enjoy the ease of operation it offers.  However, if you are a Windows 7 user, there is no compelling reason to upgrade as yet. Windows 7 works well, and you are familiar with it.  Windows 10 will be similar, but invariably there will be new things to get used to.  It looks like this: Note the “tiles” on the right of the start menu. These are modified from Windows 8.1, but we have the start button back, and a much more familiar desktop. Windows 10 will hopefully be a vast improvement on 8.1. It may not be much of an improvement on Windows 7, but at least you will have longer life.  Support for Windows 7 ends in January 2020. Apparently There will be no Windows 11, but Microsoft will update Windows 10 as it goes along.  We shall see how it all turns out. For more details and advice, and to help install Windows 10 when the time comes, contact me at PC Care