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Introduction: A Small Windows Feature That Fixes a Very Big Frustration
For years, the Windows Start menu has been one of the most familiar parts of the operating system. It is supposed to be simple: press a button, find an application, open a file, and get back to work. Yet the Windows 11 Start menu gradually became a perfect example of how a familiar interface can become unnecessarily complicated.
The biggest complaint was not merely about aesthetics. It was about space, control, and Microsoft making decisions on behalf of users. Following the November 2025 Start menu redesign, the menu became dramatically larger on many Windows 11 PCs, occupying close to 90% of the screen vertically in some configurations. What had once been a compact launcher could suddenly dominate almost the entire display.
That problem is finally being addressed.
Microsoft’s August 2026 optional update introduces new Start menu customization controls that allow users to choose between different sizes and independently hide sections such as Pinned apps, Recent items, and All apps. There is even an option to hide your name and profile picture, which is particularly useful for people who stream, record tutorials, or frequently share their screens.
The catch is that Microsoft is not enabling the feature for everyone immediately.
Because the redesigned Start menu is being distributed through Microsoft’s Controlled Feature Rollout system, some computers may receive the necessary code without receiving the visible controls. In other words, the feature can already be sitting inside Windows while Microsoft waits to remotely activate it.
For impatient users, that is where ViVeTool comes in.
With the correct feature IDs, users who have installed the August 2026 optional update can manually activate the new Start menu functionality. The process is relatively straightforward, but because ViVeTool modifies Windows feature flags, it should be used carefully and preferably only when the corresponding Windows update is already installed.
The August 2026 Update Changes the Start Menu Experience
The key requirement is
After installing the update and restarting the computer, users should check:
Settings → Personalization → Start
If the new controls are already visible, there is no reason to force anything manually.
For everyone else, the feature may still be installed but hidden behind Microsoft’s rollout mechanism.
Why Microsoft
Microsoft increasingly uses Controlled Feature Rollouts to introduce major Windows changes gradually. This approach allows the company to monitor crashes, compatibility problems, performance regressions, and unexpected interactions before making a feature universally available.
There is a practical advantage to this strategy. If a new feature causes problems on a particular hardware configuration, Microsoft can potentially stop or slow its rollout without immediately affecting every Windows installation.
The downside is obvious: two computers running essentially the same Windows version can behave differently.
One user may open the Start settings and see the new controls immediately, while another user with the same update installed may see nothing.
That inconsistency can make Windows updates feel confusing.
How to Force-Enable the New Start Menu
If the August update is installed but the new controls have not appeared, ViVeTool can be used to activate the relevant feature flags.
First, download ViVeTool from its official GitHub repository and extract it to an uncomplicated location such as:
C:ViVeTool
Make sure you use the appropriate build for your processor architecture. Traditional Intel and AMD Windows PCs use the x64 version, while compatible Copilot+ PCs using ARM processors require the appropriate ARM build.
Next, open Command Prompt as administrator.
You can do this by opening Start, searching for:
Then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
Navigate to the ViVeTool directory:
cd C:\ViVeTool
Once you are inside the directory, execute the feature-enabling command:
vivetool /enable /id:61161244,61754985
Restart Windows after the command finishes.
Then return to:
Settings → Personalization → Start
If the feature flags are compatible with your installed Windows build, the additional Start menu controls should now appear.
The Full Feature Bundle
The original article also identifies a broader feature bundle that activates additional changes included with the update.
If the first command does not produce the expected result, the broader command is:
vivetool /enable /id:61161244,61754985,62353331,62762248
Restart Windows again after running it.
This broader configuration is intended to expose additional functionality from the update, including changes related to the taskbar and Windows Search.
However, users should understand an important distinction: ViVeTool does not magically install a feature that does not exist in the Windows build.
It primarily changes feature flags.
That means the safest approach is to install the appropriate Windows update first and only then consider enabling features that are already present in that build.
Three Start Menu Sections Give Users More Control
Once enabled, the redesigned Start settings provide much more control over what appears inside the Start menu.
The interface is divided into three major areas:
Pinned apps
Recent items
All apps
Each area can be independently enabled or disabled.
That might sound like a small improvement, but it represents a major philosophical shift in Windows 11.
Instead of forcing users to accept
Recommended Becomes Recent
One particularly interesting change is
The change is more than cosmetic.
The word “Recommended” suggests that Windows is actively deciding what the user should see. That can include files, applications, or other content that may not necessarily be relevant.
Recent is much more straightforward.
It describes what the system is actually showing rather than implying that Microsoft is making recommendations for the user.
For an operating system used by hundreds of millions of people, that distinction matters.
The Small Start Menu Is the Real Star
The most welcome addition is arguably the new size control.
Windows 11 now offers three options:
Automatic
Small
Large
Automatic preserves
Large gives the Start menu more room for its content.
But Small is the option many longtime Windows users are likely to appreciate most.
A compact Start menu makes sense because Start is supposed to be a launch point, not a second desktop.
When a Start menu consumes most of a laptop display, it interrupts the user’s workflow. When it occupies only the necessary amount of space, it behaves more like the utility it was designed to be.
Why the Automatic Option
The problem with the previous Start menu was that its size could remain surprisingly large even after users removed content.
Turning off Recommended did not necessarily make the menu meaningfully smaller.
Changing the layout between Grid, List, and Category did not solve the fundamental issue either.
Even removing pinned applications could leave large amounts of unused space.
That is particularly noticeable on smaller laptops.
A 14-inch display has limited vertical real estate. At 100% scaling, a Start menu occupying most of the screen can feel disproportionately intrusive.
The new Small option finally addresses the problem directly instead of asking users to rearrange the contents and hope the interface shrinks.
Hide Your Identity While Recording or Streaming
Another thoughtful addition is the ability to hide your name and profile picture from the Start menu.
The option is called:
Hide your name and profile picture on Start
This may seem unnecessary for ordinary desktop use, but it is extremely practical for anyone who regularly shares their screen.
Imagine recording a Windows tutorial, demonstrating software during a presentation, or livestreaming your desktop.
A personal name or account image appearing in the Start menu can reveal information that the user did not intend to broadcast.
Removing it creates a cleaner and more professional interface.
You Can Recreate the Classic Windows 11 Experience
Interestingly, users can configure the new Start menu to resemble the original Windows 11 design much more closely.
The basic approach is to keep:
Pinned
while disabling:
Recent
and:
All apps
This produces a simpler launcher centered around applications chosen by the user.
There is one trade-off.
If you disable All apps, you lose the convenient full application list and may need to search for applications that are not pinned.
Fortunately,
The Empty Start Menu Still Looks Wrong
There is, however, one design decision that remains questionable.
If users disable everything, Windows can display an unusually empty Start menu.
This is where
A genuinely adaptive interface should respond intelligently to the configuration chosen by the user.
If someone removes every section, the menu should shrink automatically.
Instead, Windows can preserve a larger container even when there is little or nothing inside it.
That creates unnecessary empty space.
Microsoft has solved the biggest problem, but it has not completely solved the underlying design logic.
The Strange History Behind the Oversized Start Menu
The oversized Start menu did not appear in a vacuum.
The November 2025 redesign dramatically changed the way Start presented information. Measurements reported after the redesign found that the menu could occupy nearly 90% of the vertical screen, compared with roughly 50% to 60% under the earlier configuration.
That was a dramatic increase.
Users were understandably frustrated because common attempts to reduce the menu’s footprint did not work.
Removing sections did not necessarily reduce its physical size.
Changing presentation modes did not fix it.
Reducing pinned content could simply produce more empty space.
In other words, users were given customization without meaningful control over the container itself.
The August 2026 update finally begins to reverse that mistake.
Microsoft Tested Multiple Designs Before Choosing This One
The story becomes even more interesting when
During the redesign, Microsoft reportedly tested five different Start menu prototypes with feedback from more than 300 Windows enthusiasts through interviews and informal “coffee chats.”
Yet the alternatives reportedly shared a similar sizing problem.
That raises an uncomfortable question.
How did a problem that became so obvious after release survive the design and testing process?
The answer may lie in the difference between controlled usability testing and real-world usage.
People may tolerate an interface during a short research session that becomes frustrating after hundreds of daily interactions.
A Start menu that seems modern in a presentation can feel enormous after months of opening it dozens of times per day.
Start Button Placement Has a Long History
There is also an interesting psychological element to Windows’ Start button placement.
Microsoft’s decision to center the Windows 11 taskbar represented a major departure from the traditional bottom-left position used for decades.
From Windows 95 through Windows 10, the Start button occupied the lower-left corner.
That location was not entirely arbitrary.
The lower-left corner became deeply associated with application launching and system navigation, creating a powerful muscle-memory effect.
Windows
Users can move the taskbar icons toward the left, but the default design still represents Microsoft’s desire to modernize the Windows interface.
The New Start Menu Still
Despite the improvements, Microsoft has not completely restored the flexibility users had in Windows 10.
The new Start menu provides predefined sizes rather than true manual resizing.
You cannot simply grab the edge of the menu and drag it to exactly the dimensions you want.
That would be a more elegant solution.
Different monitors, scaling settings, screen resolutions, accessibility requirements, and workflows all benefit from flexible sizing.
Three presets are better than one fixed design, but they are still presets.
Taskbar Customization Is Following a Similar Path
The same pattern can be seen with the Windows 11 taskbar.
Microsoft has gradually restored functionality that was removed when Windows 11 originally launched.
Taskbar repositioning is one example.
Users can once again move the taskbar to different edges of the screen through Windows settings, although the interaction is not as direct as it was in Windows 10.
This reveals an important trend.
Windows
That is not necessarily a bad thing.
It suggests Microsoft is listening to users who want Windows to remain configurable rather than becoming an increasingly locked-down interface.
Performance Is Another Piece of the Puzzle
Size is not the only issue.
The Start menu has also been criticized for relying on older and heavier interface components in certain areas.
Microsoft has acknowledged work to rebuild portions of the experience using native WinUI components, with the goal of improving animation smoothness and reducing stuttering, particularly on lower-end hardware.
That distinction matters.
A Start menu can look beautiful in screenshots while still feeling sluggish when opened repeatedly.
Responsiveness is part of interface design.
Every fraction of a second matters when an action is performed dozens or hundreds of times.
The introduction of Low Latency Profile behavior also appears to make the Start menu feel faster in everyday use.
The August Update Is Not Completely Risk-Free
There is one important reason not to rush into installing optional Windows updates solely for the new Start menu.
The August 2026 optional update has also been associated with bugs.
The original report highlights a cursor resizing problem that Microsoft has acknowledged, along with a wallpaper-related issue.
This is a familiar Windows pattern.
Optional updates are effectively a preview of changes that will eventually arrive through a broader monthly update.
That means enthusiasts can get features early, but they can also encounter problems before Microsoft has had time to resolve them.
For a primary work computer, waiting may be the more sensible choice.
Optional Updates Require a Different Mindset
There is an important distinction between wanting new features and needing new features.
If the Start menu is genuinely disrupting your workflow, installing the optional update and carefully enabling the feature may be worthwhile.
If everything is working perfectly, however, there is little reason to introduce additional variables into a production machine merely to obtain a cosmetic improvement.
Windows users should always consider the role of the device.
A gaming PC, test machine, or secondary laptop is a better environment for experimenting with feature flags than a mission-critical workstation.
September Should Make the Feature Easier to Access
The good news is that users who prefer not to use ViVeTool do not necessarily have to wait indefinitely.
According to the original article, Microsoft plans to include the Start menu improvements in the September 2026 Patch Tuesday rollout.
That means the feature should eventually become much easier to access without manually changing feature flags.
For most people, that is the recommended route.
Wait for the official rollout, install the supported update, and use Microsoft’s own settings rather than relying on third-party feature-enablement utilities.
Deep Analysis: What ViVeTool Is Actually Doing
ViVeTool is useful because Microsoft’s feature infrastructure can separate a feature’s code from the switch that determines whether users can access it.
The update can therefore contain the necessary components while Microsoft controls availability remotely.
When you execute a command such as:
vivetool /enable /id:61161244,61754985
you are not downloading a secret version of the Start menu.
You are changing feature configuration so Windows exposes functionality that is already present in the installed build.
For troubleshooting, you can first verify your Windows version and build with:
winver
You can also use:
systeminfo
to inspect broader system information.
To confirm your current Windows build through PowerShell, you can use:
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsBuildNumber
Before experimenting, it is sensible to create a restore point:
Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Before Start Menu Feature Change" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"
On systems where System Protection is enabled and the required functionality is available, this gives you another recovery option if an experiment causes unexpected behavior.
If a ViVeTool feature needs to be disabled later, the general pattern is:
vivetool /disable /id:61161244,61754985
The important principle is not to randomly enable feature IDs found online.
Feature IDs can change, become obsolete, depend on particular Windows builds, or interact with other experimental functionality.
Use only IDs associated with the specific Windows build and feature you are attempting to activate.
Deep Analysis: Why
Controlled Feature Rollouts are technically sensible.
They give Microsoft a safety valve.
If telemetry shows that a feature is causing crashes or performance problems, the rollout can be paused.
The problem is transparency.
From the
When Microsoft installs the underlying code but hides the feature, troubleshooting becomes much harder.
Users may incorrectly assume the update failed.
Others may reinstall Windows, search registry hacks, or install unofficial utilities because they believe the feature is missing.
A clearer interface explaining “This feature is installed but is being gradually enabled” would eliminate much of that confusion.
What This Says About the Future of Windows
The Start menu story reflects a broader change in Microsoft’s Windows strategy.
Windows 11 initially leaned heavily toward a controlled, simplified interface.
Some customization options were removed.
Some familiar behaviors disappeared.
The company emphasized a cleaner visual language and a more consistent design.
But users pushed back.
Over time, Microsoft has restored more customization.
Taskbar positioning returned.
Start menu controls expanded.
Search became cleaner.
Additional privacy-oriented interface controls appeared.
The overall direction suggests Microsoft is slowly finding a compromise between design consistency and user freedom.
What Undercode Say: Why This Update Matters More Than It Looks
The Start menu may seem like a minor Windows feature, but it represents something much larger.
Microsoft spent years teaching users how Windows works.
Then Windows 11 changed several of those assumptions.
The Start menu became larger.
The taskbar became less flexible.
Several customization options disappeared.
The interface became more opinionated.
For some users, those changes were refreshing.
For others, they felt like Microsoft was taking control away from the person sitting in front of the computer.
The new Start menu moves Windows back toward user choice.
That is the most important part of this update.
The Small option is not revolutionary technology.
It does not introduce artificial intelligence.
It does not dramatically increase performance.
It does not change the underlying Windows architecture.
But it solves a problem that should never have existed in the first place.
The ability to choose how much screen space Start consumes should have been available from the beginning.
The same applies to hiding sections.
Not everyone wants Recent files.
Not everyone wants a large collection of Pinned applications.
Not everyone needs an All apps section taking up permanent space.
Windows is used by gamers, developers, office workers, administrators, students, designers, creators, streamers, and millions of people with completely different workflows.
One universal layout cannot possibly be ideal for everyone.
Customization is therefore not just a cosmetic feature.
It is an accessibility and productivity feature.
The profile-picture option is another example.
Microsoft could have ignored this edge case because it affects only a subset of users.
Instead, hiding personal information from Start makes sense for streamers and people who share their desktops.
Small improvements like this can have a surprisingly large practical impact.
The remaining problem is that Microsoft still thinks in terms of presets rather than genuine flexibility.
Small, Automatic, and Large are better than one oversized Start menu.
But a freely resizable Start menu would be better still.
Windows 10 demonstrated that users could handle manual resizing.
There is little technical reason to assume Windows 11 users cannot.
The empty Start menu problem is another sign that Microsoft has solved the symptom before completely solving the design model.
If the user removes all sections, Windows should understand that there is less content and reduce the menu accordingly.
The interface should respond to the
That is what adaptive design is supposed to mean.
Microsoft’s testing process also deserves scrutiny.
Testing multiple prototypes with hundreds of users is valuable.
But feedback needs to translate into product decisions.
If every prototype exhibits a similar sizing problem, the correct response should be to reconsider the underlying container rather than simply choose the most visually attractive version.
Real-world feedback eventually forced Microsoft to revisit the decision.
That is a reminder that software design is rarely finished at launch.
Windows 11 is becoming a living product.
Microsoft is increasingly changing it based on telemetry, feedback, hardware behavior, and user complaints.
That can be frustrating for people who want stability, but it can also be beneficial when Microsoft is willing to correct mistakes.
The Start menu is a perfect example.
A problem introduced in one generation is now being addressed in another update.
The lesson for Microsoft should be simple.
Give users control early.
Do not remove mature customization features unless there is a compelling reason.
Do not assume that a cleaner screenshot means a better workflow.
And never underestimate muscle memory.
The Start menu is one of the most frequently accessed components in Windows.
Even a small annoyance can become enormous when repeated thousands of times.
The August 2026 update therefore deserves attention not because it radically transforms Windows, but because it acknowledges a fundamental truth.
The computer belongs to the person using it.
Windows should adapt to the user—not force the user to adapt to Windows.
✅ The Start Menu Became Significantly Larger
The
The important detail is that the exact percentage depends on display size, resolution, scaling, and configuration, so “nearly 90%” should be understood as a reported measurement rather than a universal value for every PC.
✅ Microsoft Is Adding Start Menu Customization
The August 2026 update described in the source introduces controls for Start menu sections and multiple size modes.
The feature is designed to give users more control over Pinned, Recent, and All apps content instead of forcing every Windows installation into the same layout.
✅ ViVeTool Can Expose Hidden Windows Features
ViVeTool is widely used by Windows enthusiasts to manipulate feature flags associated with Microsoft’s feature rollout infrastructure.
However, it does not create unsupported functionality from nothing; the relevant components generally need to exist in the installed Windows build.
⚠️ Feature IDs Are Build-Dependent
The feature IDs included in the original instructions should not be treated as permanent universal identifiers.
Microsoft can change feature implementation, dependencies, rollout behavior, and identifiers between builds.
Users should therefore verify that the commands correspond to their specific Windows release before applying them.
✅ Optional Updates Can Contain Bugs
The August 2026 optional update is presented as an early preview of changes that will later reach a wider Windows audience.
The reported cursor and wallpaper problems are an important reminder that optional updates are not always the best choice for users who prioritize maximum stability.
❌ The New Start Menu Is Not Fully Freely Resizable
The update does not restore the old Windows 10-style ability to grab the menu’s edges and resize it to arbitrary dimensions.
Instead, users receive predefined choices such as Small, Automatic, and Large.
That is meaningful progress, but it is not the same as unrestricted resizing.
Prediction
(+1) Windows 11 Will Become More Customizable
Microsoft is likely to continue restoring customization options that were removed or simplified during the initial Windows 11 redesign.
The gradual return of taskbar positioning and expanded Start menu controls suggests that Microsoft has recognized the value of giving experienced Windows users more control.
The next logical step would be deeper Start menu resizing, more flexible taskbar behavior, and additional ways to remove unwanted interface elements.
If Microsoft continues in this direction, Windows 11 could eventually become considerably more customizable without abandoning its modern visual design.
The bigger prediction is that Windows 11’s future will be less about forcing a single interface on everyone and more about offering a flexible foundation with sensible defaults.
That would be a welcome change.
Final Thoughts: A Smaller Start Menu, But a Bigger Win for Users
The Windows 11 Start menu did not need to become a massive interface occupying most of the screen before Microsoft realized users wanted more control.
But now that the company is finally addressing the problem, the August 2026 update represents a meaningful improvement.
The ability to choose Small, hide unwanted sections, remove personal information, and build a cleaner launcher makes Windows 11 feel more respectful of the person using it.
It is not perfect.
The menu is still not freely resizable.
The empty layout can still look awkward.
Performance work remains unfinished.
And the Controlled Feature Rollout system can make the feature unnecessarily difficult to find.
But compared with the oversized Start menu that frustrated users after the 2025 redesign, this is a clear step forward.
For users who have already installed KB5120998, ViVeTool provides a way to experiment with the new controls before Microsoft enables them automatically.
For everyone else, waiting for the September 2026 Patch Tuesday rollout is likely the simpler and safer option.
After all, the Start menu should do one thing exceptionally well: help you start using your computer.
It should never feel like it has taken over the computer itself.
Tighten the article’s repeated arguments
Add a quick setup checklist
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