Open-Shell for Windows

Brief summary

Windows 10’s Start menu blends a classic single-column app list with a tiled view, making it simple to find programs and pin favorites. However, reshaping the menu — especially grouping apps into custom folders or creating tailored shortcuts — isn’t very straightforward. Open-Shell is a popular replacement that restores more flexible Start menu controls and lets you arrange shortcuts and folders exactly how you want.

Suggested replacement

• Classic Shell (free) — a trusted alternative to the built-in Start menu

Getting Open-Shell up and running

Installing the program is straightforward: download the installer (.exe) and run it. After installation, the Open-Shell settings dialog opens automatically and walks you through layout and appearance choices.

Pick a menu layout

Choose the visual arrangement that fits your workflow. Common options include:

• Windows 7–style menu
• Classic style with two columns
• Classic style with a single column

You can also swap out the Start button graphic to any supported icon.

Ways to create folders and shortcuts

There are two reliable approaches to group apps into folders:

• Use File Explorer to edit the Start Menu folders directly (recommended when you need to change items for one or all users).
• Create folders from the Start menu itself by right-clicking inside All Programs and selecting New Folder.

Using File Explorer to manage what appears

If you open the Start Menu folders via File Explorer, you have two targets:

• Open All Users — opens the folder that holds shortcuts available to every account on the PC.
• Open — opens the folder containing shortcuts for your current user only.

To fully organize what shows up in the Start menu, update both locations as needed.

Adding and moving shortcuts

Once the appropriate folder is visible in File Explorer (or a new folder is created from the menu), place shortcuts where you want them by dragging and dropping, or use cut-and-paste to relocate items. This gives you precise control over app grouping and order.

Appearance and fine-tuning

Open-Shell provides numerous appearance controls — from basic layout toggles to skins and icon changes. The range of options can feel extensive at first, but investing a bit of time to set up folders and refine the look yields a cleaner, more efficient Start menu.

Conclusion

If the default Windows Start menu doesn’t meet your needs, Open-Shell is a worthwhile alternative. It enables deep customization of which apps appear, how they’re grouped, and how the menu looks, helping you build a neater, faster-access Start experience.