Want the Windows 10 Start menu in Windows 11? Tough... Microsoft has removed it

When the first build of Windows 11 appeared, the new Start menu was loved by some and hated by others. Those that didn't like it fell into two camps. Those who were unhappy with the centring of the Start menu could move it to the of the screen; those unhappy with the updated look could revert to the look of Windows 10.

But when the second Insider build emerged, there were changes. Yes, it's still possible to move the Start menu to the left of the taskbar, but the registry hack that could be used to show the classic Start menu has now been blocked.

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Previously, it was possible to head to HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced in the registry, and create a DWORD (32-bit) value named Start_ShowClassicMode with a value of 1 and the "old" Start menu would be reinstated. But with the release of Windows 11 Build 22000.65, this registry key now serves no function.

If you have already tweaked the registry, your hack will be ignored after updating Windows 11 to the latest build. Equally, if you have already updated and try to implement the hack, you'll find it does not work.

For anyone who is not enamoured with the new look of Windows 11's Start menu, this is bad news. It also means that the Live Tiles that were available in the Windows 10 Start menu have now effectively been killed off.

Of course, we are only on the second Dev build of Windows 11, and there's a long way to go before ethe official launch of the operating system, so there's plenty of time for things to change. And with Microsoft seeking feedback via a Bug Bash, it's possible that the company will get feedback that ultimately forces its hand into bringing back the ability to switch.