Tutorial: How to add the classic application menu to Windows 11

Thanks to the Open-Shell program, anyone can bring back the familiar classic interface. It's quick to set up, and it works stably. And yes, the program is completely free.

Step 1: Install Open-Shell-Menu

To make everything work, you need to install the program first:
1. Open the Start menu and find Command Prompt.

2. Be sure to run applications as administrator.

Add the following command to the terminal

winget install --id Open-Shell.Open-Shell-Menu

Next, the classic menu should already be working by default. But to make it look and work the way you want it to, let's customize it a bit.

Step 2: Customize the menu

1. In the Start menu, find Open-Shell Menu Settings and open the program.

2. Make sure to check the Show all settings checkbox - this will give you access to all settings.

3. On the Start Menu Style tab you can choose several options for menu themes:
→ Classic style - strict and old-fashioned, as in Windows 95/98.
→ Classic with two columns - something between Windows Vista and Windows 7, but without the bulky elements.
→ Windows 7 style - closest to what we are used to seeing in Windows 7. This is the most successful variant.

If you want - enable the Replace Start button option and choose a different Start button. You can even upload your own icon.

4. Go to the Skin tab and choose the Windows Aero skin - it blends best with the modern design.

5. In the Controls tab, under Windows Key opens, set Open-Shell Menu - this will allow you to open the menu with the Win key.

6. Click OK to save the settings.

Step 3: Customize the color theme

To make the menu fit the interface better, you can tweak the colors a bit:

1. Go to Preferences > Personalization > Colors

2. Set:
→ “Mode Selection” - Custom
→ “Windows Mode” - Dark
→ “Application Mode” - Light

That's it - the classic Start menu is ready to go! If you want to go deeper into customization, Open-Shell has a lot of options for the most meticulous. But even in the basic configuration it works fine.