Start Menu Pinning

Does anyone actually pin items to their start menu? I don’t feel there’s much that makes use of the ‘live tile’ functionality, and with pinning to the taskbar, I fail to see the value in pinning to the start menu.

Is this just a hold over for those who somehow got used to the tiles in Windows 8?

Wondering if Microsoft will depreciate this at some point.

Conversation 24 comments

  • harmjr

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 8:54 am

    <p>I would say it all depends on screen size. The larger the screen the less your going to use the start menu. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Now the live tile part. I almost never use that.</span></p><p><br></p><p>I have the following I would guess my usage as</p><p> 8" Screen 90% use of start menu to open an application why because I dont have task bar space.</p><p> 12" SP4 40% use of start menu <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">to open an application</span></p><p> 24" screen 10% use of start menu <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">to open an application</span></p><p><br></p><p>Also I prefer the Start Menu to task bar when I have the tablets in portrait mode. Even when connected to a mouse.</p><p><br></p><p>My biggest annoyance with the start menu tiles is that when I go to Start about 30% of the time the icons don't appear just little <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">empty</span> squares. Since I use multiple machines I don't remember what square is what application so I then have to go to the alphabetical list to find my app. This has been happening more and more I am running 1803 hoping once I upgrade it will get better.</p><p><br></p><p>I would say Microsoft needs to make a better Task bar for desktops.</p>

    • sammyd710730

      11 December, 2018 - 10:19 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#380748">In reply to harmjr:</a></em></blockquote><p>Interesting points. When using multiple machines it would be nice if they could sync your start menu layout, and for any programs that aren't installed on the machine you're using, a tile that takes you to the store or appropriate website for download would be nice.</p><p><br></p><p>I can see how in a touch environment the tiles would be nice.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 9:03 am

    <p>Not really, I have set up some icons on my home machine, although I can't say I ever look at them or click on them, but on most work machines, I just remove the games and crud, but leave it otherwise alone.</p><p>All the applications I use on a regular basis are pinned to the task bar and if I need anything else, I press the Windows key and start typing… So I rarely, if eve, see the pinned section.</p>

    • sammyd710730

      11 December, 2018 - 10:17 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#380749">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><p>This is pretty much where I'm at as well.</p>

  • ggolcher

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 10:27 am

    <p>I absolutely pin to the Start Menu lesser-used items and pin to the taskbar very frequently-used items. It works quite well for me.</p>

    • sammyd710730

      11 December, 2018 - 11:10 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#380779">In reply to ggolcher:</a></em></blockquote><p>Makes sense. I guess I'm just used to hitting the Windows key and then typing a few characters for what I want. Habit started in Windows 7 and has just kinda carried forward from there.</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 10:41 am

    <p>Yes I pin stuff to the start menu. It makes more sense if you have a touch machine like I do.</p>

  • epsjrno

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 11:20 am

    <p>Not only do I pin items to the start menu, I try to keep setup of my the Start Menus on my Surface Book and desktop the same. It makes life a little easier especially when I am trying to keep track of projects for two completely separate businesses. </p>

    • sammyd710730

      11 December, 2018 - 11:24 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#380812">In reply to epsjrno:</a></em></blockquote><p>Gotcha. Wondering if MS has ever considered syncing start menu layouts.</p><p><br></p><p>*EDIT* Just checked Feedback Hub, this very suggestion has 3,769 upvotes, lol. </p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        11 December, 2018 - 12:26 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#380815">In reply to sammyd710730:</a></em></blockquote><p>But since that feature was in Windows 8, they'll never touch it because… Windows 8?</p>

        • sammyd710730

          11 December, 2018 - 12:28 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#380853">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>We'll see I guess. MS acknowledged the request 1 year ago and said they can't guarantee all things make it into a release. If we haven't seen it by now, I guess it's not happening.</p>

      • epsjrno

        Premium Member
        11 December, 2018 - 2:11 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#380815">In reply to sammyd710730:</a></em></blockquote><p>"Gotcha. Wondering if MS has ever considered syncing start menu layouts.</p><p>*EDIT* Just checked Feedback Hub, this very suggestion has 3,769 upvotes, lol."</p><p><br></p><p>Yeah, it's a bit of a pain to do it manually but it's worth it in the end.</p>

        • Greg Green

          12 December, 2018 - 8:42 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#380890">In reply to epsjrno:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have an explorer replacement called PowerDesk that exports its settings so you can import them on a different computer. So convenient and a timesaver. I don’t understand why MS doesn’t have something similar for desktop and menu settings. Just export to usb or cloud, then import on the new PC.</p>

  • wp7mango

    11 December, 2018 - 12:37 pm

    <p>I pin to Start. It's more useful now that it allows grouping of apps into a single icon folder.</p><p><br></p><p>What I would really like to see is some kind of dockable start menu, where the pinned tiles can be docked to the desktop in a group / side, or make the tiles into more useful widgets. </p>

    • sammyd710730

      11 December, 2018 - 1:59 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#380859">In reply to WP7Mango:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'd be down for this. Out of sight, out of mind is why I don't use it. I simply forget about it. I feel like if something could be docked even with transparency, I'd be more likely to benefit from it.</p>

  • ErichK

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 12:44 pm

    <p>On my main Windows 10 machine at home that is my gaming/music production/video editing you-name-it rig, I have *tons* of stuff pinned to Start, although I also keep a handful of essentials on the Task Bar (e-mail, browsers, etc.).</p>

  • jules_wombat

    11 December, 2018 - 1:14 pm

    <p>Yep as most people do</p>

  • Alexander Rothacker

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 4:09 pm

    <p>Totally using it. I have a bunch of folder shortcuts, apps that I use often, but not often enough to clutter the task bar with, etc.</p><p>Hit WinKey and start typing for everything else.</p>

  • SWCetacean

    Premium Member
    11 December, 2018 - 4:57 pm

    <p>I use the Start menu a lot for pins. I only have 4 things pinned to the taskbar: Edge, File explorer, Store, and Mail (the defaults lol), and of those 4, 3 have tiles on the start menu too. I find there are a number of apps where live tiles are useful: mail, weather, calendar, and news. FB Messenger and GroupMe also have useful live tile functionality. I haven't started using the Folders feature of the start menu yet, as I make the start menu as large as possible so I have plenty of free space to put new tiles. I have one group for common items (mail, Store, news, calendar, weather, Groove, Edge, Spotify), one group for Utilities, one group for work-related things (mainly my VPN client and RDP), one group for social media and communication apps (Skype, GroupMe, Messenger, Facebook), and one group for games where things like Steam, Origin, Uplay, and Battle.net live.</p><p><br></p><p>To me the biggest benefit of having things on the Start Menu is that they are just 2 clicks away while not taking up any space on my desktop or task bar. Having a live tile for apps that support it is a nice bonus.</p>

  • Xatom

    11 December, 2018 - 11:03 pm

    <p>MS took the most perfect start menu and ruined it with 'new' start. The tech equivalent of new coke. Useless. i literally never look at a live tile and am forced to scroll through an alpha list of programs when not a desktop shortcut. Dumbest thing ever. </p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      25 December, 2018 - 10:39 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381015">In reply to Xatom:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>New Coke was delicious.</em></p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    25 December, 2018 - 10:38 am

    <p>I use the Taskbar and Start, nothing else.</p><p><br></p><p>… <em>Except Cortana search!!</em></p>

  • pathankp

    25 December, 2018 - 6:03 pm

    <p>:D</p><p>Yeah I don't see any reason to use! Actually never pinned anything except the Netflix. Here is my start menu :D</p><p><img src="https://serving.photos.photobox.com/931147161712160a153472b3e7c3959f0906ce4760fdf7a3906fcac479984821844354da.jpg"></p&gt;

  • rob_segal

    Premium Member
    25 December, 2018 - 8:56 pm

    <p>If I could optionally pin apps to the top of the start menu's app list, I would be very happy.</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC