In the beginning, there was the Windows 95 Start button, which actually included the word Start. Clicking that button opened the Start menu, which was chock full of shortcuts to programs, utilities, and settings. Both of these crucial parts of the user experience evolved significantly in appearance and functionality over the years, but a time traveler from 1995 would have no trouble recognizing the Start menu in Windows 7.

In a singularly controversial decision, the designers of Windows 8 removed the Start button and Start menu completely, replacing them with a full screen filled with live tiles instead of icons. The Start button returned in Windows 8.1, although its main function was to provide access to the Start screen. Now, by popular demand, the Start menu returns in Windows 10.

This Start menu design (which evolved rapidly during the lengthy preview period before Windows 10’s official release) contains some familiar elements, including links to common locations, a list of frequently used apps and programs, and power controls. The items on the right are live tiles, which work like their equivalents from the Windows 8.1 Start screen.

The search box, just to the right of the Start button, offers quick access to the local file system and to the web. With a few quick configuration steps, you can enable Cortana, the voice-powered personal assistant that debuted in Windows Phone and is now an essential part of the larger Windows 10 platform.

On a PC with a keyboard and pointing device, you can change the height and width of the Start menu. A separate option, called Tablet Mode, expands the Start menu to fill the entire screen and makes additional changes designed to make Windows 10 more usable on tablets, hybrid PCs, and other touchscreen devices.

Several navigation elements that were added to Windows 8 have been removed for Windows 10. The Charms menu is gone, replaced on the right side of the screen by an Action Center that shows notifications and includes shortcuts to common tasks. Likewise, the Windows 8 navigation controls based on aiming a mouse pointer at corners are replaced by a new Task View, which also supports multiple virtual desktops.

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