Restoring the Classic Start Menu in Windows 11

If you want to revert to the classic Start menu in Windows 11, you can easily do so by using the Command Prompt and a tool called ViveTool. This guide provides detailed steps to help you restore the original configuration, particularly if the new design doesn’t suit your preferences.

Recently, Microsoft began rolling out an updated Start menu design as part of the November 2025 Security Update available through the Stable Channel. This new design merges the “Pinned” and “Recommended” sections into a single scrollable interface, adapting seamlessly to various screen sizes. Users can also choose from three views in the “All” section: category, grid, and list, while finally having the option to remove the “Recommended”section altogether.

Though Microsoft promotes this new menu as an improvement, it may not appeal to every user. Luckily, there is a way to disable it if it doesn’t meet your needs. Below are the comprehensive steps to disable the new Start menu using ViveTool on Windows 11, specifically for versions 25H2 and 24H2.

Steps to Restore the Original Start Menu Design

Visit the GitHub website.
Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to bring back the classic Start menu design.
Open the downloaded zip folder using File Explorer.
Click on the Extract all button.
Press the Extract button to uncompress the files.
Copy the path to the extracted folder.
Access the Start menu.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select Run as administrator.
In the Command Prompt, type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder, then hit Enter:

cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

Make sure to replace the path with the actual location of your ViveTool folder.
Enter this command to disable the new Start menu:

vivetool /disable /id:47205210
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.