Tech Tip Tuesday: Here's how to access the secret Windows Start menu

Did you know there is a secret menu on the start button that can simply be accessed by right-clicking?

For most people when they hear the word Start menu they think of the menu that opens up when you left-click the Start button. What some people might not know is that there is another menu that appears by right-clicking the start button instead. If you are more of a keyboard shortcut kind of person you can press Win + X too.

Windows 11

Windows 10

Right-clicking the start button offers quick access to a lot of useful tools such as apps and features, device manager, disk management, and the event viewer just to name a few. It's also a quick and easy way to shut down, restart or sleep your computer.

Sometimes when the start menu won't open up it's because the Explorer shell is acting up, but right-clicking the start button might still work. This allows you to click on shut down or sign out and then log out of your computer. When you log back in, the Explorer shell might work properly.

Happy Computing!

If you learned something today, great! If not, maybe share your own tech tip in the comments below!

I'm Adam, I'm known as Warwagon on the forums. For the past 19 years, I've been operating my own computer repair business. In doing so, I deal with the average computer user on a day-to-day basis.

Every bit of information I provide for people I do so with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's a common misconception that everyone who joins or browses a tech site is a techie. Some people are just looking for guidance. That is why for some, these tech tips may seem a bit too simplistic but they are educational for others.