Windows 11 is finally fixing two of its most hated design choices

A repositioned Windows Taskbar, a better Start menu: Windows 11 changes that users have begged for for years will finally arrive, Microsoft promises.

A memo published Friday afternoon by Microsoft’s Windows + Devices chief Pavan Davuluri finally promises day-to-day improvements that Windows users have asked for since… wow, has it really been five years? What will probably end up being known as the “performance, reliability, and craft” memo has a number of worthwhile topics, including less, more thoughtful AI, and more convenient Windows updates.

But Microsoft is also making adjustments to the parts of Windows you interact with first, and the lack of those features is what prompted me to call Windows 11 “unnecessary” when it launched. I’m not going to discuss everything that Microsoft is promising in this article alone; we’ll have other articles that dive deeper into the improvements. It’s a profound, detailed restructuring for Windows 11.

Inside Windows 11’s big reset

• Windows 11 reset: Microsoft pledges more speed, stability, and control
• Microsoft says Windows 11 will get faster as it scales back Copilot
• Microsoft tells Windows Update to chill after years of complaints

Big changes to Windows Start, Taskbar, search, and more

We usually associate the heart of Windows with some key apps: the Windows taskbar, Start, Widgets, Search, and how your PC handles notifications. Microsoft is making adjustments to all of these, pledging to make them “more reliable, flexible, and personalized,” according to Davuluri.

And one of the big ones? The freedom to do with your Taskbar as you wish. Hallelujah! Davuluri promised “more taskbar customization,” including vertical and top positions, and the sides of your screen as well. You’ll even be able to shrink the Taskbar, though it’s not clear if that means smaller icons, or just eliminating the unused space on the Taskbar that isn’t occupied with icons.

“Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you,” Davuluri wrote. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace.”

Start is also receiving changes, with a more “relevant Recommended” section in the Start menu that will showcase “apps and content you care about” as well as “clear controls to customize the experience or turn it off.” And there could be more. Microsoft hopes to deliver more “consistent, dependable access to apps and files,” Davuluri wrote.

It’s kind of crazy to think about. Rivals like Stardock’s Start11 have literally built businesses on the back of Microsoft’s reluctance to tweak these elements of Windows, offering the ability to resize the Start menu and move the taskbar to where users wish. Microsoft could have adjusted the behavior years ago, and didn’t.

The ability to find the files you want has received attention. When Microsoft launched Windows 11, optimizing Windows Search meant learning a collection of tips and tricks, then optimizing tools like file indexing. But then Microsoft brought in AI, adding semantic search in places like the Windows Settings menu and File Explorer.

It appears Microsoft will improve Search both from a UI perspective as well as functionally. Davuluri’s memo promises “a more consistent search experience across the Taskbar, Start, File Explorer and Settings,” as well as “clearer and more trustworthy results.” A key element of that will be a clear distinction between results (apps, files, and Settings) from your device as well as results pulled from the Web, the memo says. AI is not mentioned, which means that we’ll probably see actual file names rather than some form of a smart summary.

The other welcome word Microsoft’s memo uses is “quiet.”

To be fair, Microsoft’s Widget menu — which is tucked over in the right-hand corner of your Windows desktop, typically under a weather forecast — can be easily ignored. But once opened, it’s often a crazy quilt of news and information, and the Widgets menu needs to be managed to optimize its use. Microsoft is also promising increased personalization for the Discover feed which drives Widgets. It’s not clear whether this is the “Curated by Copilot” feed Microsoft is reportedly working on, however, or something else.

Microsoft is promising that Widgets will be more glanceable by default, with simpler settings that will make it easier to personalize and even turn off Widgets and feed content. (It’s not clear if you’ll be able to get rid of the Widgets menu entirely.) Microsoft is also promising fewer notifications. Again, it’s not clear if that’s confined to Widgets or just the Action Center notifications that sprout up from the bottom right-hand corner. Still, a greater ability to focus is welcome.

You’ll even be able to get to Windows more quickly, as Microsoft is promising a quicker PC setup experience. Stepping through all of the configuration pages is a big pain point, so an improved OOBE (Out of the Box Experience) will surely be welcomed.

A less pesky Windows? One that you can configure? Where has Microsoft been the last five years? Regardless, it’s a welcome addition, with hopefully more to come.