Whether or not you love it, or hate it. Windows start menu is here to stay. The days of windows 7 with the windows start menu are long gone. While many users have complained about this feature and Microsoft has made some changes. We still see the same old design of mixing desktop view with the “app” view that everything is going to now. Windows 8.1 start menu does have some key features and benefits if one takes the time to use it and learn how it was intended to work. But finding recently downloaded or installed Apps can sure be a pain sometimes.
How to find all your downloaded apps from the Windows Start Menu.
Regardless of how you choose to install your new program. Whether that is from the app store or from a more traditional desktop type install. You are going to need to be able to find how to open that new program. Before you could just go to your start menu and it would be grayed out to show that it was new. With Windows 8.1 though they don’t always show up in that new fancy live tile start menu.
The easiest way to find them is to:
Press the windows key on your keyboard, this will take you to the live tiles on your computer. From there if you have:
- Windows 8 –> Right click in bottom open area –> an arrow will point downwards –> click on arrow and it will show you all the installed apps.
- Windows 8.1 –> Hover mouse over the bottom left corner of start menu –> arrow will appear –> click arrow and menu with appear with installed apps.
You can also get to this section by simply pressing Ctrl + T anywhere on your computer. This takes you to the same place as talked about above. Anything that you have recently installed will be shown with a NEW beside it, to indicate that this program has recently been installed. If you would like to sort these apps by different categories or times. Simply press the drop down arrow next the the word APP and sort it accordingly.
How to add Apps to your Start Menu or Taskbar.
If you would like to not have to sort through your possible never ending list of programs installed on your PC. But instead be able to just click quickly on the program you often use or want easy access to.
- Right click on the app you have selected for placement.
- Select the option to either place it on the taskbar. (bottom bar on the desktop)
- Select the option to place this on the windows start menu when your computer starts. (Creates a new live tile)
Once you have placed the app in its location you can rearrange app, if in the taskbar, by simply clicking and dragging to the location needed. Or if in the live tile start menu, Click and drag or right click and see all your other re-sizing and moving options. Like always if you have an issue doing these things please feel free to contact us or head to our YouTube page and see if you can learn from a how to demonstration.