How to Change Start Menu Size in Windows 11

Option 1Change Start Menu Size in Settings

Changing the Windows 11 Start menu ⊞ size in the Settings ⚙️ app is the quickest and safest method. You do not touch the Registry, and you can reverse the change in seconds.

1. Open Settings by pressing the Win and the I key together. The Settings ⚙️ window opens.
2. On the left side, click Personalization. Then, on the right side, click Start. You should now see the Start menu ⊞ options, such as layout and recommended content.
3. Look for Start menu ⊞ size and click the box next to it. A short list drops down.
4. Pick Automatic (the default), Small, or Large. The choice applies straight away.
5. Open the Start menu ⊞ to check the result. If you like it, close the Settings ⚙️ window.

If you cannot find Start menu ⊞ size, your build does not include the feature yet. Check the build number under Settings › System › About, or join the Windows Insider program if you want it early. To undo the change, return to the same box and choose Automatic.

Option 2Change Start Menu Size using the Registry

Adjusting the Windows 11 Start menu ⊞ size through the Registry Editor lets you force a specific layout when the standard options do not work. The short version: open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the taskbar 🖥️ search, go to 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advancedcopy, and add a value to set your menu size.

Why do this? Changing the Registry lets you adjust settings that are missing from the Settings app. For example, the option may not show up on your PC, or you may want to set it by hand.

What happens when done? Your Start menu will change its size based on the setting you choose in the Registry. You might need to restart your computer for the changes to take full effect.

Even so, change only the value described here. A wrong edit in the Registry can cause problems, so consider creating a restore point first.

Step 1Open Registry Editor

Note: This step requires administrator privileges. If your account is a standard user, you will be asked for an administrator password.

1. Press the Windows key and type regedit. Registry Editor appears in the search results.
2. Right-click Registry Editor and select Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears. The Registry Editor window opens.

Step 2Navigate to the correct Registry key

Now go to the right key. The path is:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

1. Click the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window.
2. Paste the path above, then press Enter.

The left pane should now jump to the matching folder, and its existing values appear on the right. If nothing happens, check that you copied the whole path with no extra spaces.

Step 3Create or Modify the 'StartMenuSize' DWORD value

Next, create the new value in the Advanced folder.

1. In the right-hand pane of the Advanced folder, right-click on an empty space.
2. Select New, then click DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears in the list with its name highlighted.
3. Name the new value StartMenuSize, then press Enter.
4. Double-click the newly created StartMenuSize value to edit it.

Step 4Set the Value Data for your desired size

A new window pops up. In the Value data field, enter one of the following numbers:

• 0 for "Automatic" (default)
• 1 for "Small"
• 2 for "Large"

To undo the change later, open the same value again and set it back to 0.

Step 5Apply the changes

1. Click OK to save the change. The new number appears in the Data column.
2. Close the Registry Editor.

To see the changes, you might need to restart your computer or restart Windows Explorer. A full restart is the simplest option. To restart Windows Explorer instead:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Find Windows Explorer in the list and right-click it.
3. Select Restart. The taskbar disappears for a moment and then comes back.

Open the Start menu to confirm the new size.

Summary

To change your Windows 11 Start menu size, go to Personalization › Start in Settings and select your preferred layout option (Automatic, Small, or Large). This is the method to try first. If the option is missing or you want more control, you can edit the Windows Registry by hand. That method needs care and administrator privileges. Whichever you use, setting the size back to Automatic (or the Registry value to 0) undoes the change.