Windows 11 Start menu’s performance is “comically bad” says ex-Microsoft Senior Software Engineer despite using a sophisticated $1,600 PC that meets stringent minimum requirements
Windows 11’s Start menu is encountering annoying performance issues, amid plans to pump more ads to the platform.
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What you need to know
A former senior software engineer, Andy Young, who worked at Microsoft for over 13 years, recently took to his X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustrations, citing Windows 11 performance issues while referring to the Start menu as “comically bad” (viaNeowin).
The Windows 11 Start Menu is comically bad.This machine has a $1600 Core i9 CPU and 128 GB of RAM and this is the performance I often get.What is going on in Redmond? pic.twitter.com/hDvALHRB5qApril 9, 2024
Attached to Andy Young’s post on X is a video highlighting the performance issues he’s talking about. This is despite running Windows 11 on a sophisticated $1600 device boasting a Core i9 CPU and 128 GB of RAM (well above Microsoft’s strict minimum system requirements for Windows 11).
The post on X has gone viral with multiple users highlighting their frustrations with the app. Several users cited the Start menu’s poor performance, indicating it often lags making it hard to search for apps. As sarcastically highlighted by Young, “My favorite Windows feature is opening the Start menu, typing “notepad”, hitting Enter, and having it open Edge to a Bing search for “otepad”.”
Interestingly, at the beginning of the year, Microsoft’s former Windows Experiences lead, Mikhail Parakhin, highlighted some aspects of the Start menu in Windows 11 that he doesn’t like. The most notable is the inability to scroll through their entire list of apps via the Start menu without clicking on the ‘All apps’ option. At the time, the Windows lead indicated that he was pushing his team to work on a fix forone of the most annoying things with the Start menu in Windows 11.
However, Microsoft’s Windows department has a new boss now.The tech giant recently underwent a reorgthat saw the Windows team transition back to the Engineering + Devices organization, led by Rajesh Jha. Pavan Davuluri, who previously led Microsoft’s hardware efforts will also lead the Windows engineering team.
Microsoft is seemingly more focused and inclined towards its AI efforts on Windows if the past few months are anything to go by. According to a leaked internal memo, the company ismoving most employees from the Teams chat app umbrella to support its Copilot AI projects. This is despite the EU Commission’s mounting pressure on it, which eventually prompted it tounbundle the Teams app from its Office 365 package globally.
This is amid Microsoft testing new features that could seeCopilot pop-up like an unwanted ad on your desktopif you so much as tickle the taskbar icon. It is also testing a new update for Windows 11 that willchange how users interact with the notification center on tablets. Instead of letting you access your notifications, it will now launch Copilot.
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Could it get any worse at this point?
There might be light at the end of the tunnel after all. Andy Young shared that ‘Jen’ reached out to him and indicated that Microsoft is actively looking into the performance issues highlighted by users regarding the Start menu in Windows 11.
RELATED:Microsoft aggressively pushes ads to Windows 11’s Start menu
While this is left to speculation as Young didn’t categorically say who Jen was, there’s a high chance he was referring toJen Gentleman. Jen is part of Microsoft’s Windows engineering team and helps with feedback for the Start menu, Settings, taskbar, input, and more. She often shares neat keyboard shortcuts, too.
To be clear, I love Windows. I helped build parts of it. I want it to be as good as it once was. If data suggests the software you build frustrates a significant percentage of users, it means there’s work left to be done.
At the end of 2023, we looked comprehensively atthe state of Windows coming into 2024. Perhaps, what stood out the most was the reluctance of users to transition to Windows 11 despiteWindows 10’s imminent end of support date slated for October 2025.
According toStatCounter, Windows 10 still dominates the Windows operating system market share with a 69.04% stake.Windows 11stacks miles from Windows 10 at second place with a mere 26.72% stake. A few factors have contributed to this, includingMicrosoft’s stringent system requirements for Windows 11andthe operating system’s flawed design.
READ MORE:Microsoft extends Windows 10 users a lifeline beyond 2025 but at an exorbitant price
Multiple Windows 11 users have blatantly expressed theirdislike for Windows 11’s Start menu, and these sentiments couldn’t be any louder. This might be why we are seeing third-party alternatives for Windows apps likeStardock’s Start11become popular among users. A recent update for the app added rounded corners to Windows 11’s taskbar,making the OS look like the next version of Windows.
Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
