You can now try out Windows 10’s new Start menu

Update (October 2026): this post is from August 2020. The new theme-aware Start menu became a standard part of Windows 10 with the October 2020 Update (version 20H2), so on 20H2 and later you already have it and do not need this registry edit. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. If you still use Windows 10, see how to extend Windows 10 security updates for free.

Microsoft revealed a new Start menu design that was first expected in 2021. It then became part of the next Windows 10 feature update, at that time called version 2009 (it was later released as the October 2020 Update, version 20H2). Windows Insiders could already test the new Start menu. If you are not an Insider and do not want to join the program just for the new design, you can still enable it on the current version of Windows 10.

If your device runs the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004), you can test the new theme-aware Start menu, because version 2004 and version 2009 share the same core operating system. Just like in 2019, Microsoft delivers the new feature update like a cumulative update to devices that run version 2004.

Microsoft says the new Windows 10 Start menu design looks great in both the dark and the light theme:

If you’re looking for a splash of color, first make sure to turn on Windows dark theme and then toggle “Show accent color on the following surfaces” for “Start, taskbar, and action center” under Settings > Personalization > Color to elegantly apply your accent color to the Start frame and tiles.

How to get the new Windows 10 Start menu (version 2009)

1. Install the Windows 10 cumulative update KB4568831 (Build 19041.423) with Windows Update, or manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

2. Open Notepad and paste the following:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\0\2093230218]
   "EnabledState"=dword:00000002
   "EnabledStateOptions"=dword:00000000

3. Click File > Save as, set Save as type to All files and save the file as StartMenu.reg.

4. Or skip steps 2 and 3 and download my ready-made registry file: features-windows-10-20H2 (ZIP with the same .reg file).

   Download the registry file (ZIP)
5. Double-click the .reg file, confirm the message to add it to the registry, and restart your device.

Nobody reported problems with this registry edit at the time, but only use it if you are comfortable with editing the registry. If you still do not see the new Start menu, type winver in the search box to confirm that you run Windows 10 version 2004, Build 19041.423 (KB4568831), and restart again.

To undo the change, open Registry Editor, go to the path above, right-click the 2093230218 key and delete it. Then restart your PC.

Note: Microsoft included the upcoming Windows 10 20H2 features in KB4568831, which was an optional preview update at that time. Microsoft planned to release it to all Windows 10 version 2004 devices on Patch Tuesday later that month, so it was better to wait for that release. If you were feeling adventurous, this was how to get early access to the new Start menu design.

For the full October 2020 Update, see how to install the Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2).