Windows 10 Has a Secret Start Menu. Here’s How to Open It.

David Pogue
·Tech Critic

I’m about to let you in on a little secret. You’re about to become one of the Windows intelligentsia. Ready?

You know about the Start menu in Windows 10. (Yes, it’s back, thank goodness.) But did you know about the secret Start menu?

If you right-click the Start button, you get this: Direct access to some of the most useful parts of Windows — like Control Panel, File Explorer, Search, and Task Manager. No more swiping, tapping, and searching for the stuff you really need.

If you’ve got a touchscreen device, you can get the same effect by simply touching the Start Menu icon and holding your finger on it for a full second, then releasing it.

By the way, Windows key+X is the keystroke for that.

Windows Key-X. That’s about as secret as it gets!

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