How to move “Start” to the left in Windows 11 – 2 ways

Now we will consider the question of how to return the “Start” to its original place on the desktop of the computer in Windows 11. We need to make sure that in Windows 11 the Start is not centered.

The Windows 11 operating system has major interface changes over previous systems. This is especially true of the taskbar with application icons and the Start menu.

The first thing that catches your eye after installing Windows 11 on a computer, or after switching to an OS with Windows 10 by the upgrade method, is the unusual arrangement of icons on the taskbar. The taskbar is centered.

Instead, the Start menu button has changed its location. It looks nice on the screen in terms of aesthetics, perhaps it is convenient to use this placement on large screens.

But this change does not take into account the user experience at all. For many years, users on the Windows operating system have seen the Start button menu and application icons on the taskbar at the bottom left of the screen. To perform the necessary actions, the hand itself stretches to this place automatically.

But, there is nothing there, all the elements are located in the center. This is not always convenient from a practical point of view.

There is one more nuance. The fact is that after launching applications, the location of the icons changes. All elements are automatically shifted to the left, including the Start menu button. After closing the running programs, the icons return to their original place.

It turns out that the icons on the taskbar crawl back and forth, shifting in different directions depending on the current situation on the desktop. Also, the user may have many pinned applications on the taskbar, so placing icons in the lower center of the screen is inconvenient.

Given these circumstances, we need to make Windows 11 “Start” on the left, where it was located in previous versions of the operating system. The user needs to align the taskbar to the left.

How to move Start to the left in Windows 11? You can do this in two ways:

• Change system settings in settings.
• Make changes to the Windows registry.

As a result of the operation to align the taskbar, we will get the “Start” in Windows 11 not in the center, but on the left. In this case, all pinned icons will be located in the same places, regardless of the number of running programs on the computer.

In this article, you will learn how to move the Start and other taskbar items to the left in the Windows 11 operating system. As a result of applying the changes, the taskbar with the Start menu button will be aligned on the left.

How to move Start to its original location in Windows 11 – 1 way

First, you will learn how to move Start and app icons to the bottom left corner of the screen in Windows 11 in the easiest way. To do this, you need to go to the settings of the operating system parameters.

Go through the steps:

1. Press the “Win” + “I” keys.
2. In the Settings app, open the Personalization tab.
3. Scroll your mouse wheel down to find and then click on the “Taskbar” button.
4. In the “Personalization > Taskbar” window, find the “Taskbar Behavior” option.

There is another way to open personalization options: right click on the taskbar, click on “Taskbar settings”.

5. In the Taskbar Behavior setting, click the arrow.
6. In the “Taskbar Alignment” option, select “Left” from the drop-down menu.

As a result, on the desktop, the taskbar will become aligned to the left. The Start button and application icons will return to their usual place.

How to move “Start” to the left Windows 11 – method 2

You can find a solution to the answer to the question of how to move the Windows 11 Start Bar using a different method. This option requires you to make changes to the Windows registry.

Do the following:

1. Open the registry editor on your computer.
2. In the “Registry Editor” window, follow the path:

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

3. Look for the “TaskbarAl” parameter. If there is no such parameter, create it.
4. Click on the “TaskbarAl” parameter with the right mouse button.
5. In the context menu, select “Edit …”.
6. In the “Change DWORD (32-bit) Value” window, enter “0” in the value field, and then click on the “OK” button.

Values ​​of the “TaskbarAl” parameter that affect the alignment settings of the taskbar:

• 0 – left;
• 1 – in the center.

7. Close Registry Editor.

How to Center the Start Menu in Windows 11

If you need to return to the center of the Start menu in Windows 11 again, do the reverse steps in one of the ways that are convenient for you:

• Enter the taskbar options and then set the taskbar alignment to center.
• In the registry editor, follow the path described above, change the value of the “TaskbarAl” parameter to “1”.

In these ways, you can change the alignment order of the icons on the taskbar as you like.

Article Conclusions

The taskbar with application icons and the Start button, at default settings in the Windows 11 operating system, is in the center. This arrangement of these elements is not convenient for all users. Therefore, users need to solve the problem of how to make Start on the left in Windows 11. In the system settings or using the registry editor, you can align the taskbar on the left, returning the Start menu and application icons to their previous standard place.