Understanding the WinX Menu

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated July 16, 2018)

1

As you are managing your computer system, there are certain tools that experience has shown are used more than other tools. In previous versions of Windows many of these tools were accessible through the Start menu. With the advent of Windows 8, however, the Start menu was done away with. The Start menu returned in Windows 10, but it is still not the "traditional" Start menu available prior to Windows 8.

How, then, is one to get to the common system management tools in a world where there is either no Start menu or a less-than-comprehensive Start menu? The easiest way is through the use of what has come to be known as the WinX menu. This menu derives its name from the fact that you display it, at any time, by pressing the Win key (the keyboard key that has the Windows logo on it) in conjunction with the X key. Thus, Win+X displays the WinX menu. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The WinX Menu

The WinX menu is displayed at the bottom-left corner of the screen. The number of options visible on the menu depends on the version of Windows you are using. Even so, the menu contents and wording are very similar from version to version.

It is important to realize that the WinX menu's name is not its official handle. It has stuck because Microsoft has never seen fit to give this particular menu an official name.

 This tip (13361) applies to Windows 8 and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Editing a Hyperlink

Excel will cheerfully keep track of all sorts of hyperlinks for you. If you want to change the hyperlink in some way, ...

Discover More

Updating Automatically when Opening Under Macro Control

If your workbook contains links, you are normally given the opportunity to update those links when you open the workbook. ...

Discover More

Understanding the PDF/A Format

Word allows you to save your documents in PDF format so others can easily view them. You may not know, however, that Word ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Determining if You Have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows

There are occasions when you may want to know whether you're running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows. This tip ...

Discover More

Moving and Sizing Windows Using the Keyboard

Moving and sizing windows is a normal part of using the Windows operating system. There are times when you may want to do ...

Discover More

Changing the Default Desktop Icons

When you first install Windows, it places only a limited number of icons on your desktop. You can, however, tell Windows ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 6?

2018-07-16 16:21:53

Penny Edwards

The same menu can be displayed by clicking on the Windows Start button with your right mouse button.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.