Understanding the WinX Menu

Written 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

When Replace Doesn't Work

Find and Replace is a great tool, but what are you to do if your find or replace doesn't work as you expect? This tip ...

Discover More

Saving and Using a Form

After you have created your custom form, you will need to save it so that you can use it as often as needed. Word makes ...

Discover More

Printing Documents in a Folder

If you want to print a group of documents at the same time, there are a couple of ways you can accomplish the task. Here ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Notes that Stick Around

Throughout your day it can be necessary to quickly write things down to quickly remember later. Unfortunately, a Post-It ...

Discover More

Ending a Frozen Program

Sometimes a program can get "stuck," meaning it is no longer responsive and appears to be doing nothing at all. You can ...

Discover More

Taking Control of Your Storage Space

Storage space on your computer is vitally important. New storage settings introduced in Windows 10 Version 1903 provides ...

Discover More
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}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) 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 9 - 0?

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
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.