The Windows 11 Start Menu content is drawn from two primary folder locations on your hard drive, depending on whether the items are meant for all users or just your specific account . Primary Folder Locations System-Wide (All Users): Items here appear for every user on the PC. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs Personal (Current User Only): Items here are unique to your login. %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs Note: You can paste the above path directly into the File Explorer address bar to open it. Key Considerations Microsoft Store Apps: Many apps installed via the Microsoft Store do not have traditional shortcuts in these folders. They are managed differently by Windows and are typically stored in the hidden
To understand the Start Menu folder location, one must first recognize that Windows manages shortcuts in two distinct scopes: the "User" scope and the "System" scope. When a user installs a piece of software, the installer decides whether the application should be accessible only by the current user or by every user account on the machine. Consequently, the Windows 11 Start Menu is not a single folder, but rather a merged view of two separate directory trees. windows 11 start menu folder location
You can already open these folders via: