The Start menu (overview)

The Start menu is the main gateway to your computer's programs, folders, and settings. It's called a menu because it provides a list of choices, just as a restaurant menu does. And as "Start" implies, it's often the place that you'll go to start or open things.

Use the Start menu to do these common activities:

  • Start programs
  • Open commonly used folders
  • Search for files, folders, and programs
  • Adjust computer settings
  • Get help with the Windows operating system
  • Turn off the computer
  • Log off from Windows or switch to a different user account

Getting started with the Start menu

To open the Start menu, click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen. Or, press the Windows logo key on your keyboard. The Start menu appears.

Start button and Start menu

The Start menu is divided into three basic parts:

  • The large left pane shows a short list of programs on your computer. Your computer manufacturer can customize this list, so its exact appearance will vary. Clicking All Programs displays a complete list of programs (more on this later).
  • In the lower left corner is the search box, which allows you to look for programs and files on your computer by typing in search terms.
  • The right pane provides access to commonly used folders, files, settings, and features. It's also where you go to log off from Windows or turn off your computer.

The taskbar (overview)

The taskbar is the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen. Unlike the desktop, which can get obscured by the windows on top of it, the taskbar is visible almost all the time. It has four main sections:

  • The Start button , which opens the Start menu. See The Start menu (overview).
  • The Quick Launch toolbar, which lets you start programs with one click.
  • The middle section, which shows you which programs and documents you have open and allows you to quickly switch between them.
  • The notification area, which includes a clock and icons (small pictures) that communicate the status of certain programs and computer settings.

The taskbar is located at the bottom of your screen

You're likely to use the middle section of the taskbar the most, so we'll discuss that first.

Keep track of your windows

If you open more than one program or document at a time, you can quickly start piling up windows on your desktop. Because windows often cover each other or take up the whole screen, it's sometimes hard to see what else is underneath or remember what you've already opened.

That's where the taskbar comes in handy. Whenever you open a program, folder, or document, Windows creates a button on the taskbar corresponding to that item. The button shows the icon and name of the item. In the picture below, two programs are open—Calculator and Minesweeper—and each has its own button on the taskbar.

Each program has its own button on the taskbar

Notice how the taskbar button for Minesweeper appears pressed in. That indicates that Minesweeper is the active window, meaning that it's in front of any other open windows and is ready for you to interact with.

To switch to another window, click its taskbar button. In our example, clicking the taskbar button for Calculator brings its window to the front:

Click a window's taskbar button to switch to that window

Clicking taskbar buttons is only one of several ways to switch between windows. For more information, see Working with windows.

Minimize and restore windows

When a window is active (its taskbar button appears pressed down), clicking its taskbar button minimizes the window. That means that the window disappears from the desktop. Minimizing a window doesn't close it or delete its contents—it merely removes it from the desktop temporarily.

In the picture below, Calculator has been minimized, but not closed. You can tell it's still running because it has a button on the taskbar.

Minimizing Calculator leaves only its taskbar button visible

You can also minimize a window by clicking the Minimize button, in the upper-right corner of the window:

Minimize button (left)

To restore a minimized window (make it show up again on the desktop), click its taskbar button. For more information about these buttons, see Working with windows.