Windows 10’s ‘secret’ Start menu by Cnet
It’s not really a secret, but it is a convenient way to access important features.
Guess what? Windows 10 has a “secret” Start menu. I say “secret,” because it’s not really a secret — it’s not something you have to turn on, it’s just a little trick that makes accessing important features, such as the Command Prompt, the Control Panel and the Task Manager much easier.
To access the ‘secret’ Start menu, all you have to do is right-click the Windows icon/Start button. You’ll see a pop-up menu with a variety of administrative tools, as well as shutdown options and a Desktop link for quickly viewing the desktop (you can also do this by clicking the small, sectioned-off part at the very right side of your taskbar).
If you’re using a touchscreen, you can access this menu by tapping and holding the Start button for a couple of seconds.
I’m a big fan of this shortcut menu, because it lets you access tools that you would normally have to go through multiple menus to get to. For example, the Event Viewer, System information, and disk and computer management tools can be found in Start > All apps > Windows Administrative Tools, while the Command Prompt, Control Panel, Task Manager, and Run command are found in Start > All apps > Windows System. The “secret” Start menu puts all of these handy tools right at your fingertips in one click.