Start11 2.56 Release Feedback

Known issues

While we appreciate all feedback, please remember that we offer no official support for beta \ preview \ developer channel versions of Windows. If you report issues while in any of those early release channels, you should not expect them to be addressed unless it still exists in a retail version of Windows.

• tbd

***Reserved***

The issue I was having with the first tab on the page not painting the texture after a restart of Explorer or after a computer restart seems to be resolved.

Ref. "Group Tab's Texture won't Stay Applied"

https://forums.stardock.com/538357/page/1/#3979058

I'm not sure this was a fix on your end or the fact that I updated from 23H2 to 25H2.

Ever since today's major W11 update, my start menu opens aligned to the left no matter what.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. It is best if you include your current Windows11 version and OS Build number. So we can check it.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Sorry about that, here you go. 

I had just got the 25H2 update today, and that's when the problem started. 

OS Name: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Version: 10.0.26200 Build: 26200

Thanks you, I haven’t received the Windows 11 25H2 update yet, but I’ll try to force it and see if I can reproduce the issue on my end. That said, I haven’t seen any recent reports from other users about this issue.

I believe there are folks already running 25H2 with Start11 2.56, so hopefully someone else can chime in and help confirm. Appreciate the report, thanks again!

In the meantime, you might want to try uninstalling Start11, rebooting immediately, then downloading the latest version again. After reinstalling, reboot once more and check if the issue still occurs.
These steps can help ensure that any necessary files are properly reset. It’s possible that something during the Windows 11 25H2 update may have disrupted Start11’s configuration.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Same behavior as 2.55 with Windows built in autohide taskbar enabled:

Win 11 Pro 24H2 - Windows 11 style

Autohide taskbar enabled. When clicking on Start button, Start11 menu draws underneath the taskbar instead of above it. This prevents using the buttons on the bottom of the menu, to include Shutdown.

 

In addition, with autohide enabled, clicking the Start button now has a significant delay before showing the Start menu.

 

If 'Let Start11 enhance the taskbar' is enabled and autohide is enabled by Start11, it works properly. But if not, and autohide is set through Windows via Taskbar Settings -> Taskbar behaviors, then the above.

Where do you have the taskbar? Top or Bottom. If at the bottom, Use Start11 autohide instead of the Windows setting.

pinned websites don't display the website icon.  They appear correctly in the Win11 menu but not n the Start11 menu.

For ALL Start11 menu styles?

There's definitely a setting somewhere that doesn't like the 25H2 update, and I'm not sure which one yet.  I did a complete uninstall using Revo Uninstaller, and when I reinstalled Start 11 the start menu was aligning to center perfectly by default.  But when I imported by settings backup, the start menu once against started aligning to the left.  Everything is set to center, but it keeps aligning left.

I did come across some reports on corrupted settings. Not really sure what happened. But, doing the "Reset Settings" and start over, solved their problem too. Perhaps doing a good regular save setting helps.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

The Start11 update 2.5.6.3 (installed today 11/3/25) regressed a problem that the one and only Stardock update of last week fixed.  I run BOINC and the BOINC screensaver that  comes with it.  There has never been a problem with the screensaver, except one that appeared several weeks ago with a Start11 update.  The symptom is that when the BOINC screensaver kicks in, neither the keyboard nor the mouse will make it go away and present the desktop again.  Pressing a key or moving the mouse causes the screen to go blank, rather that presenting the application that one was previously working on.  The only way to access any application is by pressing CTRL+Alt+Delete simultaneously, and selecting Cancel.  This problem was fixed with the Start11 update just before 2.5.6.3, and reappeared with 2.5.6.3.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I have forwarded your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience. Thank you.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

I updated Start 11 2.56 today per update recommendation. I'm running it on a Surface Pro 9 with Win 11 25H2 OS Build 26200.6899. As part of my usage, I have a 1920x1080 external screen with 100% scaling connected via Thunderbolt 4 and the Surface 2880x1920 with 200% scaling. Before the update the custom start icon I used worked wonderfully, scaling properly to the two screens. Now it does not anymore. The Start icon is normal size on the 1920x1080 screen, but tiny on the 2880x1920 screen. If I unplug the remote screen, the Start icon on the 2880x1920 screen does not resize unless I rotate the screen. Then it resizes properly When I turn off the custom icon, the original Windows icon scales properly. This behavior began after the most recent update.

• Autohide Taskbar: It doesn’t always appear reliably; sometimes multiple attempts are needed.

• Rounded Borders: Enabling this cuts off the Start button, which breaks the polished look. https://www.mediafire.com/view/7kwhoew8d527jnb/star_cutoff.png/file

• Taskbar Sensitivity / Force Option: It would be great to have a setting where light brushes don’t immediately trigger the taskbar, but a deliberate hover does.

----

Edition    Windows 11 Pro
Version    25H2
Installed on    ‎03/‎11/‎2025
OS build    26220.7051
Experience    Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.268.0

If Start11 is not installed, does it still happen?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Issue on "Taskbar Peek" with a vertical configuration

The peek function works better with 2.56 compared to 2.55. But Peek for pinned applications is clipped, often after monitors are switched (for e.g. between work & home location PC station).

Non pinned app Peek: 

v/s

pinned app Peek:

Restart Explorer fixes this behavior, but this should not be needed.

My configuration:

Yes, it is unusable otherwise as the shutdown and other buttons are inaccessible. However, even using Start11 autohide, the delay after clicking on the Start button for the menu to appear is still nearly 2 seconds. This delay is not present with autohide disabled.

I'm seeing an issue that happens after exiting fullscreen applications. I have my taskbar on the top and set to hidden, and after exiting a fullscreen app like Chrome, Windows Explorer, etc., there is a faint ghost image of the taskbar left behind. It disappears after I hover over the area so that the taskbar pops up and hides once again.

It's very faint, but on darker backgrounds it's definitely there! Set the background to solid black to really see it. On my OLED monitor it sticks out quite clearly.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Post a video capturing this so we understand it better.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Hello,
If I may make a suggestion, I would like to center the text, as in the Windows 11 start menu. Do you think this would be possible?

Windows 11 Startmenu



Stardock Start 11 v2

Quoting thomas-k, reply 24

Hello,
If I may make a suggestion, I would like to center the text, as in the Windows 11 start menu. Do you think this would be possible?

Windows 11 Startmenu



Stardock Start 11 v2

Hello,
I have forwarded your request to the Stardock Support Team for their review and recommendations. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We really do appreciate your feedback, Thanks

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.