Last Updated on April 19, 2026
If you are running Windows 11 on your computer and were previously running Windows 10, you have most likely noticed the lack of customization options for things such as the start menu and taskbar compared to Windows 10. Many Windows 11 users resort to third party apps such as Start11, ThisIsWin11 and WindHawk.
One Windows 11 tweak that many people want to do is remove or disable the Recommended section from the start menu. You can disable files and apps from showing up in this area, but you cannot remove the section altogether without doing a little tweaking. In this article, we will be showing you how to completely remove the Recommended section from the Windows 11 start menu. One thing to note is that this will only work for Windows 11 Professional and Education versions.
Understanding the Recommended Section Limits
1. View the Default Start Menu
The image below clearly shows the standard Windows 11 start menu with the default Recommended section permanently enabled. You will see a massive empty block taking up the entire bottom half of your screen. Microsoft forces this UI element onto your desktop regardless of your preferences
2. Check Your Personalization Settings
You might assume the default settings app can fix this. You can easily turn off the toggle labeled Show recommended files in Start, recent file in File Explorer, and in Jump Lists inside your Personalization menu. You will quickly realize this only hides the actual file names. Turning this specific setting off will absolutely not remove the giant Recommended section box itself from the start menu.
Applying the Registry Edit Fix
1. Download the Custom Registry Files
We must perform a simple registry edit to forcefully remove the Recommended section from the Windows 11 start menu. You do not need to make these complex text changes manually. We have provided two preconfigured files for this exact process. You can download both files directly here to save time and avoid typing errors. The exact script writes three specific DWORD values to your local machine policies. It injects the HideRecommendedSection command into your Explorer and Start policy paths. It also flags the system as an Education environment to completely bypass the standard version restrictions.
2. Execute the Hide Recommended Script
Once you safely download the compressed registry files, you must extract them to your local desktop. Double click the specific file called HideRecommended.reg to import the new changes into the Windows registry. You will immediately be presented with a standard UAC prompt.
3. Accept the Administrator Prompt
You absolutely must click the Yes button on this security screen. You are required to be a full administrator on the computer to make this system level change. You can also manually type in the credentials for an active administrative account if prompted.
4. Confirm the Registry Warning
The operating system will trigger a secondary warning box. You will be told that the specific information from the registry file will be permanently added to the Windows registry. Click the Yes button to explicitly confirm this administrative action.
5. Finalize the Import Process
A final dialog box will immediately appear on your screen. This explicitly confirms the specific keys and values were successfully added to the registry database. You can simply click the OK button at this next prompt to complete the import process.
6. Restart Windows Explorer
The visual changes do not happen instantly. You must either reboot your entire computer or manually restart the Windows Explorer process directly from Task Manager. Forcing the shell to restart applies the registry changes immediately without a full reboot cycle.
7. Verify the Start Menu Layout
Click your Windows key to open the interface. You will immediately see that the annoying Recommended section has been completely removed from the start menu. You now have significantly more vertical space for pinning additional app shortcuts on the start menu itself.
8. Reverse the Registry Changes
You might eventually decide you actually miss the old layout. To completely reverse the change and get the Recommended section back on the start menu, you just execute the second included script. You can perform the exact same process using the provided ShowReccommended.reg file to undo everything.
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