Modern XP Start Menu Style for Windows 11

There is something about the “Luna” blue aesthetic of Windows XP that just feels like home for many of us. It was friendly, colorful, and incredibly easy to navigate. However, we live in 2026, and we need the security and speed of a modern OS. That is where the Modern XP Start Menu style for Windows 11 comes in—it’s the perfect blend of nostalgic design and contemporary power.

What is the Modern XP Aesthetic?

The Modern XP Start Menu style for Windows 11 isn’t just a low-resolution skin from twenty years ago. Instead, it reimagines the classic two-column layout using modern “Fluent” design principles. You get the iconic blue and orange color palette, but with the added benefits of Acrylic transparency, rounded corners, and high-definition system icons that look crisp on a 4K monitor.

I’ve found that many users are moving back to this layout because it’s actually more efficient. The left side handles your pinned apps, while the right side gives you quick, clear access to your user folders and system settings—something the default Windows 11 menu often hides behind extra clicks.

Key Features of the Modern XP Style

Classic Two-Column Layout: Seperate your apps from your system locations just like the original 2001 design.
Mica & Acrylic Effects: The “Luna” blue now features subtle transparency that reacts to your desktop wallpaper.
Modernized Taskbar Integration: Pairs perfectly with a centered or left-aligned taskbar while maintaining the XP vibe.
Enhanced Search: Even with a classic look, you still get the lightning-fast Windows 11 search bar integrated at the bottom.

Download and install Windhawk
Open Windhawk and install the Windows 11 Start Menu Styler mod
Go to the Advanced tab
Paste the provided configuration code into the “Mod settings” box
Click Save to apply the style
For more details, visit this GitHub guide

{
  "theme": "Modern Xp by Link Vegas",
  "controlStyles[0].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#UndockedRoot",
  "controlStyles[0].styles[0]": "Visibility=Visible",
  "controlStyles[0].styles[1]": "Width=428",
  "controlStyles[0].styles[2]": "Transform3D:=<CompositeTransform3D TranslateX=\"178\" />",
  "controlStyles[0].styles[3]": "Margin=-80,-10,0,0",
  "controlStyles[0].styles[4]": "Padding=0,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[1].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#AllAppsRoot",
  "controlStyles[1].styles[0]": "Visibility=Visible",
  "controlStyles[1].styles[1]": "Width=320",
  "controlStyles[1].styles[2]": "Margin=-650,-20,830,0",
  "controlStyles[2].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#ShowMoreSuggestions",
  "controlStyles[2].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[3].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#SuggestionsParentContainer",
  "controlStyles[3].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[4].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#TopLevelSuggestionsListHeader",
  "controlStyles[4].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[5].target": "StartDocked.SearchBoxToggleButton",
  "controlStyles[5].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[6].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#TopLevelRoot > Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Border",
  "controlStyles[6].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[7].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Button#CloseAllAppsButton",
  "controlStyles[7].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[8].target": "StartDocked.PowerOptionsView",
  "controlStyles[8].styles[0]": "Margin=,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[9].target": "StartDocked.UserTileView",
  "controlStyles[9].styles[0]": "Margin=-25,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[10].target": "StartMenu.PinnedList",
  "controlStyles[10].styles[0]": "Height=504",
  "controlStyles[11].target": "StartMenu.ExpandedFolderList > Grid > Border",
  "controlStyles[11].styles[0]": "Margin=-40,0,40,0",
  "controlStyles[11].styles[1]": "Width=325",
  "controlStyles[12].target": "StartMenu.ExpandedFolderList > Grid > Grid",
  "controlStyles[12].styles[0]": "CornerRadius=8",
  "controlStyles[12].styles[1]": "Margin=-85,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[12].styles[2]": "Width=350",
  "controlStyles[13].target": "StartMenu.ExpandedFolderList > Grid > Grid > Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.PipsPager#PinnedListPipsPager",
  "controlStyles[13].styles[0]": "Margin=-15,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[14].target": "StartDocked.StartSizingFrame",
  "controlStyles[14].styles[0]": "MaxWidth=580",
  "controlStyles[14].styles[1]": "MinWidth=580",
  "controlStyles[14].styles[2]": "MaxHeight=650",
  "controlStyles[15].target": "Grid#RootContent",
  "controlStyles[15].styles[0]": "MinWidth=580",
  "controlStyles[15].styles[1]": "CornerRadius=10",
  "controlStyles[16].target": "Border#AcrylicOverlay",
  "controlStyles[16].styles[0]": "Visibility=Visible",
  "controlStyles[17].target": "Border#ContentBorder@CommonStates > Grid#DroppedFlickerWorkaroundWrapper > Border",
  "controlStyles[17].styles[0]": "FocusVisualPrimaryBrush:=<SolidColorBrush Color=\"#b3cefd\" Opacity=\".10\"/>",
  "controlStyles[17].styles[1]": "CornerRadius=4",
  "controlStyles[17].styles[2]": "Height=80",
  "controlStyles[17].styles[3]": "Width=92",
  "controlStyles[18].target": "StartMenu.PinnedList#StartMenuPinnedList",
  "controlStyles[18].styles[0]": "MaxWidth=345",
  "controlStyles[18].styles[1]": "Margin=95,15,0,0",
  "controlStyles[18].styles[2]": "Height=504",
  "controlStyles[19].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Border#ContentBorder@CommonStates > Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Grid#DroppedFlickerWorkaroundWrapper > Border#BackgroundBorder",
  "controlStyles[20].target": "Border#AcrylicBorder",
  "controlStyles[20].styles[0]": "Background:=<AcrylicBrush TintColor=\"{ThemeResource CardStrokeColorDefaultSolid}\" FallbackColor=\"{ThemeResource CardStrokeColorDefaultSolid}\" TintOpacity=\"0\" TintLuminosityOpacity=\".55\"/>",
  "controlStyles[20].styles[2]": "BorderThickness=1",
  "controlStyles[20].styles[3]": "CornerRadius=8",
  "controlStyles[20].styles[4]": "Margin=0",
  "controlStyles[21].target": "StartMenu.ExpandedFolderList > Grid > Grid > Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.PipsPager#PinnedListPipsPager",
  "controlStyles[21].styles[0]": "Margin=-15,0,0,0",
  "controlStyles[22].target": "Border#AcrylicOverlay",
  "controlStyles[22].styles[0]": "Background:=<LinearGradientBrush StartPoint=\"0.2,0\" EndPoint=\"0.5,1\"> <GradientStop Color=\"#1580D9\" Offset=\"0.0\" /> <GradientStop Color=\"#1580D9\" Offset=\"0.1\" /> <GradientStop Color=\"#118FE9\" Offset=\"0.35\" /> <GradientStop Color=\"#1580D9\" Offset=\"0.8\" /> <GradientStop Color=\"#1580D9\" Offset=\"1.0\" /></LinearGradientBrush>",
  "controlStyles[22].styles[1]": "Width=290",
  "controlStyles[22].styles[2]": "Margin=-290,0,0,-65",
  "controlStyles[22].styles[3]": "CornerRadius=5",
  "controlStyles[23].target": "Border#AcrylicBorder",
  "controlStyles[23].styles[0]": "Background:= <AcrylicBrush BackgroundSource=\"Backdrop\" TintColor=\"{ThemeResource SystemChromeAltHighColor}\" TintOpacity=\"0\" TintLuminosityOpacity=\".5\" />",
  "controlStyles[24].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.TextBlock#PinnedListHeaderText",
  "controlStyles[24].styles[0]": "Margin=20,25,0,0",
  "controlStyles[25].target": "TextBlock#AppDisplayName",
  "controlStyles[25].styles[0]": "Foreground=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[26].target": "TextBlock#AllAppsHeading",
  "controlStyles[26].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[27].target": "TextBlock#FolderGlyph",
  "controlStyles[27].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[28].target": "TextBlock#StatusMessage",
  "controlStyles[28].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[29].target": "TextBlock#FolderGlyph",
  "controlStyles[29].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[30].target": "TextBlock#Text ",
  "controlStyles[30].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[31].target": "TextBlock#AppDisplayName",
  "controlStyles[31].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[32].target": "StartMenu.ExpandedFolderList > Grid > Border",
  "controlStyles[32].styles[0]": "Background=#34294f",
  "controlStyles[33].target": "TextBlock#DisplayName",
  "controlStyles[33].styles[0]": "Foreground:=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[34].target": "StartDocked.LauncherFrame > Grid#RootGrid > Grid#RootContent > Grid#MainContent > Grid#InnerContent > Rectangle",
  "controlStyles[34].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[9].styles[1]": "Visibility=Visible",
  "controlStyles[9].styles[2]": "Transform3D:=<CompositeTransform3D TranslateX=\"450\" TranslateY=\"-580\"  />",
  "controlStyles[35].target": "TextBlock#PinnedListHeaderText",
  "controlStyles[35].styles[0]": "Text=Windows Xp",
  "controlStyles[35].styles[1]": "FontSize=15",
  "controlStyles[35].styles[2]": "Opacity=.75",
  "controlStyles[35].styles[3]": "FontWeight=500",
  "controlStyles[35].styles[4]": "Transform3D:=<CompositeTransform3D TranslateX=\"45\" TranslateY=\"-20\"  />",
  "controlStyles[36].target": "TextBlock#AllAppsHeading",
  "controlStyles[36].styles[0]": "Text=All Apps",
  "controlStyles[37].target": "StartDocked.AppListView#NavigationPanePlacesListView",
  "controlStyles[37].styles[0]": "Transform3D:=<CompositeTransform3D TranslateX=\"0\"/>",
  "controlStyles[38].target": "Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.TextBlock[Text=]",
  "controlStyles[38].styles[0]": "Text= Power",
  "controlStyles[38].styles[1]": "FontFamily=Segoe UI, Segoe MDL2 Assets",
  "controlStyles[38].styles[2]": "Foreground=#ffffff",
  "controlStyles[39].target": "StartDocked.NavigationPaneButton#PowerButton",
  "controlStyles[39].styles[0]": "Width=80",
  "controlStyles[39].styles[1]": "Margin=0,0,-25,0",
  "controlStyles[40].target": "TextBlock#UserTileNameText",
  "controlStyles[40].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed",
  "controlStyles[41].target": "StartDocked.NavigationPaneButton#PowerButton > Grid > Border#BackgroundBorder",
  "controlStyles[41].styles[0]": "Background:=#46c9d8ed",
  "controlStyles[41].styles[1]": "CornerRadius=10"
}

Performance and Reliability

Don’t worry about this slowing down your PC. Because this Modern XP Start Menu style for Windows 11 is built on modern code, it uses less than 1% of your CPU. It’s as snappy as the stock menu, but it looks a whole lot better. I’ve been running this setup on my main workstation for months with zero crashes.

Conclusion

The Modern XP Start Menu style for Windows 11 is the ultimate proof that you don’t have to give up your favorite designs just because software evolves. It’s colorful, it’s productive, and it makes using your PC fun again. If you’re tired of the flat, grey designs of modern tech, give this retro-modern hybrid a shot.

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