How to access Windows 10’s secret Start Menu

Did you just wake up from a month-long nap? News flash: Windows 10 is here! Microsoft’s hotly anticipated next-generation desktop and tablet operating system was released to the public nearly one month ago, and the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Sure there have been a few speed bumps on the road (here are 5 common problems people are having with Windows 10 and how to fix them) and sure the launch has had a scandal or two (Windows 10 is spying on almost everything you do, but here’s how to stop it) but by and large, people love Windows 10… because it’s not Windows 8.

One of the most talked about new features in Windows 10 is the Start Menu, which is actually an old Windows feature that was sorely missed in Windows 8. But did you know that there’s a special “secret” Start Menu in Windows 10 that you’ve probably never even seen before?

FROM EARLIER: Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu – here’s how to customize it

The Start Menu is indeed one of the biggest draws of Microsoft’s new Windows 10 platform. As much attention as it has received, however, there’s still a whole other dimension to the Start Menu that many people have no idea exists.

As CNET noted in a recent post, there’s a “secret” Start Menu that provides quick access to a range of common functions. And the best part, perhaps, is the fact that it’s hiding right under your nose — it doesn’t even need to be enabled from within Windows 10’s settings in order to be accessed.

So how does it work? Simply right-click on the Windows 10 Start button and… no, wait, that’s it.

Right-clicking on the Start button opens up a new panel of shortcuts that give users instant access to things like the Event Viewer, Task Manager, Control Panel, File Explorer and more.

Here’s a screenshot:

MORE COVERAGE: Windows 10: The first 5 things you need to do immediately after you install it

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This article was originally published on BGR.com