Recently we talked about OpenShell, an excellent alternative start menu that has received official support for Windows 11. However, if you are looking for an even simpler and lighter option, nothing stops you from experimenting with Spencer. Inspired by the old Windows 9x and XP menu, Spencer behaves like a portable program, avoiding major modifications to the operating system.
The start menu in Windows 11 represents anything but the end user's wishes. Limited, inflexible, with unwanted sections and heavy from every point of view, the first thing that comes to mind is to look for a replacement. Fortunately, the market offers commercial options like StartAllBack or Start11, and another free one at the level of OpenShell. These three examples are more than enough to cover the vast majority of cases, but there is also Spencer, an ultralight start menu compatible with all editions of Windows from 2000 onward.
Spencer, an alternative start menu for your Windows installation
One of the most interesting aspects of Spencer is that it does not block the original start menu, but behaves as a secondary program. In fact, its “installation” is nothing more than creating a pin on the taskbar. Spencer is essentially “what you see is what you get”, just an alphabetical list (the official page has a list of modifiers to change this) with almost all programs and resources available in the installation. I say “almost” because the new Windows 10 and 11 apps do not appear, but it does include a shortcut to the system console with elevated privileges, and another for the classic Run menu. If the list is too long, Spencer allows us to use the mouse wheel.
Personally, I have noticed that some entries can be duplicated (for example, Windows Tools), and to configure a keyboard shortcut, the only way is by editing its shortcut on the taskbar (through its properties). However, that doesn't make Spencer any less interesting. I imagine some users could experiment with this software on previous versions of Windows, which are much more receptive when using shells and alternative menus.
Official site and download: Click here
