Microsoft is moving more of its redesigned Start menu into the Windows 11 Beta channel, although the long-awaited movable taskbar remains confined to experimental builds.

Build 26220.8925 was released last night to Windows Insiders in the Beta channel and has "a number of improvements for the Start menu," including controls for its size and sections.

The Start menu has gained small and large size options alongside the existing default section-level toggles, a rename from Recommended to Recent, a redesigned Start menu settings page, and the option to hide the user's name and picture in Start.

However, changing the location of the taskbar is not quite there yet despite pleas from users.

In May, Microsoft stated: "Location, location, location. The ability to move the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen has been one of the most requested features, and we are bringing it to Windows 11." 

The ability to position the taskbar on any edge of the screen was familiar to Windows 10, but dropped from Windows 11 in the name of code rewrites. Users have complained ever since. Microsoft may hope that appearing to listen to taskbar feedback – rather than shoving more AI down customers' throats – might reverse some ill will toward its flagship operating system.

It may be too little, too late. With hardware prices soaring, restoring interface features Microsoft should never have removed feels like small beer. A leaner Windows that runs well on older PCs would be far more useful.

Windows 10 could work on 2 GB for 64-bit systems. Windows 11 needs at least 4 GB. Both represent a minimum, although some enterprising users have demonstrated just how low Windows 11 can go with all the cruft removed.

Microsoft's Start menu fiddling has moved closer to production, hopefully with the taskbar changes following behind. However, if the Microsoft truly cares about user feedback, it will work on reducing Windows' system requirements while component costs remain painfully high.

A movable taskbar might silence some complaints, but wider support for PCs that ran Windows 10 perfectly well would matter more to many users. ®