Advanced menu in Windows 11 is a good way to get access easily quick and convenient access to the main internal tools the latest operating system from Microsoft. Widely used by advanced and professional users, it is an alternative/supplement to the Start menu or hotkeys that are supposed to do the same thing.

The Windows power menu the one we’re concerned with was released in Windows 8 and was almost necessary because that version didn’t have the Start menu back in Windows 8.1. From there, not too much has changed until Windows 11, except that the movement of functions from the classic Control Panel to the general Configuration tool deprived us of some tools that were previously available. In any case, it is still very useful for accessing certain internal system tasks and tools.

Windows 11 Advanced Menu

Accessing this menu is very simple and is done in two ways:

• Right-click the Start button.
• Or using the shortcut “Windows + X”.

From there you will see a context menu offering quick access to simple and advanced functions which many users use frequently. You’ll see few differences from the Windows 10 menu, except for the change in access to the Windows console, which Microsoft has re-unified in the new Terminal.

Let’s review the available features and their description:

installed applications

Go to the page with the same name of the System Configuration utility. It used to be much more powerful because it accessed the Control Panel, which, in addition to adding or removing programs, provided quick access to enable/disable Windows features and the Installed Updates interface. The changes have to do with moving commented functions from the control panel, which Microsoft considers obsolete, and therefore thinks about removing it or reducing it to a minimum expression.

mobility center.

(Only for devices with a battery). You’ll see it on your laptop to manage screen brightness, volume or sync profiles, as well as battery status and mode used.

Energy options

Open the Startup/Shutdown & Sleep tab of Settings. The latest versions of Windows include a slider that easily switches from maximum power saving mode to maximum performance. Within the page, there is direct access to the additional classic control panel energy configurator.

Event Viewer

A classic suite management tool that includes Microsoft Management Console (MMC), which helps find and fix Windows and application problems, including blue screens and other issues.

System

If you previously accessed the classic Control Panel, it now points to the “About” page of the modern Settings tool. Provides information about the computer, including the edition of Windows installed and the version Windows Experience Index, activation status and also list some hardware components, processor or RAM. The same page offers shortcuts to related advanced options such as Remote Desktop, BitLocker, or System Upgrade/Activation.

Device Manager

It’s one of the few parts of Windows 11’s advanced menu that continues to point to the classic Control Panel manager. One of the oldest Windows utilities that identifies every computer hardware component and shows the status and assigned driver at a glance. It is one of the first places a user should visit after installing Windows to ensure that all hardware and peripherals are set up correctly.

Network connections

This is another one that has been ported from the control panel to the general configuration tool. It reports the status of Internet and/or local network connections with direct access to manage connections available on a computer, Ethernet LAN, or wireless networks. You can also update your driver, manage Windows Firewall, or fix network issues here.

Disk management

It shows the mass storage drives connected to the computer and provides tools for changing drive letters, formatting, shrinking or expanding partitions, and more. Disk Manager may seem old-fashioned, but it also offers modern Windows features, such as the ability to create VHD virtual hard drives, and is essential for managing storage drives and partitions.

Team management

Another classic old school (MMC) tool, a container for various other tools and could be considered the spiritual ancestor of the new user menu we are reviewing. Includes access to task scheduler, event viewer, shared folders, local users and groups, performance, services, and device or disk manager.

Terminal

Once Microsoft defined Windows Terminal as the “definitive” tool for working with the various command line applications active in its operating systems (CMD and Powershell) and made it the default Windows 11 console, it was logical that it should occupy this position. place in the extended menu. Like the previous one, it offers access to a DOS-style command line interface that allows the user to enter system instructions using a simple line of text.

Terminal (Admin)

The same command line tool above, but with administrator rights, which allows you to complete any task, order or instruction, not just at the user level.

Task Manager

Direct access to one of the oldest internal Windows management applications. Microsoft has not stopped improving it with each version and today it goes far beyond the well-known feature of stopping tasks from hanging and restarting the computer, as you can see in this user guide.

Settings

Microsoft is not shy about showing interest in eliminating the control panel in the future and in recent versions has replaced access to it by directly replacing the modern manager.

File browser

Not much to comment on here. Access to the basic internal file and folder management app that Microsoft improved in Windows 11 is in the process of being improved, as it falls far short of what third-party solutions offer.

Search

It provides direct access to the Windows search tool. It retains the modern UI style implemented in Windows 8 and is really redundant in this menu as it is included by default next to the start button.

Run

Another classic Windows tool that provides a quick method of opening programs, managers, files, folders or Internet resources, making it easier to interact with your computer and save time and effort when working with Windows and its applications.

Turn off or log out

It is self-explanatory and is currently the only Windows Advanced menu item that offers a submenu with different options: log off, suspend, shut down, or restart the system.

Bench

It does the same thing as the small button to the right of the taskbar. Minimize open apps and windows to the bar to reveal the desktop. If you press again, it will restore what you had open.

In short: a very useful menu that offers shortcuts to some of the most important tools in Microsoft operating systems. There are fewer features than originally, and many of them go to Settings rather than Control Panel, but it’s still interesting for intermediate and advanced users.