In this series of detailed posts about Leasey 11.5, we have looked at some very large features.
We have looked at LeaseyWord, LeaseyMedia Centre, LeaseySocial, Leasey File Manager, LeaseyNotes, Leasey Database Manager, LeaseyCuts, LeaseyDiary and Talk to ChatGPT.
Each of those features has its own identity. Each one helps with a particular kind of work.
This time, we are looking at something more foundational.
How do you get to the things you want to use?
How do you find programs when Windows gives you a very large list?
How do you make a shorter list of the applications and tools you use every day?
How do you remove clutter without accidentally uninstalling something?
How do you understand what is installed on your computer, or what is starting automatically with Windows?
Those questions may sound simple, but they matter a great deal.
For some people, finding and launching an application is so routine that they barely think about it. For others, particularly people who are less confident with Windows, it can be one of the most confusing parts of using a computer.
Leasey 11.5 introduces a redesigned Leasey Start Menu and Leasey Main Menu to make that part of the experience clearer, faster and more comfortable.
There is an important background to this feature.
As part of the Leasey 11.5 redesign, Leasey Total Package is changing. The product is now simply Leasey. Leasey Basic, which was previously included as part of Leasey Total Package, is no longer part of the product.
Leasey Basic was originally designed as a menu-driven interface. It gave people a structured way to access common parts of the computer, particularly if they were new to Windows or preferred a guided style of working.
Most Leasey users have long since moved beyond that particular interface. But there are still people who benefited from it, and those users matter.
The aim was not to bring back the old interface exactly as it was. Leasey has moved on enormously since those early days. Instead, the aim was to provide a fresh and more modern approach which still respects the needs that Leasey Basic used to meet.
The Leasey Start Menu and Leasey Main Menu are part of that answer.
They are useful for people who want a simpler way to find and launch applications. They are useful for people who support new computer users. They are useful for people who want a smaller, personalised menu of the items they use most often. And, as beta testers have shown, they are also useful for experienced users who simply want to get things done more quickly.
This is one of the interesting themes of Leasey 11.5.
Features which were partly inspired by beginners are not only for beginners.
If a tool is quick, clear and efficient, everyone can benefit.
The Leasey Start Menu is available with the Leasey Key followed by Windows+S.
Its purpose is to make it easier to find and launch applications, especially when working with JAWS.
The Windows Start Menu can contain a very large number of items. It can include traditional desktop programs, Microsoft Store style apps, utilities, folders, uninstallers, manufacturer tools and other entries. Some of these are useful every day. Others may be things you rarely need to touch.
The Leasey Start Menu brings those items into a more direct list.
You can filter the list. You can launch an item. You can remove items you do not want to see. You can add your own files or portable programs. You can rename entries. You can rearrange the order. You can add selected items to the Leasey Main Menu. You can create desktop shortcuts. You can add selected applications to the Windows Startup group. You can open tools for uninstalling programs and reviewing startup programs.
That may sound like a lot, but the main window is deliberately straightforward.
It contains a Filter edit box, an Applications list, and buttons for the main actions: Launch, Remove, Rename, Add File, Add to Leasey Main Menu, Create Desktop Shortcut, Add to Startup Group, Uninstall Programs, Startup Programs, Move Up, Move Down, Restore Removed and Close.
The two most important parts are the Filter edit box and the Applications list.
In everyday use, most people will spend the majority of their time in one of those two places.
When the Leasey Start Menu opens, focus is placed in the Applications list.
This was not an accident.
Beta testers felt strongly that this was the most useful starting point. Many users will open the menu and immediately want to arrow through the applications or use first letter navigation. Starting in the list makes that possible.
You can press Up or Down Arrow to move through the list, or press Enter to launch the selected item.
You can also type letters while focused in the list.
For example, pressing W may move to an item beginning with W. Typing WO quickly may move to an item beginning with those letters, such as Word.
For many people, that will be enough.
Open the Leasey Start Menu, type the first few letters of the application, press Enter, and the program opens.
If the list is still too large, you can use the Filter edit box.
Press Control+F to move to the Filter edit box and begin typing part of an application name. As you type, the Applications list is narrowed.
For example, typing word should find entries containing the word "word".
As the list changes, JAWS should announce the first matching item and the number of matches. If Word is the only match, you may hear something like, "Word, 1 match."
From the Filter edit box, Down Arrow moves to the first item in the Applications list, Up Arrow moves to the last item in the list, and Enter launches the currently selected application.
This gives users two comfortable approaches.
If you know roughly where the item is, use the list.
If you want to narrow the list, use the filter.
Launching an application is intentionally simple.
Move to the item in the Applications list and press Enter.
You can also Tab to the Launch button and press Enter or Space.
Leasey asks Windows to launch the item maximised. Some applications honour that request better than others, but the intention is clear: when you launch something, it should be easy to find and ready to use.
This is especially helpful for screen reader users because a newly opened program which appears in an unexpected size or position can be disorientating. Leasey cannot control every program, but it can make the best request it can.
One of the most important parts of the Leasey Start Menu is that you can remove items from the menu without uninstalling them from Windows.
This distinction matters.
Removing an item from the Leasey Start Menu simply hides it from this custom menu. It does not remove the program from the computer.
That means you can make the Leasey Start Menu calmer and more useful without worrying that you are deleting software.
If there is an item you do not want to see, move to it in the Applications list and press Delete. You will be asked to confirm the removal by typing the letter Y. You can also use the Remove button.
JAWS should confirm that the item has been removed.
This is ideal when Windows has placed many entries in the Start Menu which are technically valid but not useful to you every day.
You can also remove several items at once.
Move to an application in the list and press comma to select it for removal. Press comma again if you want to unselect it. Continue moving through the list and pressing comma on each application you want to select.
Press forward slash to hear which applications are currently selected.
Press full-stop or period to clear the temporary selection without removing anything. Leasey should ask you to confirm before the selection is cleared.
When you are ready, press Alt+R, press the Delete key, or activate the Remove button to remove the selected applications from the Leasey Start Menu.
We hope this is a thoughtful touch because cleaning a menu one item at a time can be tedious. If you know several entries are not useful, you can mark them first and remove them together.
Leasey also tries to protect you while items are selected for removal. Launch, Rename, Move Up, Move Down and Add to Leasey Main Menu are unavailable while applications are temporarily selected. That helps prevent you from accidentally launching or changing the wrong item while tidying the menu.
If you later decide you want removed items back, use Restore Removed. This brings back removed Windows Start Menu items after confirmation.
The Leasey Start Menu is not limited to applications Windows has placed in its own Start Menu.
You can add your own item if you know where it is located.
Use Add File, or press Alt+I. Choose the file in the standard Windows file dialog, type the name you want to appear in the Leasey Start Menu, and confirm the name.
Examples might include a portable program, an EXE file, a batch file, a command file, a shortcut, or a document you open frequently.
This is useful because not every helpful item is a formally installed Windows application.
Some people use portable tools. Some people have scripts. Some people have a document or resource they open every day. The Leasey Start Menu can become a practical launching point for those items too.
You can rename items in the Leasey Start Menu.
Move to the item, press F2, type the new name and press Enter. Confirm the name is correct by pressing Enter again. You can also use the Rename button.
Renaming changes only the name shown in the Leasey Start Menu. It does not rename the real Windows shortcut or application.
That is useful because the name Windows provides is not always the name you would naturally use.
For example, a program may have a long official title, or it may include extra words you do not need to hear every time you move through the list. You can give it a shorter, clearer name for your own menu.
You can also rearrange items.
Move to the item and use Move Up or Move Down. The shortcut keys are Alt+U for Move Up and Alt+D for Move Down.
JAWS should announce where the item has moved, such as "Moved WhatsApp below Word."
This gives you control over the order of the menu, which is especially useful if you prefer your most important items near the top.
The Leasey Start Menu can also help with desktop shortcuts.
Control+D activates Create Desktop Shortcut. If the matching shortcut is already on the desktop, the same command becomes Remove Desktop Shortcut.
This is particularly helpful for items such as Microsoft Store apps and modern Leasey applications.
Creating desktop shortcuts to some newer kinds of apps is not always as obvious as it should be. Leasey gives the user a direct command for it.
The Leasey Start Menu can also help when there is an application you always want to start with Windows.
When an app is focused in the Applications list, you can use Add to Startup Group, or press Control+G.
This adds an entry to the Windows Startup group for the selected application.
For some users, this could be useful for an email program, a communication tool, a work utility, or another application they genuinely want available every time the computer starts.
It also sits nicely beside the separate Startup Programs tool described later. One feature lets you add something you want to start automatically. The other helps you review and control what is already starting automatically.
The Leasey Start Menu can contain hundreds of items.
That is useful when you are searching for something, but it is not always what you want for daily work.
The Leasey Main Menu is designed to be much shorter.
Think of the Leasey Start Menu as the larger catalogue and the Leasey Main Menu as your personal favourites list.
If you find an item in the Leasey Start Menu and want it on the Leasey Main Menu, move to it and press Control+M. You can also Tab to Add to Leasey Main Menu and press Enter or Space.
JAWS should confirm that the item has been added.
If the item already exists on the Leasey Main Menu, Leasey should tell you this rather than adding a duplicate.
This is very useful if you are setting up a computer for someone who might be daunted by a long application list.
You can leave the Leasey Start Menu available for searching, but build a smaller Leasey Main Menu containing only the applications and tools that person needs every day.
The Leasey Start Menu also supports Where Am I and Leasey Command Centre.
Press Control+Shift+I for Where Am I. This gives a short description of where you are, such as the current field, list, selected item and item position.
This may sound small, but it can be reassuring. If you have moved through a few controls and are not quite sure where focus is, Where Am I gives orientation.
Press Control+Shift+C to open Leasey Command Centre.
Leasey Command Centre is a searchable command dialog. Focus starts in the Command edit field. You can type part of a command name, or a plain-language word such as settings, favourite, favorite, remove, delete or rename.
You can then move to the matching commands and run the one you want.
This helps users who do not remember every shortcut key. If you can remember the idea of what you want to do, Leasey Command Centre can help you find the command.
The Leasey Start Menu includes an Uninstall Programs button.
This is separate from removing an item from the Leasey Start Menu.
Removing an item from the Leasey Start Menu only hides it from that menu. Uninstall Programs is for reviewing and uninstalling software from the computer.
The Uninstall Programs window contains a Filter edit box, an Installed apps list, a Show advanced and protected items check box, Details, Explain, Uninstall, Programs and Features, Windows App Settings, Refresh and Close.
The list includes many traditional desktop programs and Microsoft Store style apps where Windows makes them available.
Some technical Windows components are hidden by default. These may include Windows support packages, Microsoft Store infrastructure, framework packages used by other apps, or components Windows reports as not removable.
That is a sensible choice.
Most users opening an uninstall tool do not want to be presented immediately with a long list of mysterious packages. They want to find recognisable applications.
If you do want to include those additional entries, select Show advanced and protected items.
You can type in the Filter edit box to narrow the list, or press Control+F to move there.
Press Enter on an app to hear details, or use the Details button. Details may include information such as publisher, version, install date, size and location. The information opens in a read-only edit field so it can be reviewed line by line.
For example, a details view might tell you the name of the app, whether it is a Microsoft Store app, its version, where it is located, and whether Windows reports that it can be uninstalled.
The Explain button is especially interesting.
If you are not sure what an application is, Explain can provide a short plain-language description of the selected app. This uses the Leasey OpenAI API key already in place.
That can be extremely helpful.
Many people are understandably nervous about uninstalling software. They may not know whether an item is important, optional, related to security, connected to a device, or simply something they no longer use.
An explanation does not replace good judgement, but it can give the user a much clearer starting point.
For example, if the selected app is WhatsApp, an explanation might describe it as a messaging app used for text messages, calls and sharing media. It might also explain that it is generally safe to remove if you do not use it, but that you should keep it if you communicate with people through WhatsApp.
Leasey is deliberately cautious about uninstalling.
The Delete key does not uninstall an app.
To uninstall, you must move to the app and activate the Uninstall button.
You should be asked twice before the uninstaller is started.
That double confirmation is important. Removing software is a more serious action than hiding something from a menu, and Leasey treats it that way.
Leasey will never uninstall a program by itself. It uses the uninstaller as designed by the developer.
Some third-party uninstallers may still open their own windows, and those windows may vary in accessibility. The purpose of Uninstall Programs is to give users an accessible starting point and a clear list of what Windows reports as installed.
Programs and Features opens the older Windows uninstall area if you prefer to use it.
Windows App Settings opens the modern Windows apps settings page if you prefer that route.
The Leasey Start Menu also includes Startup Programs.
This opens a separate tool for reviewing programs which Windows starts automatically.
Startup Programs is not the same as Uninstall Programs.
Uninstall Programs removes software from the computer.
Startup Programs only controls whether some programs start automatically when Windows starts.
This is another area where a plain-language approach can make a real difference.
Many computers have applications which start with Windows. Some are useful. Some are unnecessary. Some may slow the computer down. But the names of startup entries are not always clear.
The Startup Programs window contains a Startup apps list, Details, Explain, Disable or Enable, Refresh and Close.
The list includes normal Startup folder entries and common Windows registry Run entries.
It does not list or change Windows services.
That is deliberate. Disabling services can be risky and is not something most users should be encouraged to do casually.
JAWS startup components are excluded because JAWS should be allowed to start with Windows.
A typical list entry might say something like, "Adobe Acrobat Synchronizer, Disabled, Current user registry."
That tells you the name of the item, its current state, and where the startup entry comes from.
Use Details if you want to review the item name, status, source, publisher, command and path.
Use Explain if you want a short plain-language description of the selected startup item. This uses the Leasey ChatGPT API key.
Again, the purpose is not to encourage random disabling. The purpose is to help the user understand what they are looking at before making a choice.
For example, an explanation might say that Adobe Acrobat Synchronizer helps sync files and settings across devices using Adobe Acrobat. It might explain that if it is disabled, it does not start automatically when the computer starts. It might also suggest that if you rely on Acrobat syncing across devices, you may want to keep it enabled, while other users may leave it disabled to improve startup speed.
Use Disable if you do not want the selected item to start automatically with Windows.
Use Enable to restore an item which this tool has disabled.
Disabling is designed to be reversible.
Registry startup entries are backed up locally before they are removed from the Windows Run entry. Startup folder shortcuts are renamed rather than deleted.
Some startup entries may require administrator rights to change. If Windows reports that an item cannot be disabled, the item is left unchanged.
This is careful design.
The tool gives users more control, but it does not pretend that every startup item is safe to change or that every Windows restriction can be bypassed.
The Leasey Main Menu is available by pressing the Print Screen key, or by pressing the Leasey Key followed by Windows+M.
If the Leasey Start Menu is the larger application list, the Leasey Main Menu is the shorter daily menu.
It is designed for the applications and tools you use most often.
The Start Menu is useful for finding things. The Main Menu is intended for fast launching.
The Leasey Main Menu starts with a small selection of commonly used items where they are available on the computer. Examples may include Word, Outlook Classic, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Edge, File Explorer, Remote Incident Manager, and Leasey applications such as LeaseyConnect, LeaseyCuts, LeaseyDatabase Manager, LeaseyDiary, LeaseyFile Manager, LeaseyMedia Centre, LeaseyNotes, LeaseySocial and LeaseyWord.
It may also include Shut down the computer and Restart the computer.
If you already have a customised Leasey Main Menu, the standard Leasey entries may be added if they are missing, but your existing items should not be removed.
That is important because a personal menu is personal.
Leasey can help make sure useful Leasey shortcuts are present, but it should not casually wipe out the structure a user has already built.
You can add more items to the Leasey Main Menu in three ways.
You can add an item from the Leasey Start Menu using Add to Leasey Main Menu.
You can use Add File from the Leasey Main Menu if you know where the file or portable program is located.
You can use Add URL if you know the web address of a site you want to launch quickly.
That last option is worth noting.
For many people, daily work is not only about installed applications. It may also include web sites, portals, online services, documentation pages, cloud tools or support resources.
Adding URLs allows the Leasey Main Menu to become a daily launch point for both local applications and important web locations.
The Main Menu window is deliberately simple.
It contains an Applications list and buttons for Launch, Remove, Rename, Add File, Add URL, Reinstate All Main Menu shortcuts provided by Leasey, Restore all settings to defaults, Move Up, Move Down and Close.
The basic use is very direct.
Press Up or Down Arrow to move through the Applications list.
Press Enter to launch the selected item.
Press Delete to remove the selected item from the Leasey Main Menu.
Press F2 to rename the selected item.
Press Alt+I to add a file or portable program.
Press Control+U to add a URL.
Press Alt+U or Alt+D to move an item up or down.
Press Control+Shift+S to sort the list alphabetically.
Press Control+Comma to open Options.
Options includes a check box to launch the Leasey Main Menu at startup.
That is particularly helpful for computer beginners. If the Leasey Main Menu opens automatically, the user can begin with a short, familiar list of the applications and tools they are most likely to need, rather than having to remember where to go first.
Press Control+Shift+I for Where Am I.
Press Control+Shift+C to open Leasey Command Centre.
Press Escape to close the menu.
As with the Leasey Start Menu, removing an item from the Leasey Main Menu does not uninstall the application from Windows. It only removes that entry from the Main Menu.
This makes the Main Menu a safe place to customise.
You can adjust it until it feels right.
You can keep it short. You can place the most important items first. You can rename items so they make sense to you. You can remove things you do not use. You can add new ones later.
Leasey provides two different recovery-style actions in the Main Menu, and they do different things.
Reinstate All Main Menu shortcuts provided by Leasey adds any missing Leasey-provided shortcuts after confirmation. It does not remove your own custom entries.
This is useful if you have removed one of the standard shortcuts and later decide you want it back, or if a new Leasey application should be added to the menu.
Restore all settings to defaults is more drastic.
It asks for confirmation and then erases the current Main Menu customisations. It replaces the list with the installed default shortcuts.
That option is useful if you want to start again, but it is deliberately treated as a bigger reset.
If you choose Shut down the computer or Restart the computer, Leasey should ask for confirmation before the action takes place.
Again, the principle is consistent.
Quick actions should be quick, but actions with serious consequences should ask before they proceed.
The Leasey Start Menu and Leasey Main Menu may not sound as dramatic as a new social media client, a media centre, a notes system or a database manager.
But they matter because they sit close to the beginning of the user's work.
Before you write a document, you have to get to the word processor.
Before you listen to media, you have to open the player.
Before you check email, browse the web, open LeaseyNotes, launch LeaseyDiary or use Leasey File Manager, you need a comfortable way of reaching the thing you want.
Windows already has ways of doing this, of course.
But the question Leasey asks is slightly different.
Can this be made clearer for a JAWS user?
Can the user be given a list which is easier to search?
Can unwanted items be hidden without uninstalling anything?
Can a personal short menu be created for daily work?
Can desktop shortcuts be created more easily?
Can uninstalling and startup management begin from a more understandable place?
Can plain-language explanations help users make better decisions?
Can the interface be useful for beginners without slowing down experienced users?
That is the purpose of these features.
They are not trying to replace Windows.
They are trying to give Leasey users a more controlled, speech-friendly and task-focused way into Windows.
For someone who is new to computing, that can reduce anxiety.
For someone who supports new computer users, it can provide a structure which is easier to teach.
For someone who is already confident, it can still save time.
For longstanding Leasey users, it also provides a bridge from the older Leasey Basic world into the modern Leasey 11.5 experience.
Leasey 11.5 is full of large new and redesigned features, but sometimes a feature is valuable because it makes everything else easier to reach.
The Leasey Start Menu helps you find what is on the computer.
The Leasey Main Menu helps you keep close what you use every day.
Together, they make Leasey feel more complete as a working environment.
They give users a practical starting point, a personal daily menu, safer ways to tidy and understand what is installed, and a clearer path into the applications and tools they rely on.
That is not a small thing.
Sometimes the most helpful feature is the one which helps you begin.