TranslucentSM

The transparency or overall looks of the Start Menu is not something many of us even consider or be a priority. That is, until you actually see it. If you are spending a significant amount of time interacting with their computer, having a visually pleasing interface can contribute to a more enjoyable user experience.

TranslucentSM offers a simple, yet effective way to customize the transparency and luminosity of the Windows Start Menu.

I was pretty excited about trying the tool, especially after viewing the screenshots provided by the developer. However, once I hit the executable, nothing really happen, and then I found out that the changes need to be done directly in the registry key, more specifically HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\TranslucentSM.

While the results look nice, it’s not something many would want to bother, especially since modifying registries can cause PC problems sometimes. Then again, if you want to add this customization, you can locate the values for TintLuminosityOpacity and TintOpacity.

Here, the values should be adjusted between 1 and 9 to control the level of transparency and luminosity. Experiment with different values until you achieve the desired visual effect. For the changes to take effects, terminate the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe process and relaunch the app.

Besides the visual appeal TranslucentSM, adjusting the transparency of the Start menu can also improve accessibility. When the background is a bit see-through, it's easier to see the words and icons on the Start Menu and might be helpful for those who can't see well or have trouble telling colors apart.

A less opaque Start Menu can also contribute to overall user comfort and reduced eye strain, particularly during prolonged computer use. At the same time, it's not as crowded-looking and can come in handy for people who get easily distracted or have trouble focusing.