Windows 10 GUI vastly different

[Grapher]

Not through choice I have just had to re-install Windows 10 Home. I am very familiar with Windows 10 GUI but as I reinstall my Apps I am seeing a very unfamiliar front end. For example, though I have Cortana it is simply not delivering. Under my "old" Windows 10 installation Cortana would have instantly dug up snipping tool. Now it does nothing! Another puzzle is that having installed an App, the shortcut does not appear in the Start menu or on the desktop. It is like going back to Windows 3.1 and I have to find the executable file e.g. word.exe and create a desktop shortcut just as in days of yore.
Please will someone tell me the solution to this baffling problem.

 

[Bighorn]

Press the WIndows key + R key and type winver, press Enter to see the Version and Build number of Win10 you have installed, post the whole line that gives it. We still have a few Versions of Win10 running, 1511, 1607, 1703 and 1709. Each has several builds and updates to those.

Don't use Cortana so don't have a solution for that.

My experience with installing most new programs the icon/Tile will show at the bottom of the list of Tiles but can be dragged to a different location. It usually also shows on the menu when clicking the Start button in one of the alphabetical sections, for example Microsoft Office will be in the M section, Adobe Reader will be in the A section, etc. There's usually is a Tile for each program but those can be removed/hidden without affecting the alphabetical list or removing the program..

The icon/shortcut on the Desktop does have to be created as the useful choices in this situation on the right-click menu are Pin to Start and Pin to Taskbar along with some others.