Tell me a way exists to remove "new" from start menu folders?

So my pc is several years old. Thats several years of tweaking, customizing, installing, and getting things EXACTLY how i like them and have used them for quite some time.

I just had a crash which forced a hard reset. Due to what I can only assume is the way I have the cache set up (write back) it mucked up some data.

At first I couldnt see anything in my start menu, it was just empty. After a hiding and unhiding of the folders in programdata, they all show again.

With one caveat..
now every single folder and every single item in said folders - carries the "new" label as if i just installed them! My options are A) clicking on and opening every single thing I have installed or B) hopefully some way to mass remove this new appended label that you guys can suggest :)

help!

Don't think there's a 'mass undo', but try a right-click on each 'new', it should be enough to remove it - no need to open the app. It may make the job easier if you turn on Start's 'recently added..' and do it from there.
Add or Remove Recently Added apps on Start Menu in Windows 10

Or just wait - I think they stop being 'new' after a while anyway.

didnt know it would clear in time, but the right clicking seems to work. tyvm :)

also my settings shortcut on the left side of startmenu (the button) disappeared. Its greyed out when i try the slider in settings/personlization and if i go into the startmenu/programs folder the shortcut is there but clicking on it opens control panel.

any idea what happened there or how to fix?