Solved How To Make Windows 11 Taskbar Uncombined and Unlocked

vannn · Aug 7, 2021

RubberDuck said:
DoIneeed to Take Ownership of the explorer.exe files?

@echo off

Taskkill /im explorer.exe /f

ren "C:\Windows\explorer.exe" explorer1.exe
copy "D:\explorer.exe" "C:\windows\"

pause
start explorer.exe

blacxarea · Aug 7, 2021

RubberDuck said:
DoIneeed to Take Ownership of the explorer.exe files?

I never do that when I replaced my explorer.exe with the one I copied from other PC, but maybe you have to.

KenY7744 · Aug 7, 2021

I replaced the Win11 explorer.exe with the Win10 explorer.exe. I was able to resize the taskbar to any number of rows I wanted, BUT, it was impossible to launch the Setup app either by the start button or from an icon I had pinned to the taskbar. Also, the Windows start button didn't work at all. I had to revert to the Win11 explorer.exe to regain the functionality I lost with the Win10 explorer.exe.

blacxarea · Aug 8, 2021

KenY7744 said:
I replaced the Win11 explorer.exe with the Win10 explorer.exe. I was able to resize the taskbar to any number of rows I wanted, BUT, it was impossible to launch the Setup app either by the start button or from an icon I had pinned to the taskbar. Also, the Windows start button didn't work at all. I had to revert to the Win11 explorer.exe to regain the functionality I lost with the Win10 explorer.exe.

I installed StartIsBack++ after replaced explorer.exe.
But now I don't do that trick again. Just apply the "undocking" reghack to get the old Taskbar and old context menu.
StartIsBack++ is still needed. Running well in 22000.120 Build.

Beej · Aug 11, 2021

this lucky guess hack just worked for me to restore Win10 start menu on top of Win11 "undocking" reghack...
via task manager i saw "StartMenuExperienceHost.exe" was crashing every time trying to hit start button...
so i copied it from win10 and that seems to work ok

found here: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
i did just the exe first with no other files
unfortunately right mouse start button, aka Win+X menu, still not working and i liked to customize that as well so i'll be poking around to understand that better if anybody has any clues?
also i see start menu background takes a extra few seconds to go away after close
i'm copying from win10 v 21h1 build 19043.1165
and i'm on win11 22000.100

no other hacks in play... just "undocking" reg and this exe

not really expecting to "sit" on exe replacements for long term solution but better than nothing while everybody lobbies msft to restore various bits.

blacxarea · Aug 11, 2021

Beej said:
this lucky guess hack just worked for me to restore Win10 start menu on top of Win11 "undocking" reghack...
via task manager i saw "StartMenuExperienceHost.exe" was crashing every time trying to hit start button...
so i copied it from win10 and that seems to work ok

found here: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
i did just the exe first with no other files
unfortunately right mouse start button, aka Win+X menu, still not working and i liked to customize that as well so i'll be poking around to understand that better if anybody has any clues?
also i see start menu background takes a extra few seconds to go away after close
i'm copying from win10 v 21h1 build 19043.1165
and i'm on win11 22000.100

no other hacks in play... just "undocking" reg and this exe

not really expecting to "sit" on exe replacements for long term solution but better than nothing while everybody lobbies msft to restore various bits.

I haven't tried to alter "StartMenuExperienceHost.exe." And, yes, whether it replaced with Win10 explorer or not, reghack "kills" Win + X, it also kills Snap Flyout, and new ribbon..
Replacing "explorer.exe" could be a weekly job as long as Win11 is not in Final build. Because, anytime a new build comes, the explorer will be replaced by the newest one.
I'm just too bored to dig more right now. As long as the OS is in stable condition for my daily work, I think I can consider that this Win11 game is over..

blacxarea · Aug 13, 2021

Installed newest build (22000.132). All the reghacks still work. First install gave me GSOD, restarted the PC and repeat the update. Took about an hour for the update process to finish, while it constantly shows me this progress:

The number made me think: what kind of PC do I have?

blacxarea · Aug 20, 2021

Build 22000.160 now, can't notice any difference..

vannn · Aug 21, 2021

yeah, none. i really wish stardock creates a custom taskbar (drag&drop) and the classic context menu.

that's all i want.

Edwin · Aug 21, 2021

WTF! There has been a bloodletting of public outcry about these options!!! Is not MS listening!?!?!?

blacxarea · Aug 21, 2021

3rd party softwares. That's all we have now. No other option available from MS. Or they simply doesn't care.

Edwin · Aug 21, 2021

blacxarea said:
3rd party softwares. That's all we have now. No other option available from MS. Or they simply doesn't care.

Geez Louise! If I use any more 3rd party apps, the whole fecking OS is gonna become one huge 3rd party app!!!

blacxarea · Aug 21, 2021

Edwin said:
Geez Louise! If I use any more 3rd party apps, the whole fecking OS is gonna become one huge 3rd party app!!!

Not that huge because we already cleanup bunch of useless builtin apps they choked to our computer, and replace them with more valuable programs. The more I use this new OS, the more I feel that it's simply an empty HOST for other better softwares.

Edwin · Aug 21, 2021

blacxarea said:
Not that huge because we already cleanup bunch of useless builtin apps they choked to our computer, and replace them with more valuable programs. The more I use this new OS, the more I feel that it's simply an empty HOST for other better softwares.

Yup..., as a traditional Desktop user, I'm not impressed with the direction W11 is going!

i486 · Sep 2, 2021

blacxarea said:
3rd party softwares. That's all we have now. No other option available from MS. Or they simply doesn't care.

Don't lose hope just yet. Remember that Windows 10 was released with very limited customization options. No custom accent colours, very limited choice of preset accent colours, no accent colour on titlebars and so on.

This isn't a very high priority, especially when the OS hasn't even been released yet.

ibm450 · Sep 3, 2021

is there a hack to fully make the taskbar 100% transparent all the time

vannn · Sep 3, 2021

ibm450 said:
is there a hack to fully make the taskbar 100% transparent all the time

you need 3rd party app.

Xereticus · Sep 8, 2021

Good thread helped me a lot.

Any way to change start menu position? After replacing the W11 explorer for the W10 one, seems everything works fine but start menu is still centered after trying to change it position.

NVM
This is working like a charm

GitHub - valinet/ExplorerPatcher: This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows

This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows - valinet/ExplorerPatcher

github.com

Old Windows 10 Taskbar

Hallo, i dont find it here, my System Windows 11 22000.176, here you can get the old Win10 Taskbar, without any Problems, it is working fine for me. ;) https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2021/09/06/explorerpatcher-alte-taskleiste-unter-windows-11-aktivieren-wie-man-es-von-windows-10-gewoehnt-ist/...

www.elevenforum.com

vannn · Sep 8, 2021

Xereticus said:
Good thread helped me a lot.

Any way to change start menu position? After replacing the W11 explorer for the W10 one, seems everything works fine but start menu is still centered after trying to change it position.

NVM
This is working like a charm

GitHub - valinet/ExplorerPatcher: This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows

This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows - valinet/ExplorerPatcher

github.com

Old Windows 10 Taskbar

Hallo, i dont find it here, my System Windows 11 22000.176, here you can get the old Win10 Taskbar, without any Problems, it is working fine for me. ;) https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2021/09/06/explorerpatcher-alte-taskleiste-unter-windows-11-aktivieren-wie-man-es-von-windows-10-gewoehnt-ist/...

www.elevenforum.com

yep. you could also try startisback beta.

blacxarea · Sep 10, 2021

vannn said:
yep. you could also try startisback beta.

Haven't try this one yet. I'm still using StartIsBack++ 2.9.15 along with the reghack. Smoothly working on my old PC..

Solved How To Make Windows 11 Taskbar Uncombined and Unlocked

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