New Version of ExplorerPatcher

OAT · Nov 19, 2022

starbuck said:
Using 'Pin to Start' on the Settings App doesn't put it into the Windows 10 tiles even.

If you want as a quick fix:

Right click on your desktop/New/shortcut
put in target: ms-settings:system
next, replace New Internet Shortcut name with Settings
Now you have your shortcut, you need an icon you want.
Right click on your shortcut, properties, change Icon
Scroll all the way to the right and you will find the icon you want.
Hit OK twice.
Now Winkey+R & paste with the quotes "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"
Move that shortcut in the folder window that you just opened up. Close the window.
Now Go to your menu and the shortcut with Settings will be there.
Now right click and Pin To start , From Start Menu you can pin to Taskbar.

hdmi · Nov 20, 2022

starbuck said:
Have recently upgraded to Windows 11 and started using Explorer Patcher and it's a life saver. The only thing I'm missing is having access to Settings buton just above the Power button in the Start Menu like it was in Windows 10. I've looked around inside of Explorer Patcher configuration and I can't seem to find any option to turn on the appearance of the Settings button in the Start Menu so that it's like it was in Windows 10? Is that possible?

starbuck · Nov 20, 2022

hdmi said:
View attachment 45733

View attachment 45734

@hdmi - weird - so you get the Settings icon in the Start Menu with that configuration? I have the exact same options selected, but I don't get the Gear button...

hdmi · Nov 21, 2022

starbuck said:
@hdmi - weird - so you get the Settings icon in the Start Menu with that configuration? I have the exact same options selected, but I don't get the Gear button...

Nothing's weird about it TBH. Much to the contrary, whether the gearwheel icon of the Windows Settings app appears in there depends on what you've done in Windows Settings | Personalization | Start | Folders so, it's another PEBCAK.

EDIT: Since you are using the Pro edition of Windows 11, there's also a Policy CSP for it that you should be able to use to control the behavior.

Start Policy CSP

Learn more about the Start Area in Policy CSP.

learn.microsoft.com

Code:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\AllowPinnedFolderSettings /v value /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

The 1 at the end of the above command means that the gearwheel icon will be forced visible in the Start Menu, and the toggle switch to show/hide it will be greyed out in Windows Settings | Personalization | Start | Folders so standard users can no longer choose to hide the wheel unless they are granted permission to access the setting in Windows registry. As you can see in the part of the documentation I linked above, the default value for this setting is 65535 which means the wheel is neither forced visible nor forced hidden, and so users are able to use the toggle switch to toggle the wheel's visibility. So, next time you'll know it when you've fallen victim to a wheel thief.

Johnboy200 · Nov 21, 2022

starbuck said:
@OAT - right-click on Start Menu button doesn't seem to do anything. I get no response?

Use the search option and type in Settings, when it shows Settings app right click on it and either click on Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar, that way you'll have it a handy place.

starbuck · Nov 21, 2022

hdmi said:
Nothing's weird about it TBH. Much to the contrary, whether the gearwheel icon of the Windows Settings app appears in there depends on what you've done in Windows Settings | Personalization | Start | Folders so, it's another PEBCAK.

EDIT: Since you are using the Pro edition of Windows 11, there's also a Policy CSP for it that you should be able to use to control the behavior.

Start Policy CSP

Learn more about the Start Area in Policy CSP.

learn.microsoft.com

Code:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start\AllowPinnedFolderSettings /v value /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

The 1 at the end of the above command means that the gearwheel icon will be forced visible in the Start Menu, and the toggle switch to show/hide it will be greyed out in Windows Settings | Personalization | Start | Folders so standard users can no longer choose to hide the wheel unless they are granted permission to access the setting in Windows registry. As you can see in the part of the documentation I linked above, the default value for this setting is 65535 which means the wheel is neither forced visible nor forced hidden, and so users are able to use the toggle switch to toggle the wheel's visibility. So, next time you'll know it when you've fallen victim to a wheel thief.

oh good grief @hdmi - I didn't even realize that this is controlled in Personalization > Start > Folders. All I had to do was go there and flip the toggle switch. Problem solved and no fault of Explorer Patcher or needing to do anything fancy. I guess, somehow, the settings gear got turned off when I upgraded from Win10 to Win11

OrthodoxWin32 · Nov 21, 2022

Hello @valinet,

First of all, I would like to thank you for continuing to support the development/maintenance of ExplorerPatcher.

My request concerns the "Advanced mitigations for correct rendering using classic theme" feature; This option contains several features: 1. Patched OpenShell DLL support (using the color of the ButtonFace parameter for the taskbar background) 2. Changing the space between icons (this is only usable with labels enabled) 3. The ClientEdge in File Explorer 4. Changes to the system tray (adding the border and fixing the clock).

The problem is that it's not possible to enable these features independently of each other: for example, some users don't like the ClientEdge, but need taskbar changes. Other users (including myself, but I'm by no means the only one) don't like labels next to icons ; the ability to enable support for the patched OpenShell DLL (and any related taskbar color mitigations) and system tray mitigations without enabling icon spacing mitigations resolves this issue.

But the question is therefore this: would it be possible to allow the separate configuration of the functionalities specific to the classic theme (the Advanced mitigations) ? Especially between 1., 2. and 3.. It's not really a feature request, but rather a request to reorganize some existing features.

Thanks a lot,

OrthodoxWin32

hdmi · Nov 22, 2022

starbuck said:
when I upgraded from Win10 to Win11

Balenty · Nov 23, 2022

First, I would like to thank you for continuing to support the development/maintenance of ExplorerPatcher.
I am posting here as I experience an issue I hope which can be solved in a future update.
In certain Win10 StartMenu and Taskbar Configuration the Startmenu will be shown incorrectly.

As seen, the StartMenu is incorrectly placed and hidden by the Taskbar.
It should be reproduceable with following settings:
Taskbar style: Windows 10
Taskbar automatically hidden
Taskbar location on screen: left
StartMenu style: Windows 10
StartMenu position: At screen edge

If StartMenu is centered or the automatic hide option is disabled, the StartMenu is placed correctly.

zkitzo · Nov 24, 2022

Thank you for your software! I believe in 22H2, the Windows 10 start menu is not working.

Settings:

But my start menu looks like the Windows 11 Start menu.

So I have to press All apps everytime, before updating to 22H2, I didn't have this problem.

It looks like none of the settings work. If you want me to elaborate on the settings more please tell me.

nikosyan · Nov 25, 2022

zkitzo said:
Thank you for your software! I believe in 22H2, the Windows 10 start menu is not working.

Settings:
View attachment 46079

But my start menu looks like the Windows 11 Start menu.

View attachment 46081

So I have to press All apps everytime, before updating to 22H2, I didn't have this problem.

It looks like none of the settings work. If you want me to elaborate on the settings more please tell me.

Try uninstalling and re-installing explorerpatcher. Had serious issues while updating after 22h2, I will always uninstall, update and then install to be sage

zkitzo · Nov 25, 2022

nikosyan said:
Try uninstalling and re-installing explorerpatcher. Had serious issues while updating after 22h2, I will always uninstall, update and then install to be sage

Thank you so much!

ahmadalrayan · Nov 29, 2022

hey thank you for this life saving app
I have problem only in one thing

it is that I customize my live tiles heavily
and I use apps to add custom live tiles but they stopped working due to it trying to pinning to the Windows 11 start menu
I really need a workaround for this

ps. it was able to transfer my old live tiles when migrating from win10 to win11 but I cannot make new ones in win 11 because of the mentioned fact

example of an app I use for live tile customization:
Tile genie

Get Tile Genie from the Microsoft Store

Transform your favorite photos into Start Screen tiles! Tile Genie lets you customize your start screen by adding tiles from any photo in your library. ***BONUS: Launch a website when you click on your tiles!

apps.microsoft.com

if you cant install I attached the app as a package you could install by first enabling developer options then opening the file and hitting install

Shonk · Nov 30, 2022

I started using this the other day and love it

Win+X doesnt work with the Windows 10 Taskbar
also right clicking on start doesnt work
It works fine with the Windows 11 Taskbar

is this a bug or have i not set something?

tbmljk · Nov 30, 2022

Win x, right clicking on the start icon with windows 10 style start button works fine for me. If restarting explorer doesn't resolve your issue I would uninstall then reinstall EP

Shonk · Nov 30, 2022

It works fine with start as 10 or 11 style
It doesnt work if i set taskbar as 10 style
its fine if i set taskbar as 11 style

are widgets needed? as i did
winget uninstall "Windows web experience pack"
as it bugged me there where so many background processes running for widgets that i dont use

I did an inplace upgrade from windows 10 to 11 and tested explorerpatcher out
win-x didnt work with the windows 10 style taskbar

once i decided i was going to try and get on with windows 11 i secure erased the ssd's
and did a fresh install of window 11 22h2 from a usb stick
win-x didnt work with the windows 10 style taskbar

so i cant see uninstalling and reinstalling it doing anything

nikosyan · Nov 30, 2022

Which version of ExplorerPatcher you have? Have you clicked to allow pre-release versions? Are you connected to the Internet to let ExplorerPatcher download symbols? It works for me with win10 taskbar activated. After every windows update ExplorerPatcher indicated that it downloaded the symbols. If yours is not doing it, maybe a firewall block?

click click · Nov 30, 2022

Without the correct symbol offsets, W+X or right click on start button don't work depending on the style. For more info start reading on page 53

Shonk · Nov 30, 2022

nikosyan said:
Which version of ExplorerPatcher you have? Have you clicked to allow pre-release versions? Are you connected to the Internet to let ExplorerPatcher download symbols? It works for me with win10 taskbar activated. After every windows update ExplorerPatcher indicated that it downloaded the symbols. If yours is not doing it, maybe a firewall block?

I have the build from 13 days ago 22621.819.52.2
yes i have internet
no i havnt set pre release

ok i fixed it
i have always blocked explorer.exe from connecting to the internet for the last 7 years or so
unblocked it and rebooted within 30 seconds it downloaded a symbols update and it works now...

WAI · Nov 30, 2022

Any help on how to not get Taskbar full black when windows are maximized? My gpu is AMD

Doesn't happen when windows are normal boxed. My Taskbar is clear

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