Quick Launch and many Context Menu options gone after update. Help!

CartmansPiehole · Aug 1, 2023

A few things:

My computer did an update last night, it fixed an issue where I couldn't see a preview when I moused-over, but the update has removed my Quick Launch Toolbar, which I use 100% of the time when accessing my apps.
My Quick Launch folder is still here: %SystemDrive%\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
My Taskbar's Context Menu now looks like this (see image below), therefore I'm unable to create or choose Toolbars as I was before.

How can I restore my Quick Launch Toolbar?

Microsoft, this is unacceptable to me. I NEED my Quick Launch toolbar.

Try3 · Aug 1, 2023

Which third-party utility did you install to enable your Quick launch Taskbar toolbar?
I use ExplorerPatcher but there are lots of choices.

Denis

OAT · Aug 1, 2023

Unless you were using a 3rd party app or program, Windows 11, since its inception, hasn't supported the toolbar feature from the taskbar.

CartmansPiehole · Aug 1, 2023

Try3 said:
Which third-party utility did you install to enable your Quick launch Taskbar toolbar?
I use ExplorerPatcher but there are lots of choices.

Denis

I don't think I'd ever had to use ExplorerPatcher but I don't remember. I did download the latest version and installed it (22621.1992.56.1). It didn't provide me with any options I was looking for, unless I missed something in the options. Now my Context Menu looks like this (still no visible Toolbar options):

Try3 · Aug 1, 2023

I don't know what is going wrong for you.
This is my Taskbar context menu with ExplorerPatcher installed.

[I have to rush out now]

Denis

glasskuter · Aug 1, 2023

I don't use any third party app that alters the GUI. I built a poor-mans quick launch that works out just fine for me.
You might see if it will work for you.
Create this folder if it doesn't exist. Add any shortcuts, files, or folders inside the folder.
C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
Make a shortcut to this folder on desktop but add C:\windows\explorer.exe in front of the target path like this:
C:\Windows\explorer.exe C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
give it an icon
Pin the shortcut to taskbar, Works the same and no more mouse click than the original.

.

OAT · Aug 1, 2023

Make it easier for yourself -especially if you have more than one user;
Replace the path by a variable:
%appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
Explorer.exe is pathed in your system variable as well but can be written:
%windir%\explorer.exe %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

CartmansPiehole · Aug 1, 2023

@glasskuter and @OAT it looks like you guys are saying the same thing from what I can tell. The result opens up a folder and isn't so much a toolbar link that disappears after you click on it (if you click on the expanded part of a toolbar, that is). I'm a bit puzzled as to what's going on. I'm currently seeking a registry hack to fix my issue. Yep, basically getting desperate here.

@Try3 yeah I'm not sure why I don't have this ("Lock Taskbar") option on mine. I started looking for a registry hack. I'll just put this out there that this one does NOT work for Windows 11, but I thought I'd give it a go. I removed part of the comment, the commentor thought it might work for Windows 11, which unfortunately didn't turn out to be the case.

What registry key controls locked/unlocked status of taskbar?

The taskbar in the latest Win11 Insider build is locked. Does anyone know which registry key controls the locked/unlocked status of the taskbar? As an aside, I was able to find a registry hack that enables the Win10 style of START MENU. I couldn't stand the Win11 Start Menu. You can find it...

www.elevenforum.com

Ghot said:
In Windows 10, this is the lock/unlock Taskbar key...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

TaskbarSizeMove (32bit DWORD)

0=Lock
1=Unlock

Try3 · Aug 2, 2023

The missing Lock toolbar entry is merely one of the missing entries. It is not the cause of the problem.

I think you will need to work out how you enabled Taskbar toolbars before [QuickLaunch is merely one example of a Taskbar toolbar].
I think that you need to remove whatever the previous utility for this was and then reinstall either it or ExplorerPatcher.

Have you installed any 'helpful' third-party utilities at all?

I assume the computer was already on Version 22H2 before the update the other night. In Version 21H2, there was a simple Registry edit that could enable Taskbar toolbars.
Check the Registry Key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages
for an entry called
UndockingDisabled
{with a Data value 1}
and, if it exists, delete that entry. Just the UndockingDisabled entry, not the whole Key.

All the best,
Denis

CartmansPiehole · Aug 11, 2023

Sorry I haven't gotten back about this. I have tried every suggestion above to no avail. I did get ExplorerPatcher to unlock some options initially, but I clicked on something on it, and ended up with only the same two options as noted in the OP. I tried uninstalling and re-installing ExplorerPatcher, and had no luck. I never did find an option via ExplorerPatch anyways that would lead me to believe that it would allow me to add a Toolbar to my Taskbar (this toolbar being 'QuickLaunch').

Any other ideas?

Try3 · Aug 11, 2023

CartmansPiehole said:
I never did find an option via ExplorerPatch anyways that would lead me to believe that it would allow me to add a Toolbar to my Taskbar (this toolbar being 'QuickLaunch').

It's shown in my post #5. That should be your Taskbar context menu once ExplorerPatcher is installed.
Since you are not getting that, ExplorerPatcher is not running or is not running correctly.

Do you have a system image you can restore? One from when your QuickLaunch was working?

I do not know what else to suggest.
I still suspect that it whatever method you used to enable Taskbar toolbars [including Quick launch] before is interfering with your ability to use them now.
Perhaps somebody in this thread might be able to help - New Version of ExplorerPatcher - ElevenForum

Best of luck,
Denis

Try3 · Aug 11, 2023

I have not suggested SFC or a Repair install because I have no reason to expect either of them to help.
I suspect a Repair install might necessitate a reinstallation of ExplorerPatcher.
SFC - ElevenForumTutorials
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade - ElevenForumTutorials

I do appreciate that this is a serious problem for you.
I'd be stymied by the loss of my Taskbar toolbars. I've used them with Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 7 & Windows XP [in which they were not needed but I wanted to maintain a common approach with my newer computers].

Denis

hdmi · Aug 11, 2023

To me, everything here just seems to indicate that Windows Update has upgraded your Windows from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

hdmi · Aug 11, 2023

Right-click on taskbar, choose Properties. Verify that you have selected the Windows 10 taskbar in the Taskbar section of the ExplorerPatcher settings window panel. As the asterisk sign (*) suggests, you need to click on the Restart File Explorer link in the bottom left corner of the window panel for this change to take effect.

Try3 · Aug 11, 2023

I agree. My notes of what I did upon installing ExplorerPatcher contain nothing about this but if ExplorerPatcher's Taskbar style default is Windows 11, I must have done what I've illustrated below.

1 If you have the Taskbar context menu shown here, select Properties and check the ExplorerPatcher, Taskbar, Taskbar style entry.

1 ExpPatcher, Taskbar, style - Windows 11.png

2 If it is the Windows 11 (default) style shown above, change it to Windows 10 style.

2 ExpPatcher, Taskbar, style - Windows 10.png

3 Then Restart File explorer [bottom-left of dialog]. Restarting Explorer is quicker than restarting the computer.

4 Then you should have this Taskbar context menu and you can use the Toolbars, New toolbar... options to browse to your QuickLaunch folder.

3 ExpPatcher, Taskbar, style - Windows 10 after FE restart.png

Denis

hdmi · Aug 11, 2023

You might also want to unlock the taskbar, drag the toolbar to the space between the Start button and the Pinned area, right-click on the separator that appears on the left of the toolbar, disable text, right-click on the separator again, disable title, then finally lock the taskbar again.

Also in the Taskbar section of the ExplorerPatcher settings window panel, you can click on Customize system icons in the notification area to futz around with what system icons you want visible in your notification area of your taskbar. And then maybe you might also want to drag the icons in your notification area around to reorder them.

Another good choice IMO would be to, in the File Explorer section, Disable the Windows 11 context menu. Doing this will bring back the classic context menu (i.e, the right-click menu of Windows 10) in File Explorer and on your Desktop. (It's the same thing as this tutorial.) Similarly, changing the Control Interface from Windows 11 Command Bar (default) to Windows 10 Ribbon will bring back the old ribbon in File Explorer.

Try3 · Aug 11, 2023

CartmansPiehole,

HDMI knows ExplorerPatcher much better than I do.
His post #16 refers to things you might wish to consider after you have succeeded in being able to display a Taskbar toolbar [your QuickLaunch folder].

Denis

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