How To Use Classic Shell

Yep so for Windows 11, y'all need to know get-go that although its Taskbar and Start Menu suck completely, the classic Taskbar lawmaking is still intact and tin can be revived. And Get-go Menu replacements (Archetype Shell/Open Crush, or StartIsBack/StartAllBack or Stardock'southward apps) continue to work. 7+ Taskbar Tweaker , probably the well-nigh important app for the Taskbar besides works if this archetype Taskbar is activated.

Open up Shell/Classic Beat out works with the new Taskbar as well equally the archetype taskbar. StartIsBack/StartAllBack works merely with the classic one. Stardock's Start11 works only with the new Taskbar. Anyway, the more functional classic Taskbar is the one everyone wants - that is the far superior one. The new 1 is a full joke, I won't fifty-fifty bother to mention how messed upward the new taskbar is. It is an insult to 25 years of Windows releases and drops features introduced by Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, XP, Vista and 7. :evil:

Now, to bring dorsum the classic Taskbar, there are currently two projects - 1 gratis, open source i called ExplorerPatcher and another very affordable, commercial, proprietary app called StartAllBack.

As for the choice of Commencement Menus, this is ever your ain decision but Classic Shell's card is objectively superior to the Start menu in StartAllBack, or Stardock'due south and of course to the Windows seven menu, Windows 10 menu, or Windows 11 Start. As well, Open Beat out is definitely now better than Classic Shell for Windows 10 and Windows 11 because of the various fixes and enhancements it fabricated after Classic Shell's last release in 2017.

As of the current first "RTM" release of Windows eleven and the latest dev channel build for the version scheduled for release next yr, (

22483.1011), there are many ways to use Classic Shell/Open up Trounce:

ane.⠀Use the ExplorerPatcher projection to revert first to the Classic Taskbar without losing the residual of Windows 11 functionality
ii. ⠀Use StartAllBack to enable the Classic Taskbar and revert many bad changes in Windows 11 just keep using the Archetype Trounce/Open Crush carte du jour.
three. ⠀Use ⠀Archetype Shell/Open up Trounce just as is with the Modern Taskbar (simply you will have to apply a foursquare push - more than on that beneath, read on)
4.⠀R evert to the Classic Taskbar with a Registry key instead of the in-memory patch that ExplorerPatcher does but a ton of functionality breaks. Then although this UndockingDisabled Registry tweak was pop earlier, it is non the optimum way to proceed Windows 11 fully functional yet usable.

1.⠀If y'all use ExplorerPatcher, there are no compromises required
2.⠀StartAllBack ⠀is yet another first-class, like shooting fish in a barrel to utilize option with an installer with no compromises required
3.⠀If yous use Open Shell with the new Taskbar in Windows 11, you lose a huge amount of Classic Taskbar features which has better usability
4.⠀Beneath described is the Regedit value that revives the classic Taskbar but it breaks a lot of things. Therefore either using ExplorerPatcher or ⠀ StartAllBack ⠀ to revive the classic Taskbar is a better choice.
⠀
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Vanquish\Update\Packages]
"UndockingDisabled"=dword:00000001

Restart Explorer or log off and login again. In this former Taskbar, almost things work equally before, including Classic Trounce/Open Vanquish and the precious gem of an app, 7+ Taskbar Tweaker. Unlike Windows 11'due south new Taskbar, there are no First button position, replacement and custom image issues with the classic Taskbar.

For the system tray icons, run the command:

Explorer shell:::{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}\SystemIcons

Use it to enable whatsoever icons yous want - Volume, Date/Fourth dimension/Clock, Action Heart and other things like Language/Input indicator. Merely the Power and Network icons on Classic Taskbar are useless or broken. Taskbar Toolbars (DeskBands) such equally NetSpeedMonitor and Everything Toolbar also work. You can use Winaero Tweaker to enable classic Volume control with the Volume icon (and too fix a lot of cleaved Windows 11/10 stuff).

Since they dissever Quick deportment from notifications in Windows xi, the cogwheel icon on the archetype Taskbar (Win+A) opens the flyout from where you tin can access Wifi/Network, Volume and other things. Win+N shows calendar and notifications (just not calendar events/agenda).

If you all the same need direct icons for some broken/missing tray icon functionality, try these apps.

● For replacing/augmenting Network icon even though y'all can access Wifi from Win+A, use NetAnimate 1.8. Hither'due south what NetAnimate is (it's an app that gives straight admission to network adapters' condition and properties and too has its ain internet connectivity indicator per network interface - both Ethernet and Wi-Fi). Alternate download link if original website goes down: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqQf4TJSwxe-ggHjTBgD3J36QoUO?e=5mCYWs.
● For Sound/Volume, use Winaero SimpleSndVol especially with the Jloud theme which shows the current volume level straight in the taskbar with a clear white icon + light-green bar: https://winaero.com/simplesndvol/
● For Power icon, apply Bombardment Mode app past Artem Tarasov: https://en.bmode.tarcode.ru/ This is far superior to the Windows ability icon
● To launch the Wi-Fi/Network pane, use this control from Run dialog: ms-availablenetworks: or create a AutoHotkey script to open it with for example Win+W for Wifi.

Turn off whatever extra Taskbar icons from Settings if yous want (Task View button, Search icon etc).

Features that remain broken on the classic Taskbar as of the build mentioned above of Windows 11 if you lot employ UndockingDisabled Registry value:

● The Windows 11 Outset Carte plainly stops working every bit well equally the new Windows deject-powered search user interface (Win+S/Win+W). Workaround: Classic Vanquish's Start search still remains far superior to the Windows menu and to Win+S search.

● Bear upon keyboard with emoji (Workaround: Use an app similar Telegram Desktop for inbound emoji - information technology has search for emoji as well)

● Win+X carte stops working (Workaround: Yous don't really demand the Win+X menu when yous have the full power of the Archetype Shell/Open Crush Start Menu! You can just recreate the Win+X menu in Classic Shell's Outset carte du jour itself or link to Windows Administrative Tools in a subfolder/custom detail and put Win+X menu shortcuts there)

● Widgets don't work. As a workaround, you lot can use the commercial app, True Launch Bar. It has diverse plugins including News, Weather and a lot more.

● Explorer search box is broken after "UndockingDisabled" likewise. (Workaround: Utilise Everything Search and Windows Search integration of Archetype Shell /Open Shell every bit an alternative.) In Everything Search, you tin can type: <searchquery> path:<folderpath> to search a specific folder

● Snap Previews on the Maximize button/the new snap layouts of Windows 11 are disabled with UndockingDisabled=one. Workaround: Y'all can employ the FancyZones Microsoft PowerToy.

● Win+H (Windows cloud-powered dictation) is disabled with UndockingDisabled=1 . As a workaround, you can utilise Google Docs Voice Typing to dictate text.

● The Windows Startup sound is disabled with UndockingDisabled=1 . Workaround: But have a VBscript playing a sound at startup.

● Screen snip (Win+Shift+S) does not work. Utilise whatsoever of the dozens of 3rd party screenshot taking tools.

● At that place is a considerable delay earlier Windows eleven logs on when this above Registry value is set to one.

Considering of then many things breaking when you utilise the Registry value, I strongly recommend ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack but!

Regardless of some features lost from the new Taskbar such every bit fancy animations, the classic Taskbar has far more than features and remains the more than functional and easy-to-use ane. The new one is dumbed down and custom Start button images of Classic Shell/Open Shell too won't work correctly with it.

Most importantly, 7+ Taskbar Tweaker works with the Archetype Taskbar, all the older Registry values work, as does StartAllBack and Open up Shell for changing the taskbar's appearance.

⠀ StartAllBack ⠀ taskbar msstyles/themes also work with information technology to restore the taskbar advent similar Windows Vista, 7 or 8.ane.

See here if you demand screenshots and pace-by-step guidance: https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-classic-showtime-menu-in-windows-xi-and-become-back-live-tiles/

As for the skin to use with the Classic Beat/Open Shell Start Menu, I recommend this one: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8557 Dissimilar the Windows XP skin which had just 3 colors (Blue, Olive Green and Silver), this one follows your Windows emphasis color while still maintaining the practical and beautiful XP layout.

Finally if y'all would similar more than people to know how to properly configure Classic Shell and Open Vanquish with Windows xi and to make them aware that they still work with Windows 11 brilliantly, please share the link of this topic everywhere on the web as many people mistakenly seem to think information technology no longer works. They repeatedly continue asking in the Open Shell Github to update it for Windows 11 when actually it is non required if you set up the taskbar correctly starting time.

I have fastened screenshots of Open up Shell Start Menu with this skin in 7 manner and XP style, and some examples of fixed Taskbar with a combination of Open Shell/Archetype Vanquish and ⠀ StartAllBack ⠀ on Windows 11.

P.Southward. The taskbar is intentionally cluttered in the screenshots to demonstrate all the features that Windows 11's new taskbar removes (merely the classic Taskbar has intact).

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Links to some general topics :

● Compare Start Menus