Windows 11 [2021]

[Cyan]

Explorer Patcher

Releases · valinet/ExplorerPatcher

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

github.com

not a bad program, which actually works. Still, I've had a huge issue with it yesterday, after a Windows 11 update cos the explorer nor Start Menu nor the Taskbar were visible, which almost rendered W11 useless, and I had to uninstall it -which took some time-. Explorer Patcher is part of StartAllBack. Dunno if it's free but the version I used was shareware, free to use for up to 90 days.

The only way I could fix the issue of the taskbar and start menu not showing.

Redirecting

This is how I solved it, more concretely:

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL at the same time
Select Task Manager
On the Task manager ribbon, click on File
Click on Run new task, Run box will pop-up
Type CMD and click on the small box besides create this task with administrative privileges
Command Prompt will pop-up
Type each command below and wait until scan is completed.

SFC /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Quick note: While the command is running, it's expected to see the process stuck at 20 or 40 percent. After a few minutes, the process will complete successfully.

Once you complete the steps, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool will connect to the Windows Update servers to download and replace any damaged files in the local image for Windows 10 as necessary.

Close the command prompt.

Restart the computer and check if the same issue appears

 

[hoom]

Even windows 8 didn't have these many regressions, and mostly solved in windows 8.1

I would strongly disagree with that characterisation of Win8/8.1

 

[orangpelupa]

I would strongly disagree with that characterisation of Win8/8.1

In windows 11 for example, a lot of the old settings went poof and moved to metro settings with missing features. While in windows 8, those settings were duplicated to metro with missing features. Still can simply use the old settings.

Oh and I still can move the Taskbar to the sides, making it vertical.

 

[orangpelupa]

windows 11 and weird changes. this is in the same laptop at the same time. i just overlaid the windows on top of each other.

 

[MCharta]

windows 11 and weird changes. this is in the same laptop at the same time. i just overlaid the windows on top of each other.

View attachment 9743

Rework of file dialog box is planned for windows 2030 (after 4 more rework of the task bar)
/JK

 

[hoom]

after 4 more rework of the task bar

None of which will actually return the basic important functionality that got stripped out of it in the Win10->11 transition

 

[Davros]

Thanks, installed itunes on win11 and I coundnt for the life of me figure out how to put an itunes shortcut on the desktop. on win10 i could click on the shortcut on the taskbar and drag it onto the desktop win11 wouldnt let me.
couldnt right click on the shortcut and do a copy paste

Found a solution :
In explorer type shell:appsfolder
it will display all installed programs you can then rightclick on the program you want and select create shortcut

 

[orangpelupa]

I hope some journalists can get an interview with Microsoft (or ms employees with PII hidden), asking the reason why windows 11 got so many downgrades.

Surely they have a reason, based on science.

 

[Bludd]

I hope some journalists can get an interview with Microsoft (or ms employees with PII hidden), asking the reason why windows 11 got so many downgrades.

Surely they have a reason, based on science.

its to punish the power users who disable all the telemetry so they can go "see? nobody uses this feature!" know full well that we do but we hate their telemetry crap

 

[Malo]

I hope some journalists can get an interview with Microsoft (or ms employees with PII hidden), asking the reason why windows 11 got so many downgrades.

Surely they have a reason, based on science.

They're not downgrades, they're "optimal user experiences"

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I hope some journalists can get an interview with Microsoft (or ms employees with PII hidden), asking the reason why windows 11 got so many downgrades.

Surely they have a reason, based on science.

I have a theory that Microsoft really REALLY wants to attract people who don't like using Windows (like Mac users) and will do anything they can to get them to switch to Windows. I really have no other idea why they would be willing to throw away their existing user base by making a MacOS like UI and removing the ability for longtime Windows users to configure the UI for workflow instead of "prettiness".

Only problem is, by doing that they're crapping on their existing users who value the ability to configure the UI for increased workflow instead of just being "pretty" and at the same time ignoring OS stability to chase after those non-professional PC users that want shiny new things instead of things that just work REALLY well. Both of those have me thinking of potentially switching to Linux for the first time in my life. At least with Linux I'd have a better chance of getting a "real" Windows experience than I would with Windows 11.

Regards,
SB

 

[hoom]

MS is aping the annoying BS bits that Mac users manage to work around not the actually cool features and MS implements them worse so they absolutely will not attract Mac enthusiast users over to Windows from Mac.

Whoever is running stuff at MS needs to fire whoever thought this was a good idea & put someone who actually knows what they are doing back in charge of UI.
But its probably the whoever is running stuff that thinks its a good idea...

They even already discovered that shitting on powerusers is fucking stupid not many years ago with Win8

FFS the option to ungroup windows on the Taskbar is in there, you can set it by GPO so it would literally be like 5mins for someone who knows what they are doing to turn that option back on for users & most of that would be working out where on the Taskbar options screen to put the tickbox (and it might even have a place already allocated).
Its just unbelievably insane\perverse management to not do that.

Meanwhile they are literally costing my company money as I miss scheduled tasks from my Outlook calendar because the reminder window opening doesn't shift my windows along the Tasbar & flash and I lose many minutes a day having to fucking 2-click & work out which similar looking thumbnail is the window I want to click on instead of just single clicking on its ungrouped taskbar icon like I can do in Win10

</rant>

 

[hoom]

So apparently they are actually finally bringing taskbar ungrouping back in 23H2, 2 years after launch.
My IT dept for whatever reason seems to have blocked 22H2 though so I probably still won't be able to access that basic important multi-tasking function...

 

[Bludd]

i wish quick launch toolbar on the taskbar still was a thing in 11

 

[Kaotik]

i wish quick launch toolbar on the taskbar still was a thing in 11

Other than taking more space, how is it not? Just bind whatever you want to be in your 'quick launch' to taskbar

 

[Bludd]

Other than taking more space, how is it not? Just bind whatever you want to be in your 'quick launch' to taskbar

because i would like an icon that is not the program window itself and doesnt move around

 

[Kaotik]

because i would like an icon that is not the program window itself and doesnt move around

Bound icons don't move around though

 

[Bludd]

Bound icons don't move around though

well i have them ungrouped so yes they do but why are you insisting questioning me on this? does me wanting this feature harm you? even if they added it, you dont have to use it

maybe you are worried about this feature taking away precious development time they can use to ruin windows even more for power users?

 

[hoom]

Ugh the quicklaunch on Win11 annoys me too: my pinned programs section is more than the allocated space so now for some of them I have to click start -> notice its not on the first page & click to the next page to find the thing.
Whats the fucking point of pinning if I can't see all my pinned programs at a glance? I have 2* 1920*1080 & a 1920*1200 of screen realestate available, I should have the choice to use more of it like the Win10 Start lets me.

(As I write I realise I need to check but I'm pretty sure you can't make small icons like in Win10 to fit more programs in the same area = another stupid rollback)

 

[orangpelupa]

Do not update to windows 11 that moved the windows Explorer refresh button from right to left.

It is slow AF to load the "quick access" block, if you have networks hares in it