How to Restore Classic Start Menu in Windows 11 with Classic Taskbar

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winaero.com
How to Restore Classic Start Menu in
Windows 11 with Classic Taskbar
Author: Taras Buria
12–16 minutos
You can restore the classic Start menu in Windows 11, which will be
similar to the good old Windows 10's Start with the app list. Windows 11
introduced an updated centered taskbar and a brand-new Start menu. It
no longer allows users to pin Live Tiles, and the list of apps is now hidden
behind the dedicated "All apps" button.
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Not all users like those changes. If you have just updated Windows 10 to
Windows 11 and are not impressed by all the new changes to the taskbar,
here is how to restore the old classic Start menu in Windows 11. Do note
that this won't restore Live Tiles for you. This feature is gone forever.
Unlike the centered taskbar, which is easy to disable, Microsoft, for now,
does not offer a simple way to restore the classic Start menu in Windows
11. To revert this quite a controversial change, you need to use a third-
party tool.
This post will show you how to restore the classic Start menu in Windows
11. There are a few methods, but some of them are exclusive to specific
releases of the operating system. You can quickly find what Windows
version and build number you have installed in the "About Windows"
dialog. Open it by pressing Win + R and typing winver in the Run box.
Note: this method works for all Windows 11 versions. It is the
recommended especially if you run Windows 11 22H2 and above.
1. Download the free and open source ExplorerPatcher app from GitHub.
2. Run the installer. Literally you just need to launch the ep_setup.exe file.
https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-classic-start-menu-in-windows-11-and-get-back-live-tiles/#Restore_Classic_Taskbar_in_Windows_11?utm_source=software&utm_medium=in-app&utm_campaign=winaerotweaker&utm_content=win11classiclook-inpage
https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-classic-start-menu-in-windows-11-and-get-back-live-tiles/#Restore_Classic_Taskbar_in_Windows_11?utm_source=software&utm_medium=in-app&utm_campaign=winaerotweaker&utm_content=win11classiclook-inpage
https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-centered-taskbar-in-windows-11/
https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-centered-taskbar-in-windows-11/
https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
3. The screen goes blank for a half of a minute. Wait for the desktop to
appear.
4. You now have the classic Windows 10-like taskbar! Right-click it and
select the Properties item that the ExplorerPatcher adds to the context
menu.
5. In the ExplorerPatcher's Properties window, click More taskbar options in
the Settings app.
6. Then in the Settings app that opens to Personalization > Taskbar, click on
Taskbar behaviors.
7. Select Left for the Taskbar Alignment from the drop down menu. This will
make the Start menu appear on the left, above the Start button, instead of
the middle of the taskbar.
You are done! Now you have the classic Windows 10-like taskbar on
Windows 11 that works as expected.
You can also use ExplorerPatcher for fine-grain tuning of the Start menu.
For example, you can make it open to the All Apps list by default instead
of the default page. Additionally, there is an option to hide the
Recommended section.
1. Right-click the Taskbar and select Properties from the menu.
2. In the Properties window, click Start menu on the left.
3. Finally, place a check mark for the Open Start in All apps by default.
4. Now, click the Windows logo button on the taskbar. The Start pane will
directly open to the All apps list.
You are done. In this mode, it is quite closer to the original classic Start
menu of Windows 9x.
Finally, you can use ExplorerPatcher to hide the Recommended section.
Many users find it annoying, so luckily the app offer such an option. Here's
how.
1. Open ExplorerPatcher's settings by right-clicking the taskbar and
selecting Properties.
2. In the left side of its window, click on the Start menu item.
3. On the right, enable (check) the "Disable the "Recommended" section"
check box.
4. Now, press the Win key on your keyboard. Enjoy the more clean Start
pane.
But that's not all. ExplorerPatcher allows you customize several more
options of the operating system. For example, you can get the the
Windows 10 Start menu with Tiles.
1. Right-click the taskbar and select the Properties item.
2. In ExplorerPatcher's dialog, click Start menu on the left.
3. On the right, select "Windows 10" under "Start menu style" as shown in
the screenshot.
4. Now, click the windows logo icon on the left. You will have the Windows
10-like Start menu.
Another feature that I find worth noting is the style of the Alt + Tab dialog.
Get Windows 10-like Classic Alt+Tab Dialog
1. Right-click the taskbar, and select the Properties command added by
ExplorerPatcher.
2. Click on the Window Switcher entry on the left.
3. On the right, select the desired style of the Alt + Tab dialog, e.g.
• Windows 10 - to have the dialog with the square corners and more natural
window previews.
• Windows NT - the classic dialog without previews.
4. Finally, click on the Restart explorer tiny button at the bottom left to restart
the Explorer shell. You will now see the chosen style of the window
switcher.
Everything above is about modern Start menus. But how about even
more classic Start menu? Say something like the Start menu from
Windows 7 or even from Windows XP. Well, there is also a solution for
that.
To get the classic Start menu in Windows 11, do the following steps.
1. Download the Open-Shell app from its official GitHub repository using this
link.
2. Install the application. We recommend you to customize the setup and
select only the Start menu component.
3. Click the Start menu button and open Open Shell Menu settings from All
apps.
https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases
https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases
https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases
https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases
4. Place a checkmark next to the Replace Start button option. After that,
Open-Shell will place its icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen where
the Start menu button used to be in almost every previous Windows
version.
5. After that, switch to the Skin tab, and select some nice looking skin. My
choice is the Windows 8 look.
6. Now, disable the centered taskbar in Windows 11. This will move the
stock Start menu button to the left, and replace it with the classic one from
Open-Shell.
https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-centered-taskbar-in-windows-11/
https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-centered-taskbar-in-windows-11/
You are done! You will get the following appearance.
The last step is mandatory, because Open-Shell retains the centered
taskbar and the original Start menu by default as of the moment of this
writing. That means you can use both the classic Windows 7-style Start
menu and the new one. So, if you want to make your system look like
Windows 10 as much as possible, you better disable the centered
taskbar.
It is worth mentioning that Open-Shell uses an icon that looks quite
different to Start menu buttons in Windows 11, 10, or 7. Luckily, you can
change that and use any other icon.
1. Launch Open Shell Menu Settings from the Start menu.
2. In the Replace Start menu section, click Custom, then Pick image. A nice
image for the Start menu can be found on this DeviantArt page.
3. Select the new icon and save changes. You'll get the following look.
Open-Shell settings provide many other customization options that let you
change various behaviors, change context menus, personalize the
appearance, etc.
Now you know how to restore the Classic Start menu in Windows 11. The
next step to take is to enable the classic taskbar.
Solution for Windows 11 21H2, original release
Note: This method is only suitable for the original "gold" release of
Windows 11. The registry tweaks mentioned belowaren't applicable to
https://www.deviantart.com/gliczide/art/Windows-11-Start-Buttons-Taskbars-882839915
https://www.deviantart.com/gliczide/art/Windows-11-Start-Buttons-Taskbars-882839915
the newer versions. For them, use the steps from the previous chapter.
Windows 11 21H2 (original version) with the classic taskbar and
OpenShell
To get the classic taskbar in Windows 11 version 21H2, do the following.
1. Launch the Registry Editor , for that press the Win + R shortcut and type
regedit into the Run box.
2. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages
You can copy this path and paste it into the address bar in the Registry
Editor.
3. On the right side of the window, right-click the empty space and select
New > DWORD (32-bit value.)
4. Rename the new value to UndockingDisabled.
https://winaero.com/windows-registry-editor-for-dummies/
https://winaero.com/windows-registry-editor-for-dummies/
5. Double-click it and set the value date to 1.
6. Right-click the Start menu button and select Shut down or sign out > sign
out.
You now have the classic taskbar.
Ready-to-use Registry files
If you do not feel comfortable browsing the vast jungles of Windows
Registry, we have prepared a set of REG files for enabling and disabling
the classic taskbar in Windows 11 with one click.
1. Download this ZIP archive.
2. Extract the included files to any folder.
3. Double-click the Enable classic taskbar in Windows 11.reg file
and confirm the UAC request to merge the Registry change.
4. Restart your computer or sign out of the system.
You are done. By the way, in the archive, you will find two files. The one
mentioned above enables the old classic Windows 10-like taskbar, and
another one, Restore default taskbar in Windows 11.reg,
restores the default Windows 11 taskbar.
Sadly, this method has a number of disadvantages.
• Taskbar stopped showing the clock, network, and sound icons
• Both the Win+X menu and the Start menu no longer open. The latter is
can be fixed by using apps like Open-Shell.
https://winaero.com/downloads/2021/07/enable-classic-taskbar-in-windows-11.zip
https://winaero.com/downloads/2021/07/enable-classic-taskbar-in-windows-11.zip
https://winaero.com/all-ways-to-restart-and-shutdown-windows-10/
https://winaero.com/all-ways-to-restart-and-shutdown-windows-10/
• The search icon and Cortana taskbar icon do nothing.
• The Task View crashes when you open it from the taskbar.
Let's resolve these issues.
Restore the clock, network, and sound icons
You can restore the native clock, network, and sound icons by running the
classic Control Panel applet for system icons. Press Win + R and type the
following command into the Run dialog.
shell:::{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
That command opens the Notifications classic Control Panel applet.
There, click on Turn system icons on or off.
Turn on Volume, Network, Sound, and other icons you like.
https://winaero.com/windows-11-control-panel-commands-to-open-applets-directly/
https://winaero.com/windows-11-control-panel-commands-to-open-applets-directly/
Alternatively, you can use the following third-party apps.
• Sound Icon: https://winaero.com/simplesndvol/
• Network: https://maxtdp.com/software/netanimate-1-8/
• Battery: https://en.bmode.tarcode.ru/
Now, let's remove everything non-working from the Windows 10-like
taskbar.
Remove non-working taskbar icons
1. Right-click the taskbar and uncheck the Show Cortana button item.
2. Now, open the Registry editor (Win + R > regedit.exe) and go to the
following key: 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search.
3. Here, modify or create a new 32-bit DWORD named 
SearchboxTaskbarMode and leave its value data as 0.
4. Finally, open Settings (Win + I), and open it to the Personalization >
Taskbar page.
5. Under Taskbar items, turn off the Task View toggle option.
Bonus tip: If you are used to have the taskbar icon non-grouped with text
labels, you can now ungroup them with the classic Windows 10 taskbar,
again in the Registry.
Ungroup the taskbar icons and enable text labels.
1. Launch the Registry editor (Win + R > regedit.exe).
2. Browse it to the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.
3. Create here a new subkey, Explorer. You will get the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
path.
4. Here, create a new 32-bit DWORD value NoTaskGrouping and set its
value data to 1.
5. Sign out from your user account and login back to apply this change.
Using Winaero Tweaker
Starting in Winaero Tweaker 1.20.1, it easy to switch between the new
and classic appearance with just one click. Navigate to Windows 11 >
Classic Start Menu and Taskbar, and turn on the option.
https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker-1-20-1-get-back-windows-10-start-menu-and-taskbar-in-windows-11/
https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker-1-20-1-get-back-windows-10-start-menu-and-taskbar-in-windows-11/
It will restore the classic Taskbar for you.
Update: We have found a way to restore the Ribbon in File Explorer. The
steps are reviewed in detail in a dedicated article.
Restore defaults
If you changed your mind and decided to return back to the newest
appearance of Windows 11, you need to revert the all the changes.
If you followed the first method for Windows 11 22H2 and above, it is fine
enough to install the ExplorerPatcher app.
Method 1. Uninstall ExplorerPatcher
1. Open the Settings app by pressing Win + I or by using any other method.
2. Click on Apps > Installed app.
3. Find ExplorerPatcher in the list and click the three dot button next to its
name.
4. Select Uninstall from the menu.
5. Confirm the operation and following the removal wizard.
Windows 11 will now go back to the default look with the modern Start
menu and the taskbar.
If you followed the steps for Windows 11 21H2, original release, do the
following. First, you need to uninstall the Open-Shell app to undo the
menu modification. After that, you have to disable the Windows 10
taskbar on Windows 11, and finally, you have to restore the Ribbon.
https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-classic-file-explorer-with-ribbon-in-windows-11/
https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-classic-file-explorer-with-ribbon-in-windows-11/
Here is how to revert changes and restore the default modern Start menu
in Windows 11. Long story short, you need to uninstall the Open-Shell
app.
To restore the default Windows 11 start menu, do the following.
1. Open the Settings app; press Win + I for that.
2. Go to the Apps > Apps & features.
3. Find the Open-Shell app in the list.
4. Select it in the list, and select Uninstall from the three-dot menu.
5. You may need to sign out to make the change take effect.
Restore the modern taskbar
1. Open Windows Registry Editor (use search or Win + R - regedit again.)
2. Go to the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages
key.
3. Find the UndockingDisabled DWORD value.
4. Right-click it and select Delete.
5. Restart the computer or sign out to make the change take effect.
Finally, if you downloaded the ready-to-use Registry files, you can restore
it with one click and get back the default Start menu. Just double-click the
Restore default taskbar in Windows 11.reg file to disable the
Windows 10-like menu with tiles, and confirm the UAC prompt.
Now you know how to switch between different Start menu and taskbar
styles in Windows 11.
https://winaero.com/how-to-shut-down-or-restart-windows-11/
https://winaero.com/how-to-shut-down-or-restart-windows-11/
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