Hate Windows 11? Here’s how you can make it work more like Windows 10

I wrote the unique model of this put up when Home windows 11 was nonetheless lower than a yr outdated, after studying a ton of suggestions from early adopters. I did not have to spend so much of time in help boards and different group websites to listen to a gentle stream of criticism from individuals who had been aggravated by the adjustments Microsoft made within the Home windows 10 person interface that they had grown comfy with.

Sufficient time has handed because the unique Home windows 11 launch that a few of these adjustments have change into second nature. Over that point, I’ve observed that these complaints have mellowed considerably, however there are nonetheless loads of individuals who would like the outdated, acquainted interface.

Additionally: Your complete Windows 11 upgrade guide

This is not a novel phenomenon, after all. Each new model of Home windows brings out its share of unfavourable reactions from individuals who surprise why Microsoft felt it essential to vary issues up for no apparent purpose. Home windows 11, nevertheless, appears to have kicked that response as much as, uh … 11, particularly with the choice to take away some options that energy customers took with no consideration.

The foundation of the issue is Microsoft’s determination in Home windows 11 to discard an enormous quantity of legacy code and rewrite key options, together with the taskbar, the Begin menu, and File Explorer. The outdated code in lots of circumstances dated again to the Home windows 95 period, and I’m certain there are program managers who’ve agonized over PowerPoint decks to clarify simply why these rewrites make sense from an architectural viewpoint.

Additionally: 7 quick ways to make Windows 11 less annoying right now

The excellent news is that Microsoft has responded to some suggestions with fixes that deal with a few of the most outstanding complaints. For annoyances that are not but resolved, there are sometimes workarounds. As well as, there is a thriving group of builders constructing utilities to revive the options Microsoft took away.

Suggestions results in (a couple of) fixes

With the assistance of two massive characteristic updates (and a few smaller adjustments delivered as a part of month-to-month replace packages), Microsoft has tweaked a few of these design adjustments so that they’re not fairly as annoying. Model 22H2, for instance, restored the Process Supervisor choice to the shortcut menu that seems while you right-click the taskbar. It additionally eliminated the floating search bar and improved the Search choices on the taskbar.

Additionally: This hidden Windows 11 setting adds an ‘End task’ option to every task on your taskbar

Extra not too long ago, File Explorer obtained a much-needed design change in Home windows 11, model 24H2. The Lower, Copy, Paste, Rename, Share, and Delete icons within the right-click context menu now embody labels that make them simpler to establish.

If you cannot get used to the taskbar and Begin button being within the middle of the display screen, you can move them back to the left side. However the single most upvoted suggestions merchandise for Home windows 11 is the choice to maneuver the taskbar from its location on the underside of the show to the highest or both aspect, as you possibly can in earlier Home windows variations, and there is no signal that Microsoft is engaged on including that characteristic.

After which there’s the Begin menu, which might be the second largest supply of complaints. Home windows Insiders are at the moment testing a major redesign of the Start menu that ought to arrive late this yr or early in 2026 for most of the people. You continue to cannot resize the Begin menu, however you now have the power to scroll shortly by means of all put in apps in class, grid, or record views, with out having to make use of a separate menu. This is what that appears like on my Home windows Insider take a look at system.

There is a shortcut for that  

In some circumstances, the repair for frequent annoyances is to study a keyboard shortcut. Are you bugged by File Explorer’s new, streamlined shortcut menus, which require an additional click on to get to the entire menu? Microsoft added a Present Extra Choices shortcut, however there is a shortcut that allows you to skip the additional steps: Maintain down the Shift key as you right-click.

And what in regards to the determination to take away the ribbon from File Explorer? That makes it harder to indicate or disguise the Element pane and the Preview pane, which are actually buried three menus deep: View > Present > Particulars Pane/Preview Pane.

Additionally: My favorite keyboard shortcut of all time (and it works on every browser)

There is a shortcut for that, too: Alt+P to indicate or disguise the Preview pane, and Alt+Shift+P to do the identical with the Particulars pane. After you’ve got used these shortcuts a couple of instances, muscle reminiscence takes over.

Do you discover the brand new widgets characteristic annoying? It is easy sufficient to cover them. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and flip the Widgets change to the Off place. (You may at all times make the Widgets pane seem through the use of its keyboard shortcut: Home windows key + W.)

However some Home windows 11 annoyances haven’t got a straightforward repair. If you wish to transfer the taskbar to the highest of the show or snap it to both aspect, you are not going to discover a answer within the official Settings app. That is the place these third-party apps turn out to be useful.

Third-party customization apps

With the correct instruments, you possibly can undo Microsoft’s adjustments and switch the Home windows 11 interface into one thing extra acquainted, even remodeling the Begin menu into its Home windows 7 look. Earlier than you get began, although, think about the doable issues you are letting your self in for in the event you select one among these choices.

Additionally: 6 things I always do after setting up Windows 11 – and why you should too

As a result of these utilities are trying to take over features which might be usually dealt with by the working system, there’s the chance that one among Microsoft’s month-to-month updates will trigger the put in model to cease working correctly till the builders launch an replace of their very own.

There’s additionally a threat they will be detected as malware, which might stop them from working correctly or might block Home windows itself from updating. That already occurred final yr with two popular customization tools.

In the event you’re OK with these caveats, I can advocate these 4 choices, two of that are utterly free: 

• ExplorerPatcher: This free, open supply challenge enables you to change the Home windows 11 taskbar with the Home windows 10 model, disable the Home windows 11 context menu and command bar in File Explorer, and tweak the Begin menu and search field. There is a full record of options within the challenge’s wiki. 
• Open Shell: Longtime Home windows customers would possibly keep in mind a utility program known as Traditional Shell, whose unique function was to revive the Begin menu to Home windows 8. That challenge was deserted years in the past, however a bunch of volunteers picked up the codebase and turned it into the free Open Shell. Its largest declare to fame is the power to revive the Home windows 7 Begin menu and the Home windows Explorer toolbar. 
• Start11: This industrial product from Stardock affords a 30-day trial; after that, you will must pony up $6 for a single system or $15 for a license that works on as much as 5 units. Its customization choices assist you to change the Home windows 11 Begin menu with the Home windows 7 or Home windows 10 model, transfer the taskbar to the highest of the show, restore the taskbar context menu, restore the ribbon to File Explorer, and far more. 
• StartAllBack: The daring promise of this industrial instrument ($5 for a single system, with reductions for extra installations) is to “unsweep [the] basic UI from underneath the rug.” The record of tweaks consists of the power to tug and drop objects onto taskbar icons, enhancements to Begin, File Explorer, and context menus, and “light-weight styling and UI consistency.” Like Start11, it affords a 30-day free trial. 

Is there one thing in your Home windows 11 annoyance record that Microsoft hasn’t addressed? Go away a word within the feedback and let’s have a look at if we will discover a answer.