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

I wrote the unique model of this submit when Home windows 11 was nonetheless lower than a 12 months previous, after studying a ton of suggestions from early adopters. I did not have to spend so much of time in assist boards and different neighborhood websites to listen to a gentle stream of criticism from individuals who had been irritated by the adjustments Microsoft made within the Home windows 10 consumer interface that they had grown snug with.

Sufficient time has handed because the unique Home windows 11 launch that a few of these adjustments have grow to be 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 previous, acquainted interface.

Additionally: Your complete Windows 11 upgrade guide

This is not a singular phenomenon, after all. Each new model of Home windows brings out its share of detrimental reactions from individuals who marvel why Microsoft felt it obligatory to alter issues up for no apparent motive. Home windows 11, nonetheless, 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 basis of the issue is Microsoft’s choice 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 previous code in lots of instances dated again to the Home windows 95 period, and I’m certain there are program managers who’ve agonized over PowerPoint decks to elucidate simply why these rewrites make sense from an architectural perspective.

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 tackle among the most outstanding complaints. For annoyances that are not but resolved, there are sometimes workarounds. As well as, there is a thriving neighborhood of builders constructing utilities to revive the options Microsoft took away.

Suggestions results in (a number of) fixes

With the assistance of two huge function 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 in order that they’re not fairly as annoying. Model 22H2, for instance, restored the Process Supervisor choice to the shortcut menu that seems once 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 bought a much-needed design change in Home windows 11, model 24H2. The Reduce, Copy, Paste, Rename, Share, and Delete icons within the right-click context menu now embrace labels that make them simpler to establish.

If you cannot get used to the taskbar and Begin button being within the heart 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 could possibly in earlier Home windows variations, and there is not any signal that Microsoft is engaged on including that function.

After which there’s the Begin menu, which might be the second largest supply of complaints. Home windows Insiders are at present testing a major redesign of the Start menu that ought to arrive late this 12 months or early in 2026 for most people. You continue to cannot resize the Begin menu, however you now have the flexibility to scroll shortly by way of all put in apps in class, grid, or record views, with out having to make use of a separate menu. Here is what that appears like on my Home windows Insider check system.

There is a shortcut for that  

In some instances, the repair for widespread annoyances is to be taught 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 permits you to skip the additional steps: Maintain down the Shift key as you right-click.

And what in regards to the choice to take away the ribbon from File Explorer? That makes it harder to indicate or conceal 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 conceal the Preview pane, and Alt+Shift+P to do the identical with the Particulars pane. After you’ve got used these shortcuts a number of instances, muscle reminiscence takes over.

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

However some Home windows 11 annoyances do not have a simple 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 resolution within the official Settings app. That is the place these third-party apps turn out to be useful.

Third-party customization apps

With the best instruments, you’ll be able to undo Microsoft’s adjustments and switch the Home windows 11 interface into one thing extra acquainted, even transforming the Begin menu into its Home windows 7 look. Earlier than you get began, although, take into account the attainable problems you are letting your self in for should you select one in all these choices.

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

As a result of these utilities try to take over features which can be usually dealt with by the working system, there’s the chance that one in all 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’re going to be detected as malware, which might forestall them from working correctly or might block Home windows itself from updating. That already occurred final 12 months with two popular customization tools.

For those who’re OK with these caveats, I can advocate these 4 choices, two of that are fully free: 

• ExplorerPatcher: This free, open supply mission helps 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 mission’s wiki. 
• Open Shell: Longtime Home windows customers may bear in mind a utility program referred to as Traditional Shell, whose unique objective was to revive the Begin menu to Home windows 8. That mission was deserted years in the past, however a gaggle of volunteers picked up the codebase and turned it into the free Open Shell. Its largest declare to fame is the flexibility to revive the Home windows 7 Begin menu and the Home windows Explorer toolbar. 
• Start11: This industrial product from Stardock gives a 30-day trial; after that, you will have to pony up $6 for a single system or $15 for a license that works on as much as 5 gadgets. Its customization choices can help you 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 beneath the rug.” The record of tweaks contains the flexibility 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 gives a 30-day free trial. 

Is there one thing in your Home windows 11 annoyance record that Microsoft hasn’t addressed? Depart a notice within the feedback and let’s examine if we will discover a resolution.