Well, the time is coming unfortunately, but it would appear that I’m going to have to embrace Windows 11. I’m none too pleased with the taskbar and the fact that you cannot move it to the left of the screen, something that I’ve had in place in all previous Windows iterations (since ’95), which makes widescreen monitor usage much more useful in my opinion. I’ve considered Start11 by Stardock, but since it is not native to the OS, seems like Microsoft could botch that up some day as well. Case in point, Taskbar11.
This post is going to be my personal collection of tweaks to Windows 11 to make it work like I want. This will be a living document, updated over time, because we all know changes are going to happen.
Generate autounattend.xml files for Windows 10/11 (schneegans.de)
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- This is an absolute game changer. Do not install Windows 11 without generating an autounattend.xml file. There is so much to tweak right off-the-hop and removes so much bloatware that comes pre-installed with Windows. I used this for a recent installation of Windows 11 Pro in VirtualBox. Works like a charm.
Removing “Search the Web” from the Start Menu
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- I’ve tried other “solutions” by modifying group policies, but they didn’t work, even after a reboot. However, this method with a registry edit was instantaneous and didn’t require a reboot nor restart of the Windows Explorer process.
- Run regedit.exe from the Start menu.
- Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
- In the Search key, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value.
- Give the new DWORD a name of BingSearchEnabled
- Set the BingSearchEnabled DWORD value to zero (0), which should be the default. If not, double-click the newly created value and change accordingly.
- Open up the Start menu, start typing for example, “clock”, and notice that under the “All” filter there isn’t any “Search the web” results, nor is there any “Web” filter shown at the top.
- As a bonus, the “Ask Co-Pilot” icon is removed from the upper-right!
- I’ve tried other “solutions” by modifying group policies, but they didn’t work, even after a reboot. However, this method with a registry edit was instantaneous and didn’t require a reboot nor restart of the Windows Explorer process.
Removing the Language Switching Icon from the Taskbar (added November 1, 2024)
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- Removing this icon from the taskbar gives a little more real estate on the taskbar for other information. To me, this should be off by default after a fresh install.
- Click the Start Menu and type language.
- When it appears, click on Language Settings.
- Under Related Settings, click on Typing.
- Click on Advanced Keyboard Settings.
- Check/click the option “Use the desktop language bar when it’s available“.
- Removing this icon from the taskbar gives a little more real estate on the taskbar for other information. To me, this should be off by default after a fresh install.
God Mode Folder (added January 21, 2025)
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- Complete list of Control Panel shortcuts by turning on God Mode. I’ve done this with Windows 10, and it still works in Windows 11, and I find it helpful to get to a settings option quicker using this method.
- Right-click on the desktop and select New > Folder
- Name the folder the following GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
- The name above will disappear and you will be left with an icon on your desktop. Double-click to open and view all settings options from Auto Play to Work Folders.
- Complete list of Control Panel shortcuts by turning on God Mode. I’ve done this with Windows 10, and it still works in Windows 11, and I find it helpful to get to a settings option quicker using this method.
Windhawk (added February 6, 2025)
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- Well, today I discovered a free alternative to Start11 called Windhawk. The long and short, it is a mod installer for Windows. Now what makes this exciting for me are the mods that modify the location and settings of the Windows 11 taskbar, allowing me to utilize my widescreen monitors efficiently. As of this update, I’m running this with Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (build 26100.2894) and don’t seem to have encountered any issues. We’ll see how long before Microsoft may nerf this utility like it has others. The following mods were installed and I’ve listed the settings I’ve used.
- Vertical Taskbar for Windows 11
- Taskbar location: Left
- Taskbar width: 150
- Jump list vertical alignment: Top
- Start menu width: 0
- Taskbar tray icon spacing
- Tray icon width: 24 (Windows 11 default: 32)
- Tray overflow icon width: 40 (Windows 11 default: 40)
- Tray overflow icons per row: 10 (Windows 11 default: 5)
- Taskbar height and icon size
- Icon size: 22 (Windows 11 default: 24)
- Taskbar height: 48 (Windows 11 default: 48)
- Taskbar button width: 36 (Windows 11 default: 44)
- Vertical Taskbar for Windows 11
- Well, today I discovered a free alternative to Start11 called Windhawk. The long and short, it is a mod installer for Windows. Now what makes this exciting for me are the mods that modify the location and settings of the Windows 11 taskbar, allowing me to utilize my widescreen monitors efficiently. As of this update, I’m running this with Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (build 26100.2894) and don’t seem to have encountered any issues. We’ll see how long before Microsoft may nerf this utility like it has others. The following mods were installed and I’ve listed the settings I’ve used.
Hope something here helped you out, and fingers-crossed, Microsoft comes to their senses before Windows 10 “expires” in a year and makes changes to the way the Windows 11 taskbar functions.
Cheers.
Last updated: February 6, 2025