Alternative Windows 11 start menus

no OpenShell necessary. just switch back to the win 10 ribbon explorer (easy is @LesFerch switch explorer - GitHub - LesFerch/SwitchExplorer: Switch Explorer between the Windows 11 version and the Windows 10 version)

right click on folder options button - add QAT below ribbon
right click on any button in ribbon and Add to QAT

Yes, I know about these huge icons, but I don't want that thick toolbar in File Explorer just to click occasionally to cut-copy-paste. Let's hope some folks will discover the new Vive Tool commands that undo whatever Microsoft did in 8246 and be able to use Classic Explorer again. Microsoft should at least let us use legacy features at our own risk. Not just disable everything old without asking! Don't imitate Apple practices!

PS: Last time there were some incompatibilities with Open Shell and Windows 11 in conjunction with other customization tools, the Developers released this last version (4.4.196) that fixed them all. If any Developer is reading this, please issue one more Open Shell version to fix these ridiculous bugs once and for all. It is very annoying every time we update Windows 11 to fear of losing some legacy functionality. We cannot keep postponing updates forever! Thanks!

spapakons said:

Yes, I know about these huge icons, but I don't want that thick toolbar in File Explorer just to click occasionally to cut-copy-paste. Let's hope some folks will discover the new Vive Tool commands that undo whatever Microsoft did in 8246 and be able to use Classic Explorer again. Microsoft should at least let us use legacy features at our own risk. Not just disable everything old without asking! Don't imitate Apple practices!

PS: Last time there were some incompatibilities with Open Shell and Windows 11 in conjunction with other customization tools, the Developers released this last version (4.4.196) that fixed them all. If any Developer is reading this, please issue one more Open Shell version to fix these ridiculous bugs once and for all. It is very annoying every time we update Windows 11 to fear of losing some legacy functionality. We cannot keep postponing updates forever! Thanks!

Click to expand...

the Quick Access Toolbar is outlined in red. its not huge icons. they're smaller than the ClassicExplorer toolbar icons.... if you're referring to the FE ribbon, just minimize the ribbon


EDIT:
if you must have tabs and the colored icons, use SAB to get back the old FE and it will retain tab capabilities

Options when using SAB win 10 explorer:






and as @Kees stated... no updates:

spapakons said:

If any Developer is reading this, please issue one more Open Shell version to fix these ridiculous bugs once and for all.

Click to expand...

How would any OpenShell developer (if there still are any) be able to predict what MS is will change in the Windows OS.
Last update of OpenShell 4.4.196 was May 8, 2025.

I too hope there still will be updates (for the Start Menu at least) but I am not very optimistic about it.

The last discussion about OpenShell updates or not on Github was this one:

Other discussions are to be folowed here:

As far as those discussions are concerned, OpenShell is "as dead as a doornail". No developments / no developers at all.

Kees said:

How would any OpenShell developer (if there still are any) be able to predict what MS is will change in the Windows OS.
Last update of OpenShell 4.4.196 was May 8, 2025.

I too hope there still will be updates (for the Start Menu at least) but I am not very optimistic about it.

Click to expand...

What about converting it from "legacy toolbar" to something modern that won't be blocked by Microsoft? Isn't there any modern alternative?

dacrone said:

the Quick Access Toolbar is outlined in red. its not huge icons. they're smaller than the ClassicExplorer toolbar icons.... if you're referring to the FE ribbon, just minimize the ribbon


EDIT:
if you must have tabs and the colored icons, use SAB to get back the old FE and it will retain tab capabilities

Options when using SAB win 10 explorer:
View attachment 169359
View attachment 169360
View attachment 169362
View attachment 169361


and as @Kees stated... no updates:

Classic Explorer Bar option missing · Issue #2365 · Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

Describe the bug After Windows 11 Insider 25H2 Build 26220 (7070), Classic Explorer Bar Option is missing. Now I am not up-datings Windows 11. I am using 4.4.196 Area of issue Windows Explorer To r...

github.com

Click to expand...

I have the Windows 10 style File Explorer thanks to Explorer Patcher. I just checked, in Quick Access toolbar there are no cut/copy/past icons. I can only add undo/redo/delete/rename. How can I add more icons? Do I need SAB or other tool?

spapakons said:

I have the Windows 10 style File Explorer thanks to Explorer Patcher. I just checked, in Quick Access toolbar there are no cut/copy/past icons. I can only add undo/redo/delete/rename. How can I add more icons? Do I need SAB or other tool?

Click to expand...

no. you can do it with any implementation of the ribbon FE. i posted screenshots showing exactly how...

spapakons said:

What about converting it from "legacy toolbar" to something modern that won't be blocked by Microsoft?

Click to expand...

If you would like to write an app for that, why not?

spapakons said:

Isn't there any modern alternative?

Click to expand...

If it were, someone here would certainly have posted a link to it. So I don't think there is.

spapakons said:

I just checked, in Quick Access toolbar there are no cut/copy/past icons.

Click to expand...

But you can add them!
In the ribbon several commands for cut, copy, paste are there (as a big icon).
Every command can be added to the Quick Access toolbar by right-clicking that command-icon:



Result:



You cannot change the order of the icons, but you can remove all icons and then add them in the order that you like.

dacrone said:

the Quick Access Toolbar is outlined in red. its not huge icons. they're smaller than the ClassicExplorer toolbar icons....

Click to expand...

Quick Access Toolbar has a whole bunch of limitations. Classic Explorer Bar lets you customize its icons sizes:

Kees said:

But you can add them!
In the ribbon several commands for cut, copy, paste are there (as a big icon).
Every command can be added to the Quick Access toolbar by right-clicking that command-icon:

View attachment 169369

Result:

View attachment 169370

You cannot change the order of the icons, but you can remove all icons and then add them in the order that you like.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I haven't tried to right-click and "Add to quick access". I will do it until I fix Open Shell! Thanks.

I added them in the order I want. They are small, but I don't care for the moment. If anyone discovers Vive Tools commands to make Classic Explorer work again, please don't hesitate to post them here!

hdmi said:

Quick Access Toolbar has a whole bunch of limitations. Classic Explorer Bar lets you customize its icons sizes:

Click to expand...

Yes, but the problem is that Classic Explorer Bar (CEB) does not function anymore after certain Windows updates.
It did not appear anymore in the File Explorer window.
I had that before and gave up, @spapakons has that problem now.
If you would know any trick to make the CEB functioning again, I think he would like it very much.

For me you don't need to do it: I have accepted File Explorer as it is now, restyled by Windhawk.

Kees said:

Yes, but the problem is that Classic Explorer Bar (CEB) does not function anymore after certain Windows updates.

Click to expand...

I know. KB5079391/KB5086672 killed it by making feature ID 42105254 (MTestUx15) image-enforced, or "Priority : ImageOverride (15)", which boils down to the fact that this feature can no longer be disabled so now we're all stuck on a XAML island.

spapakons said:

Google AI suggested QTTABBAR to create the cut/copy/paste toolbar. However I visited their site and could not understand how to do that. Anyone?

Click to expand...

Drag and Drop...

Edwin said:

Drag and Drop...

View attachment 169449

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot, but since the latest 8246 changes to File Explorer, neither Open Shell's Classic Explorer nor QTTABBAR's Command Buttons work. Literally nothing extra appears at any File Explorer windows and when I click on the down arrow of the Options to enable them. there is nothing on the list!

spapakons said:

Thanks a lot, but since the latest 8246 changes to File Explorer, neither Open Shell's Classic Explorer nor QTTABBAR's Command Buttons work. Literally nothing extra appears at any File Explorer windows and when I click on the down arrow of the Options to enable them. there is nothing on the list!

Click to expand...

Yup! That's a bummer! That's why I paused Updates at .8039!

Well, I finally decided to uninstall the KB5083769 Windows update to "downgrade" from build 8246 back to 8039. I did and restarted my PC. As I suspected, the Classic Explorer Bar did not automatically work. So I run the following Vive Tools commands again, just in case, and I uninstalled Open Shell entirely. I restarted my PC and reinstalled Open Shell. The Classic Explorer Bar was not yet shown, but now there was the option to enable it when I clicked on the down arrow under Options in File Explorer! I clicked on that and it appeared again! Of course I immediately ran the Microsoft Windows Updates Show/Hide Tool and blocked the KB5083769 update so as not to automatically reinstall. I hope that by the time a new build is released there will be a working workaround to use our lovely legacy toolbars.

Vive Tool commands to undo Microsoft changes to build 8037/8039 and make Classic Explorer Bar work again:

I almost had a heart attack. Since Open Shell's Classic Explorer Bar worked again, naturally, I wanted to uninstall QTTABBAR so as not to conflict with the former. I did and after I opened a couple more File Explorer windows I realized that uninstalling QTTABBAR changed something and Classic Explorer Bar disappeared again. No problem, I thought, I just have to remove Open Shell, restart and reinstalled it. So I removed Open Shell, ran the Vive Tool commands once again, just in case, and restarted my computer. I was controlling it remotely via AnyDesk from my work PC. But it took so long to start again! I waited and waited and eventually I saw in AnyDesk it was offline! We had the cleaner at the house and I though she accidentally switched off the power station again. I had no choice but wait to go home and manually turn it on again. But when I got home I realized the power station was switched on and working properly, but my PC would not turn on! Damn! I thought the stupid cleaner had switched off the power station and it might have killed the PSU, or even worse! Panic, panic! I immediately took my PSU tester, disconnected all power cables and connected them on the tester. It was working showing not perfect, but close values (such as 11.9V instead of 12V). A hope is born... I reconnected the cables on the motherboard, switched on the PSU and it worked! Thanks Goodness! So my PC is up and running now, "downgraded" to build 8039 and with perfectly working Classic Explorer Bar! Hurray! Pour the Champagne...

I was just notified there is a new version of Open Shell 4.4.197 and of course I upgraded. However, I would not dare to also upgrade Windows 11 to build 8246 again just to test if the Classic Explorer Bar will disappear or keep working. Maybe I will test it in a virtual machine, just in case. If everyone has newer build than 8039 and Classic Explorer Bar is working properly, please post here!