Going commando (a.k.a. no more Explorer Patcher)


cbiweb

cbiweb

Well-known member
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Local time
5:21 AM
Posts
199
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home x64, version 23H2 build 22631.3810
Well I did it, I've uninstalled EP and I'm learning to live with the default Win11 interface. I'll seriously miss Quick Launch and the ability to set up endless toolbars, but living in trepidation of the day when EP suddenly no longer works is too much to handle, lol.
So I set up folders and shortcuts on the start menu, and am learning to work that way. It's doable, and I pinned my most-used apps on the taskbar, so when all is said and done, my workflow is crippled but not down for the count.

Labels on taskbar pins and turn off grouping are coming back, though, so maybe... just maybe in a brighter future... Microsoft will bring back Quick Launch & toolbars. Before I die. haha.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 11 Home x64, version 23H2 build 22631.3810
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7700 AIO
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell Inc. 0VY7G1
    Memory
    16.00 GB SODIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    (1) Realtek Audio (2) Intel® Smart Sound Technology for USB Audio (3) Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Bluetooth® Audio (4) Voice Changer Virtual Audio Device (WDM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (17.1")
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    C:/ 500 GB
    D:/ Seagate (External) 2TB
    F:/ Toshiba (External) 4TB
    Keyboard
    Dell wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M220
    Internet Speed
    Down: 35.53Mbps; Up: 26.19 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Vivaldi
    Antivirus
    Defender
StartAllBack? 🤷‍♂️

0004672.png

QTTabBar? 🤷‍♂️

000608.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
cbiweb said:
Well I did it, I've uninstalled EP and I'm learning to live with the default Win11 interface. I'll seriously miss Quick Launch and the ability to set up endless toolbars, but living in trepidation of the day when EP suddenly no longer works is too much to handle, lol.
So I set up folders and shortcuts on the start menu, and am learning to work that way. It's doable, and I pinned my most-used apps on the taskbar, so when all is said and done, my workflow is crippled but not down for the count.

Labels on taskbar pins and turn off grouping are coming back, though, so maybe... just maybe in a brighter future... Microsoft will bring back Quick Launch & toolbars. Before I die. haha.
Click to expand...
I decided early on that I'd learn to live with Windows 10's new tools and I don't regret it one bit. When Windows 11 hit, I did try EP for a short while, but found that for me it was more trouble than it was worth.

I'm not one of the "Windows Purists" by any stretch of the imagination, but learning Windows from the ground up has paid off for me.

Which is not to say that I would refuse to use a third party app; if it does it better than what comes with Windows, then I'm gonna use it.

IOW, I don't use Edge or Bing; instead I use Firefox and Duck Duck Go . . . and a few others.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Wynona said:
I decided early on that I'd learn to live with Windows 10's new tools and I don't regret it one bit....
Click to expand...
I never understood the compulsion to make each new version of Windows look like the previous one (with the exception of Windows 8, I just avoided that one :wink:).

When I upgraded from Win7 to Win10 I learned to live with the Start menu and customise it to my needs (only using the options provided by MS). I did the same when I got Win11.

It's probably no coincidence that I've never had any failed Cumulative Updates or Feature Updates on any of my machines, not for any version of Win10, nor for Win11.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
Bree said:
I never understood the compulsion to make each new version of Windows look like the previous one (with the exception of Windows 8, I just avoided that one :wink:).

When I upgraded from Win7 to Win10 I learned to live with the Start menu and customise it to my needs (only using the options provided by MS). I did the same when I got Win11.

It's probably no coincidence that I've never had any failed Cumulative Updates or Feature Updates on any of my machines, not for any version of Win10, nor for Win11.
Click to expand...
All of the above except that I had an original Microsoft Surface Pro that came with Windows 8. I used Windows 8 and had no problems with it as all the apps I use still worked the same way and I spend most of my time in my apps and not in playing with the operating system. Of course it was upgraded to 8.1 when that came along and then it was replaced with a new Windows 10 computer as soon as 10 was introduced.

I've never had a problem adapting to the latest Windows and actually enjoy learning new things. And I definitely agree with your last sentence, "It's probably no coincidence that I've never had any failed Cumulative Updates or Feature Updates on any of my machines, not for any version of Win10, nor for Win11." :hug:
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 16 9640
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
    Memory
    32GB LPDDR5x 7467 MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16.3 inch 4K+ OLED Infinity Edge Touch
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    960 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium) + Bing
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Sysinternals Suite
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot
    Macrium Reflect X subscription
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    1Password Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
I've been commando since the beginning. You might be interested in my post #2 in this thread. One can simulate the old QuickLaunch to handle taskbar overflow. You can see my screenshot there to see what I'm referring to and decide if you're interested in trying it. You can add shortcuts to anything in this folder, apps, files, folders, websites.

Show more pinned taskbar items

Does anyone know how to get this to work for pinned taskbar items in Windows 11? The number of pinned/open apps shrinks to some default number no matter what I try so more recently pinned items disappear upon reboot. This is everything I have pinned/open right now but even if this number of...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3775
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme+256gb SKHynix m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+1tb Kingston m2.nvme+ 4gb Solidigm nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3775
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Motherboard
    stock Dell
    Memory
    24 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
Bree said:
It's probably no coincidence that I've never had any failed Cumulative Updates or Feature Updates on any of my machines, not for any version of Win10, nor for Win11.
Click to expand...
I agree. I did have problems with Windows 10 update once, but everyone had the same problem. :-)

But for the most part, everything works as it should.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
I do what I gotta do to make it suit me.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
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