How to ungroup WiFi, Sound, Battery Charging taskbar icons in Win 11?

Hollywood · Oct 27, 2021

As Windows enthusiasts we sometimes get obsessed with finding a solution to our goal. With ExplorerPatcher, I get the results I want, but there are 2 system locked files (.dll's) that I don't know exactly what they are doing. My needs are fairly simple, and it seems like I am close to reaching my goal without keeping something running in Windows, but instead through what Windows already has available with registry changes.

I want to turn off Taskview, Search, etc... before I make the following change. I know the settings...

I want the Windows 10 style taskbar. I know the settings...

I want a small task bar. I know the settings...

I want to restore the clock, volume and network in the system tray. I know the settings...

after those changes, I can use the taskbar like before and add toolbars or hide/unhide tray icons.

What I can't figure out is why the classic network icon that I restored only displays the dialogue box for just a split second, and how to remove the Control Center icon that would now be redundant.

Is there a fairly simple way to restore the tray Network icon so that it works properly (like it does with ExplorerPatcher)? and, Is there a simple registry setting to remove the Control Center (without ExplorerPatcher)?

I am grateful for the work people put into these programs, but in this case, this one is open source so maybe someone smarter the me can help as I would prefer not to run stuff if I could just make the manual changes.

Thanks!

hdmi · Oct 28, 2021

Hollywood said:
Thank you both (and The-Hive)!

To be completely fair IMO, Valinet (the author of ExplorerPatcher) is the guy you should be thanking instead.

Hollywood · Oct 28, 2021

hdmi said:
To be completely fair IMO, Valinet (the author of ExplorerPatcher) is the guy you should be thanking instead.

yes, he is one smart guy. much of what he accomplished should be easy modifications, but turns out they are not so easy. the people that help or point people in the right direction also deserve thanks. sometime it's hard just to know how to word a search. I am glad there is help here.

hdmi · Oct 28, 2021

Hollywood said:
Is there a fairly simple way to restore the tray Network icon so that it works properly (like it does with ExplorerPatcher)?

You could create a new shortcut and paste ms-availablenetworks: in the target field I guess. At least in my view, ExplorerPatcher already perfectly matches the definition of "fairly simple way", though.

Hollywood said:
and, Is there a simple registry setting to remove the Control Center (without ExplorerPatcher)?

I haven't tested this myself yet, but you could try running

Code:

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer /f /v DisableNotificationCenter /t REG_DWORD /d 1

from an elevated command prompt, reboot, see if that works. AFAIK on Windows 10 this registry tweak disables the Action Center and causes notifications to behave like in Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.

Hide or disable Action Center on Windows 10 - gHacks Tech News

Find out how to hide the Action Center icon in Windows 10's taskbar, or to disable the Action Center on Windows 10 devices completely.

www.ghacks.net

EDIT: I tried it just now, the registry tweak disables the Action Center on the Windows 10 taskbar of Windows 11, but it doesn't hide the icon (the cogwheel icon next to the clock).
EDIT2: Doesn't seem like it can be hidden without ExplorerPatcher. In case you want to avoid going into ExplorerPatcher's settings window panel, you can copypaste the following code to a batchfile and run it as administrator, but you still need to have installed ExplorerPatcher for this to work:

Code:

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ExplorerPatcher /f /v HideControlCenterButton /t REG_DWORD /d 1
rundll32 "C:\Windows\dxgi.dll",ZZRestartExplorer

(The 2nd line is to restart Explorer. Don't use the taskkill command or 'end process' option in task manager instead, Valinet has explained why not.)

Try3 · Oct 28, 2021

hdmi said:
Don't use the taskkill command or 'end process' option in task manager instead, Valinet has explained why not.)

Please would you post a link to Valinet's post [which must be in another thread] so I can study the topic.

All the best,
Denis

Hollywood · Oct 28, 2021

hdmi said:
You could create a new shortcut and paste ms-availablenetworks: in the target field I guess. At least in my view, ExplorerPatcher already perfectly matches the definition of "fairly simple way", though.

I haven't tested this myself yet, but you could try running

Code:

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer /f /v DisableNotificationCenter /t REG_DWORD /d 1

from an elevated command prompt, reboot, see if that works. AFAIK on Windows 10 this registry tweak disables the Action Center and causes notifications to behave like in Windows 7, 8, and 8.1.

Hide or disable Action Center on Windows 10 - gHacks Tech News

Find out how to hide the Action Center icon in Windows 10's taskbar, or to disable the Action Center on Windows 10 devices completely.

www.ghacks.net

EDIT: I tried it just now, the registry tweak disables the Action Center on the Windows 10 taskbar of Windows 11, but it doesn't hide the icon (the cogwheel icon next to the clock).
EDIT2: Doesn't seem like it can be hidden without ExplorerPatcher. In case you want to avoid going into ExplorerPatcher's settings window panel, you can copypaste the following code to a batchfile and run it as administrator, but you still need to have installed ExplorerPatcher for this to work:

Code:

reg add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ExplorerPatcher /f /v HideControlCenterButton /t REG_DWORD /d 1 rundll32 "C:\Windows\dxgi.dll",ZZRestartExplorer

(The 2nd line is to restart Explorer. Don't use the taskkill command or 'end process' option in task manager instead, Valinet has explained why not.)

Thank you! I will study and try your suggestions.

hdmi · Oct 28, 2021

Try3 said:
Please would you post a link to Valinet's post [which must be in another thread] so I can study the topic.

All the best,
Denis

From: Useful development tools/scripts/helpers · Discussion #183 · valinet/ExplorerPatcher

Avoid killing Explorer with taskkill /f /im explorer.exe, for example, as that shuts it down without it having a chance to save the settings. Instead, use the new exported function of ExplorerPatcher, ZZRestartExplorer, which restarts it gracefully using Windows' Restart Manager. This will also reopen any folder windows that you had open, mainly restoring the state before the restart.

Try3 · Oct 28, 2021

Thanks for the info. I'll stick with using the established taskkill method of restarting explorer ~~for the time being~~.

Restart Windows Explorer.exe Process in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to restart the explorer.exe process as needed in Windows 11. The explorer.exe process is the user shell for Windows, and is used by such items as the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu, notification area, and taskbar. Restarting the explorer.exe process is to...

www.elevenforum.com

Addn: I don't think there is any problem with the established taskkill method at all. See my later post at Restart Windows Explorer.exe Process in Windows 11

Denis

hdmi · Nov 2, 2021

Hollywood said:
I said I modified the registry to get the results I wanted on 2 computers to get the taskbar how I wanted, but on one, the tray wifi button didn't work properly. After yesterdays Cumulative Windows 11 update, now both computers wifi icons no longer work.

I just tried explorerpatcher and it fixed the icon to work properly and easily removed the redundant Control Center. Thank you both (and The-Hive)!

I can follow instructions, but I like manually changing the registry so I know what changes are being made, but I am not quite at the level of following source code. Being open source I am confident it is safe, but all things being equal I wish I had the skills to do the changes manually.

Thanks for your replies as they did get me the results I want. :)

Yeah, after I had upgraded my Windows 10 to 11, I got so caught up with manually changing the registry that it took a while before finally I noticed that somewhere on here someone had pointed out the existence of ExplorerPatcher. In fact many of the settings that ExplorerPatcher's settings menu allows you to easily change are the same registry settings that can also be found in various tutorials on here and on Tenforums.com or in Winaero Tweaker (from Winaero.com). In Winaero Tweaker you get to see links that you can click on in the description of various tweaks that it offers, each link points to an article on the Winaero.com website where you'll often find out the actual registry settings that apply. I am always on the lookout for additional tweaks, tips and tricks that can potentially be useful to me, so I tend to go searching for them (sometimes regularly).

unifex · Nov 2, 2021

In my opinion this recent discussion simply highlights the fact that Microsoft should document the registry settings. If that were the case, people would not need to waste their time on "discovering" how to change the taskbar or making special programs to do that.

ish4d0w · Nov 28, 2021

Guys, this is super annoying. They have hidden away the WiFi menu. Practically you can no longer see WiFi networks in one click, you have to open up that group and then click the > button... and to see that there is no official solution to this issue, only very ugly ones such as binary patching a key windows component (explorer) that gets changed very often... or restoring the old task bar which is now outdated and no longer updated therefore could cause compatibility issues... Come on Microsoft, you need to fix this!

I created a suggestion of Feedback Hub for this, could you all please take the time to UPVOTE this issue and share it everywhere you can? Thank you.

Give back option to open WiFi menu with one click
Windows Insider Program

ish4d0w · Nov 28, 2021

Try3 said:
1 Those icons are not grouped together. Please explain what you want without using the word grouped [because you are not using it the way everybody else does].

This is what people normally mean by taskbar grouping - Enable or Disable Grouping of Taskbar Buttons [Windows 10, 11] - TenForumsTutorials

Do you, possibly, mean whether or not they are shown on the Taskbar itself as opposed to the ^ area?
This is illustrated in Notification Area Icons - Hide or Show in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Denis

Uhm, have you seen Windows 11 so far? Because he/she is clearly talking about a new change in Windows 11 , NOT Windows 10.

And yes, those icons are now clearly grouped (stacked) together. You cannot just click on WiFi, you can only click on the whole group. it is so annoying. Changing WiFi networks is much more difficult now.

@Try3

Bree · Nov 28, 2021

infinity said:
thanks! unfortunately, #1 and #3 is not found in the link you provided. Any advice please? Cheers.

For #3 see...

GitHub - HerMajestyDrMona/Windows11DragAndDropToTaskbarFix: "Windows 11 Drag & Drop to the Taskbar (Fix)" fixes the missing "Drag & Drop to the Taskbar" support in Windows 11. It works with the new Windows 11 taskbar and does not require nasty change

"Windows 11 Drag & Drop to the Taskbar (Fix)" fixes the missing "Drag & Drop to the Taskbar" support in Windows 11. It works with the new Windows 11 taskbar and does not...

github.com

Try3 · Nov 28, 2021

ish4d0w said:
Uhm, have you seen Windows 11 so far?

Yes

hdmi · Nov 28, 2021

ish4d0w said:
, only very ugly ones such as binary patching a key windows component (explorer) that gets changed very often... or restoring the old task bar which is now outdated and no longer updated therefore could cause compatibility issues...

First off, early dll injection into the Explorer process by adding a file dxgi.dll in C:\Windows is nowhere nearly the same as binary patching. The file explorer.exe is not being modified, and, simply removing dxgi.dll again before restarting Explorer will reverse changes without needing to reboot or logoff/logon. It is far less ugly IMO than having to live with the new taskbar and especially the blatant loss of a whole variety of features that can be restored by using the free ExplorerPatcher, but of course you can still disagree. Either way, your point about the old taskbar being outdated and no longer updated is moot as moot can be, as it is the new and updated one that's giving you troubles, not the old one. So this is a contradiction at its finest. Harsh, I know... but tell that to Microsoft.

ish4d0w · Nov 29, 2021

hdmi said:
First off, early dll injection into the Explorer process by adding a file dxgi.dll in C:\Windows is nowhere nearly the same as binary patching. The file explorer.exe is not being modified, and, simply removing dxgi.dll again before restarting Explorer will reverse changes without needing to reboot or logoff/logon. It is far less ugly IMO than having to live with the new taskbar and especially the blatant loss of a whole variety of features that can be restored by using the free ExplorerPatcher, but of course you can still disagree. Either way, your point about the old taskbar being outdated and no longer updated is moot as moot can be, as it is the new and updated one that's giving you troubles, not the old one. So this is a contradiction at its finest.

Agreed, you got a point there. My mistake, it is not binary patching. But still this patch could still very easily break with a future Windows Update... not a reliable method.

I agree that the feature loss is substantial and undesirable. But I don't agree that reverting to the old task bar using hacks could be called a solution, or even a workaround. It is more like a 'fix with duct tape' trying to keep a sinking ship afloat. It could work for a while, then not anymore.

hdmi said:
Harsh, I know... but tell that to Microsoft.

Yes, let's tell them! I created a feedback hub entry dedicated to this. Could you all spare a moment to go and upvote it? I need upvotes for my suggestion to ungroup these icons. They basically took away the ability to adjust WiFi or sound settings in one click.
Now I have to enter a menu and then enter a submenu to do what I could easier on Windows 10. I cannot live with this nonsense.

Due to other stability issues (including frequent explorer and settings app crashes) I reverted to Windows 10 and will stay there until this gets fixed. If it doesn't get fixed by 2025 I guess I will resort to the explorerpatcher hack you described. But I really hope it will be fixed by then. For that fix to happen please upvote. This feedback hub entry should already have hundreds of upvotes by now, yet it barely has two. People only seem to pour their hearts here, and not over there. I cannot see why. Anyway:

Give back option to open WiFi menu with one click -- please upvote:

Windows Insider Program link to post: Give back option to open WiFi menu with one click

hdmi · Nov 29, 2021

ish4d0w said:
But I don't agree that reverting to the old task bar using hacks could be called a solution, or even a workaround.

4fb0223b9d2c4b3c4d86fee0e67efd761de2f66743193688239949e55f043621.jpg

ish4d0w · Dec 1, 2021

Can you all just upvote my feedback hub post please?
It is aimed to resolve this the PROPER way and I need it to go wild. But since no one is upvoting it, it will stay forever like this...

Give back option to open WiFi menu with one click -- please upvote:

Windows Insider Program link to post: Give back option to open WiFi menu with one click

ish4d0w · Dec 4, 2021

Here is another feedback hub entry from somebody else, this one has a lot of upvotes already. Can you upvote too please?
Separate the network, volume, and battery icons that open Quick Settings so I can use and manage them separately on Windows 11

macbinary · Apr 19, 2022

Try3 said:
1 Those icons are not grouped together. Please explain what you want without using the word grouped [because you are not using it the way everybody else does].

No, they are grouped together, and there's nothing wrong with their usage of the word.