Thoughts on Windows 11

cereberus · Nov 7, 2021

jimbo45 said:
Hi folks
I actually quite like the new start menu and definitely like the context menu when you right mouse click on the Windows icon

View attachment 12855

cheers
jimbo

You mean the power menu that has been in Windows since Windows 8 - LOL.

jimbo45 · Nov 7, 2021

cereberus said:
You mean the power menu that has been in Windows since Windows 8 - LOL.

Probably -- but never used W8 !!! (well I did for about 3 mins !!!)
Actually XP IMO had the best menu system and I liked the Black Luna theme, also liked Aero Glass on Vista -- but the themes with logon screen / lock screen works for me nicely on W10/W11 is fine.

I'm surprised so many though still like W7 -- it was good in its day but definitely dated and slow.
But you know how things work at Ms -- "We bring to you Yesterdays technology Tomorrow".

Cheers
jimbo

TigerTom · Nov 7, 2021

jimbo45 said:
I'm surprised so many though still like W7 -- it was good in its day but definitely dated and slow.

completely disagree. I still like it's style, clarity, ease-of-use. Speed is also good on a lean system. Don't forget that many installs clog up after years with apps, startup loaders, background stuff, full tmp folders, fragmentation and god knows what else - which make you feel your system is laggy. A fresh W7 install is nice. IMHO.

clam1952 · Nov 7, 2021

Found this

Configurable, stick it top bottom left or right Taskbar, can change colour and transparency icon size. Coolbarz Download Coolbarz - MajorGeeks

Don't need it myself but may come in handy for someone if you don't have it visible all the time it will appear if you point the mouse at wherever you have it, you can have 4 of them, not sure why you'd need that many
but whatever!

To add small icons and set to bottom without stretching gives this, I'm using Open-Shell plus the 11 Start in the center.

Edit added a bit - left

Or with text, not very aesthetic IMO but.....

Hazel123 · Nov 7, 2021

I’m not bothered whether the start menu is in the centre or on the left after using it for a while. What I am bothered about is - shutdown is not directly above the start button, and neither is settings. I have moved settings so it is (although still a lot further up) but can’t move shutdown button which really bugs me. It is just slower in usage - to quickly move between settings, shutdown, log out etc - they should all be vertically close to each other. That worked well on windows 10. The click to see all programs is also on the wrong side and can’t be moved. And that is the main reason I’m still preferring windows 10 and not keen on addons to change start menu.

Edwin · Nov 7, 2021

Hazel123 said:
I’m not bothered whether the start menu is in the centre or on the left after using it for a while. What I am bothered about is - shutdown is not directly above the start button, and neither is settings. I have moved settings so it is (although still a lot further up) but can’t move shutdown button which really bugs me. It is just slower in usage - to quickly move between settings, shutdown, log out etc - they should all be vertically close to each other. That worked well on windows 10.

Ahhh, yes! The undisturbed familiarity of W10!!! :thumbsup:

Hazel123 · Nov 7, 2021

It’s just quicker and easier :) Rather than familiarity. That was a good design, grouping those functions together.

clam1952 · Nov 7, 2021

Hazel123 said:
I’m not bothered whether the start menu is in the centre or on the left after using it for a while. What I am bothered about is - shutdown is not directly above the start button, and neither is settings. I have moved settings so it is (although still a lot further up) but can’t move shutdown button which really bugs me. It is just slower in usage - to quickly move between settings, shutdown, log out etc - they should all be vertically close to each other. That worked well on windows 10. The click to see all programs is also on the wrong side and can’t be moved. And that is the main reason I’m still preferring windows 10 and not keen on addons to change start menu.

Right Click on the Start button and Shut down is at the bottom above Desktop, which is as close as it gets.

hdmi · Nov 7, 2021

Wynona said:
Methinks you just made my point for me, HDMI. The name of my geeky game is KISS.

Thing is, the hack @Brink gave us for putting the taskbar on top is the best I've seen, and is easily understood. After the TB is on top, all I have to do is right click on the app I want on it and pin it to the taskbar.

Change Taskbar Location on Screen in Windows 11 Tutorial

This will no longer work starting with Windows 11 build 22598. The taskbar functionality has changed in Windows 11. Alignment to the left or center at the bottom of the screen is the only location allowed now. However, you can actually still change the taskbar location to the top or bottom on...

www.elevenforum.com

What's not easily understood about dropping a single file in C:\Windows?

Paul Stanley said:
Simplicity does not equal stupidity.

Always Why · Nov 7, 2021

I did one last Windows 11 Update then created a System Backup onto a partition on one of my internal SATA SSD/s. I can always recover it when I have read good things about the Taskbar and other missing functions. I agree with the OP. The loss of Taskbar right-click context menu killed my desire to keep (trying to like) Windows 11. And...I am not ready to dual boot my system. Windows 10 has all the productive and efficient bells and whistles. It did take a year or two for Windows 10 to mature; having said that, the same is going to be true with Windows 11 (fingers crossed). I don't want to rely on third party stuff to make my Start Button/Menu and Taskbar be as diversified as they should be.

I'm cruising with Windows 10 again and will check W11 Forums for updates on the above mentioned items from time to time.

Good luck to those who are sticking with Windows 11. We all customize our UI the way it works best for how we use our computers. I'm just disappointed that Microsoft ditched so many helpful features.

Oh how I miss the Taskbar Right-Click context menu in W11.

W10 Taskbar Context Menu Right-Click.jpg

Wynona · Nov 7, 2021

Timaximus said:
It is all about habituation.

After a while (when the getting used-to-it phase is over) we all love the new Windows taskbar and Start Menu appearance and center position.

Regards,

Tim van S.

NOT!

Wynona · Nov 7, 2021

Always Why said:
I did one last Windows 11 Update then created a System Backup onto a partition on one of my internal SATA SSD/s. I can always recover it when I have read good things about the Taskbar and other missing functions. I agree with the OP. The loss of Taskbar right-click context menu killed my desire to keep (trying to like) Windows 11. And...I am not ready to dual boot my system. Windows 10 has all the productive and efficient bells and whistles. It did take a year or two for Windows 10 to mature; having said that, the same is going to be true with Windows 11 (fingers crossed). I don't want to rely on third party stuff to make my Start Button/Menu and Taskbar be as diversified as they should be.

I'm cruising with Windows 10 again and will check W11 Forums for updates on the above mentioned items from time to time.

Good luck to those who are sticking with Windows 11. We all customize our UI the way it works best for how we use our computers. I'm just disappointed that Microsoft ditched so many helpful features.

Oh how I miss the Taskbar Right-Click context menu in W11.

View attachment 12881

Exactly, @Always Why.

Admittedly there are some things I won't miss, but the fully functional Taskbar and Quick Launch Bar are what I miss most. Neither do I want to rely on third party stuff when everything I ever needed was already there.

Ir's my understanding Microsoft is separating File Explorer and the Taskbar. Hopefully, they'll give us back what they've taken out.

As an Insider, I dual boot my system so I don't have to switch back and forth between computers. Much more convenient that way.

Wynona · Nov 7, 2021

Hazel123 said:
I’m not bothered whether the start menu is in the centre or on the left after using it for a while. What I am bothered about is - shutdown is not directly above the start button, and neither is settings. I have moved settings so it is (although still a lot further up) but can’t move shutdown button which really bugs me. It is just slower in usage - to quickly move between settings, shutdown, log out etc - they should all be vertically close to each other. That worked well on windows 10. The click to see all programs is also on the wrong side and can’t be moved. And that is the main reason I’m still preferring windows 10 and not keen on addons to change start menu.

I realize some folks like the new graphics, which is fine with me, but I don't. So, I'd like a way to get rid of the whole graphic thing. I don't want it in the middle, on the left side, or anywhere else on my desktop!

If I go to the trouble of setting up a theme on my desktop, why on earth would I want to cover it up with a boatload of program/application/utility icons!?

A simple menu down the left side of my screen is fine with me. At least let me do away with what I don't want like we could in Windows 10.

Wynona · Nov 7, 2021

hdmi said:
What's not easily understood about dropping a single file in C:\Windows?

Oh, I could do that if I wanted, but I don't want. In Windows 10, I can do what I want to customize my desktop. I'd like to continue doing that with Winddows 11. I don't want to install a lot of third party stuff on my computer.

The fact remains that you outlined some things I'd need to do in order for things to work properly. I'm not gonna jump through hoops when the end result isn't the same as what I'm used to.

Always Why · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
Exactly, @Always Why.

Admittedly there are some things I won't miss, but the fully functional Taskbar and Quick Launch Bar are what I miss most. Neither do I want to rely on third party stuff when everything I ever needed was already there.

Ir's my understanding Microsoft is separating File Explorer and the Taskbar. Hopefully, they'll give us back what they've taken out.

As an Insider, I dual boot my system so I don't have to switch back and forth between computers. Much more convenient that way. :)

@Wynona

I use to be an insider with W7 but after the W8 debacle, I decided to leave the program. Glad you are dual booting, it will (hopefully) be fun for me again "IF" W11 features and UI are fixed to our liking. Meaning, more useful without eye-candy. :)

I only use about 240 GB of storage space on my NVMe 500 GB which makes a recovery/backup very fast - about 8 minutes. I often recover W10 after experimenting with interesting programs I try during their trial period. I built my current system in 2017-2018 and did have dual boot W7 and W10. But once W10 matured I didn't need W7 anymore.

hdmi · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
Exactly, @Always Why.

, but the fully functional Taskbar and Quick Launch Bar are what I miss most. Neither do I want to rely on third party stuff when everything I ever needed was already there.

I don't mean to come off harsh (everyone already knows that I am harsh

), BUT... you'd be surprised how much of the stuff that hasn't been disabled/removed by Microsoft is actually third party stuff that Microsoft stole from somebody else. Even the largest companies in the world (heavily) rely on open source software, because they are convinced that it is more, not less, reliable in a number of ways that they find to be important to them. They choose to get the best from both worlds, and they are successful. Without adding third party stuff where it matters, a PC is really not much more than just an expensive paperweight. Anyway.

Ghot · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
I realize some folks like the new graphics, which is fine with me, but I don't. So, I'd like a way to get rid of the whole graphic thing. I don't want it in the middle, on the left side, or anywhere else on my desktop!

If I go to the trouble of setting up a theme on my desktop, why on earth would I want to cover it up with a boatload of program/application/utility icons!?

A simple menu down the left side of my screen is fine with me. At least let me do away with what I don't want like we could in Windows 10.

I haven't managed to get it totally "fixed", but with ONLY a few Win 11 settings and some registry tweaks...

Windows 11 Tweaks - Leader Board.

These are tweaks I've seen asked for... many times. They are collected here for easy access. All of these and more can be found in the Eleven Forum Tutorials Classic context menus... https://www.elevenforum.com/t/disable-show-more-options-context-menu-in-windows-11.1589/ Change...

www.elevenforum.com

clam1952 · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
A simple menu down the left side of my screen is fine with me. At least let me do away with what I don't want like we could in Windows 10.

Which is what I posted earlier in the thread, I'm done with 11 Added a bit more in pics. Simple left right top or bottom additional taskbar solution, which I posted here, no hacking involved it's a separate App. colours sizes length position text or not etc can be changed in the settings.

Winuser · Nov 8, 2021

Wynona said:
Oh, I could do that if I wanted, but I don't want. In Windows 10, I can do what I want to customize my desktop. I'd like to continue doing that with Winddows 11. I don't want to install a lot of third party stuff on my computer.

The fact remains that you outlined some things I'd need to do in order for things to work properly. I'm not gonna jump through hoops when the end result isn't the same as what I'm used to.

To me customizing Win 11 with third party apps is a gamble. I don't want to go through all the trouble of downloading, installing and customizing Win 11 and then have an update break it.

Ranett · Nov 8, 2021

TigerTom said:
completely disagree. I still like it's style, clarity, ease-of-use. Speed is also good on a lean system. Don't forget that many installs clog up after years with apps, startup loaders, background stuff, full tmp folders, fragmentation and god knows what else - which make you feel your system is laggy. A fresh W7 install is nice. IMHO.

Yep, I still use it too.