Widgets Panel differs between Computers - "Start Experiences" app seems to be the reason

Hi over there.

So, I've been annoyed because of this issue for several months. The threads I've created on both Reddit and Microsoft Answers got closed and I had given up on finding a solution untill today.

As the title says, the issue is regarding to the Widgets Panel; what happens (until today I thought that for no reason) is that on a desktop computer (Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.5189 SO compilation) it looks this way:



...While on a laptop computer (Windows 11 Home 24H2, 26100.3775 OS compilation), it looks this one:



Just in case you don't notice, the left border and the top border differ; on the laptop PC there are two "Feeds" and "Widgets" button and a limited catalog of Widgets can be added through the Account settings, while in the Desktop PC there is the Plus button to add widgets.

I'm afraid I have to admit that due to the Eleven Forum suggestion to check and include in the post the SO version I realized that the compilations differ. I wonder if this one, instead the one I'll talk about on the next paragraph, is the reason.

Anyway, a while ago, wandering in the Widgets area in Microsoft Store in the Desktop PC, I've seen this "Start Experiences" app and I saw it not installed. When I opened it to see the details, I saw the screenshots and I had no doubt: in the laptop PC surely it would be installed. Indeed it is, on the laptop PC.

I managed to uninstall it, but, as I've read on another thread on this forum, doing that causes that the panel to malfunction. My question is: why on the desktop PC the panel works perfectly not being that app installed? Is there any way to bring the "old" (Desktop-PC-one) version of the panel back in the Laptop PC?

Regards

Your version of MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience differs between 23H2 & 24H2
They vary even between 24H2 as I have 525.8401.0.0 in dev and 524.29700.0.0 in beta.
Within those containers, you will find the widgetboard and its code variant.
If that is your only dilemma, consider yourself fortunate.



Failed to mention that msedgewebview2 is needed for the widget board as well.

Well... first of all, thanks for replying. What you suggested seemed to be accurate, until I googled how to check the Web Experiencie Client version and I went to check it.

Desktop PC:



Laptop PC:



I was hopeful about your suggestion honestly (and at the same time concerned, since because of all this I realized that my desktop PC is not up-to-date with this 24H2 major update but I was sure that performing the update was going to lead to lose the old-styled Widgets Panel) but appearently it wouldn't be a factor.

I'm afraid I have to insist that the reason is this thing, for which I'm providing a screenshot just in case:



It's from the Store on my Desktop PC, proof that it is not installed there, while it is on my Laptop-PC.

Last but not least, I can understand that my «dilemma» could seem trivial or superflous, but here are the things: first, on my Laptop-PC I have a noticeably lower resolution than on my Desktop one, and the old-style panel occupies a noticeably smaller space on screen. If, on the new-style Panel, I turn off the Feed section and I only keep the "Widgets" one, the size remains the same, unlike the old-style one where doing that same thing reduces the size pretty much.

Second, in the "Widgets" section in the new-style Panel, a lot of widgets are missing; Photos and Calendar ones among them. In fact, even in the old-style one, the Outlook Calendar widget has gone in the meantime of the day I took the first screenshot and last night, and, as you can see, I had to get (and pay for it) a third-party one, so all I'm trying to do is to avoid these mandatory expenses from these shovelers bunglers that we kindly use to call "Microsoft".

Regards