12 Windows 11 problems that are easy to fix
Miscellaneous / / February 11, 2022
You no longer have to put up with the unusual taskbar and context menu.
1. Taskbar icons placed in the center
The first thing that catches your eye when you start using the new Windows is that the icons on the taskbar are no longer on the left, but in the middle, like in macOS. Some will like it, especially if the monitor is ultra-wide. But many will consider such a decision extremely unusual.
The fact is that now the icons are shifted when you open new programs, and it becomes impossible to blindly hit the right icon.
So if you are used to launching programs or opening the Start menu without looking, using only muscle memory, this trick will not work here.
What to do
Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar Options → Taskbar Behavior.
In the Taskbar Alignment section, change the option from Centered to Left.
2. Frequent actions in the context menu are called by icons
Microsoft decided to make its OS beautiful and minimalistic, focusing on macOS and linux with GNOME. Unfortunately, in some places for the sake of elegance of appearance, functionality was sacrificed.
For example, the context menu, as in previous versions of Windows, was made beautiful, but very small. And to get access to the necessary actions, you constantly have to click on the "Show advanced options" button. Only then will the good old context menu from Windows 10 appear in front of you.
This solution is confusing, requires an extra click, and takes a lot of time if you are going to do anything other than copy and paste with files. Even opening text not in Notepad, but in an additional editor becomes a slightly more non-trivial task.
But the most depressing thing is that the most common actions like cutting or deleting files in Windows 11 are represented not by text, but by icons. This is unusual not only for Windows 10 users, but also for those who spent all their time on macOS or Linux, because context menus looked more or less the same on all systems.
What to do
With a little hack, you can bring back the old context menu. Open the Start menu and type "Command Prompt". Right-click on the found program and click "Run as administrator". Enter the command:
reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
Press Enter and restart your computer. After that, you will see that the context menu has become like in Windows 10.
If you want to undo the changes, use the command:
reg.exe delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f
3. Unable to drag icons to the taskbar
Actually, that says it all. Do you want to transfer some program from Start or from the desktop to the taskbar - but you can’t. In addition, dragging and dropping files onto the icons of programs pinned to the taskbar no longer works.
In general, Microsoft promisesMicrosoft is trying to fix Windows 11 taskbar issues / Windows Latest everything will return as it was, but it is not known when it will be.
What to do
To save a program to the taskbar, you need to run it, right-click on the icon, and then click on "Pin to taskbar". Or select the same item in the context menu in the "Start". These are unnecessary gestures, but now you can’t do without them.
As for opening files by dragging to the taskbar, there are programs and registry hacks on the web that are supposed to return this feature, but with recent updates they seem to have stopped working.
4. The taskbar itself is no longer moving
By default in Windows 10 the taskbar is at the bottom of the screen, but you can place it on the top, right, or left. And also change its size by simple stretching.
This is useful for productivity freaks and those with large screens, because the taskbar moved to the side allows for more windows and takes up less space. And if you fix the taskbar at the top of the monitor, then you will quickly access frequently used icons without moving the cursor up and down.
But in Windows 11 this trick will not work.
What to do
Tiny free utility Taskbar11 can partly solve the problem and move the taskbar to the top. The popular program can do the same Start11, but it costs money - from $ 5.99.
But these applications will not be able to move the panel to the right or left. Both the start menu and notifications will open in their old places, no matter what hacks you use. So owners of laptops with a small screen and fans of multitasking will be left with nothing.
5. The new File Explorer is beautiful, but not very functional
The updated File Explorer in Windows 11 looks beautiful, but it also has much fewer controls. And the tape with frequently used tools has completely disappeared. This will appeal to lovers of minimalism, but not multitasking.
What to do
Open registry editor and look for HKEY\LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions
In it, create a Blocked section, and inside it, a string parameter with the name {e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}
Reboot, and File Explorer will look like it did in Windows 10: the ribbon with the tools will return to its place.
6. The updated Start menu has become less functional
Now the Start menu looks stylish and takes up more space, but contains fewer icons.
In addition, if in Windows 10 it was enough for you to open the "Start" and scroll the mouse wheel to get access to all installed on the computer programs, now you must first find the "All Programs" submenu - and only then will you get access to the alphabetical list. Another extra click to spend time on.
What to do
There are several apps that change the Start menu for more functional options. For example, already mentioned Start11 for $5.99, it can bring back the menu style from Windows 10, from the "Seven" or implement its own Modern.
Another option is a program StartAllBack for the same $5.99, it offers a beautiful new Start that combines the virtues of Tens with the style of Windows 11.
And finally, for those who do not want to spend money, there is a free program open-shell. It's not as pretty, but still comfortable. To make it work properly in Windows 11, activate the Replace Start button item in the application settings.
And don't forget to move the taskbar icons to the left side.
7. Can't resize the taskbar
Windows 11 has pretty big icons on the taskbar by default. This is justified on large monitors or tablets with touch controls, but on laptops with relatively small screens, the taskbar takes up too much space.
In the "Ten" the problem was easily solved with one switch "Use small icons". But in Windows 11 there is no such option.
So it is simply impossible to change the size of the taskbar and the icons on it using standard tools.
What to do
The already mentioned freeware Taskbar11 will help owners of small screens and lovers of economical distribution of space.
Among other things, she can change the size of the taskbar and its icons to "large", "medium" and "small".
8. Edge browser is very intrusive
In Windows 10, changing the browser is very easy. Go to the "Default Programs" settings and in the "Browser" section select the program that you need. But in Windows 11, things are more complicated.
Moreover, when you change your web browser, the system will dissuade you from doing so.
What to do
Click "Start" → "Settings" → "Applications" → "Default Apps". Find your Chrome or another there browser and set it as the default program for the HTM, HTTP, HTTPS, XHTML, SHTML, and optionally PDF file types. Each line will have to be adjusted manually, but this will have to come to terms.
Note that Edge will still continue to pop up if you click on a widget or try to search the web through Start. Previously, this problem could be solved by installing the program EdgeDeflectorbut now it has stopped working.
9. Changing any default program is tedious
The mentioned difficulties do not only apply to the browser, but to all default applications in Windows 11.
If you are, say, a photographer and want your pictures to open in some CyberLink PhotoDirector, you will also have to change for each format - BMP, DNG, JPG, PNG, TIFF, NEF viewer separately.
The same goes for documents and videos if you plan to use more than just the built-in programs in Windows 11. Even installing a banal video player like VLC becomes a very exhausting task.
What to do
The solution is the same as in the case of the browser - to make a couple of dozen extra clicks in the "Default applications" parameter.
10. You cannot open folders with the necessary files from the search
In Windows 10, the search in Start is very convenient. With it, you can open not only the files you are looking for, but also the folders in which they are contained.
Let's say you found your document with "Start", but you do not need to open it, but copy it to another location or delete it altogether. Right-click on it and select "Open File Folder". The file will appear in front of you in Explorer, and you can do whatever you need with it. This is very great.
But in Windows 11, when you right-click on the found files, only the "Copy path" option appears.
What to do
Copy the path to the found file. Then open "Explorer", paste the copied link there. Erase the name and extension of the file from it, leaving only the address of the folder containing it, and press Enter.
Only then will you open the folder in which the file you are looking for is located. This is better than going through folders manually.
11. Taskbar buttons are always grouped
By default, in both Windows 11 and Windows 10, program icons on the taskbar do not have labels. As a result, windows are harder to aim at.
In addition, you can't guess which documents you have open where, because they are all grouped into one icon. You will have to point the mouse at it and try to see something in the pop-up windows.
Windows 10 has an option to make managing icons a little more comfortable. In the taskbar settings, find the option "Group taskbar buttons" and select "Never". Now the icons will be provided with convenient captions, it will be much easier to aim and distinguish between open files in them.
But in Windows 11, this feature was removed. It is possible that the taskbar looked more minimalistic and stylish.
What to do
already mentioned program StartAllBack returns a more familiar and convenient look of the icons on the taskbar.
Unfortunately, you will have to pay $5.99 for it.
12. The system forces you to use a Microsoft account
When you create a user account, Windows 11 Home will prompt you to enter your email address and password for a Microsoft account or register one.
In the "Ten", if you did not need an account, you could create a local account without being tied to Microsoft. This possibility has been removed.
What to do
Disconnect your computer from the internet before installing Windows 11. If the system asks for Wi-Fi access, do not connect your network. If you have a cable, disconnect it from the PC. Then the system will still allow you to create a local account.
Read also🧐
- How to change drive letter in Windows 10
- How to disable User Account Control in Windows 10
- How to return the familiar context menu in Windows 11
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