How do I Ungroup Task Bar Buttons in Windows 11

Anonymous
2022-08-26T12:28:10+00:00

Hi,

This is driving me mad. Windows 11 Groups Taskbar items and it is killing me, rather than being able to click on the, e.g. browser tab that I want, I now have to hover over Edge and scan all open browsers - it wastes soooo much time.

How can I ungroup Icons like I did with "Never Combine" in Windows 10.

Also - how do I complain officially to Microsoft about this.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accessibility

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SD - IA 179.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2022-08-26T13:05:17+00:00

Hi,

I am Sumit here to assist you with this question.

They are tracking Feedback on this, but no updates yet. It is also not clear if this feature would come.

List of Changed or removed features/functionalities in Windows 11 - Microsoft Community

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

A 3rd party alternative called ExplorerPatcher may help you in the meantime.

Improve Windows 11 Taskbar functionality using these tools - Your Windows Guide

https://www.yourwindowsguide.com/2021/09/restor...

ExplorerPatcher, a 3rd party tool that aims to bring the older Windows 10 styled functionality in the Windows 11 Taskbar by just adding DLL files in 3 specific directories of WIndows. Because the older code is still present in Windows 11, by putting the DLL file, the Windows 10 styled taskbar is enabled. Some of the functionalities the developer claims the is restored:

Restores Windows 10 styled taskbar menu.

Restore Windows+X context menu.

Show app list by default in Start menu.

Ability for start menu and search to align left and many more

How to use ExplorerPatcher

Download the Software from this GitHub Repository:

Releases · valinet/ExplorerPatcher (github.com)

https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/rele...

Hope that helps.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-02-07T14:36:25+00:00

    i would also like to say, this is a very poor design choice, (as explained at the start of this thread)
    on top of being that, this is forcing me to deal with less choices, and less functionality,
    which makes also bad product.

    the answer given by sumit is also unsatisfactory, with no acknowledgement of the error made by this very poor design choice,
    and no acknowledgement of responsibility, or willingness to change, or correct the error made.

    i got windows 11 on a new computer. i cannot downgrade. i am forced to deal with this bad product.
    if i am using third party solutions, i might as well go all the way! and dump the whole product for a product from someone else.

    i cannot afford this way of work at my line of work (pharmacist)

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-02-07T14:59:59+00:00

    Not being able to ungroup Task Bar Buttons is probably my biggest frustration atm. It was so tremendously useful to see at glance which files I had open across my apps. Now it's just showing a repetition of taskbar icons. I stopped counting how many times I clicked the wrong taskbar icon to find out my files were open under the other one. Once you figure that out and you want to see which files are opened you have to hoover over the taskbar icon, but when you have a lot of files open and you move your mouse too wide/high/low you will lose that view and have to hoover again. Madness. This "feature" requires a roll back, big time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-02-09T06:55:53+00:00

    Hi,

    I had to upgrade yesterday my company laptop and I was immediately frustrated about the grouped taskbar! Now I read that it is not possible to change this!

    I cannot belive that it has been reported already for months and MS is not changing it. Who had the stupid idea to make this the only display option?!

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-02-09T10:55:45+00:00

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