Forum Discussion
huali1405
Jul 03, 2021Bronze Contributor
How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
- Jul 30, 2024The November 2023 update added “never combined” mode on the taskbar for Windows 11. To find this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. Set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. It also added a separate setting for turning this feature on for other taskbars when you use multiple monitors.
PaulPitcher
Apr 28, 2023Copper Contributor
I'm not sure why Microsoft is removing features that have been around for years from windows 11. I get that some people love the MAC interface but I don't. I use windows because I like the ability to modify the OS the way that I like. Windows 11 is a step in the wrong direction for me. Making windows 11 more like mac only pushes me to Linux so that once again I can customize the OS to the way that I like it. If Microsoft wants to make the OS more simple and more like Mac by default fine, but please bring this and other features back even if you have to bury the option in a tab for advanced users. There are many workers like myself who work in a corporation and i don't have the option of installing some 3rd party software to get the features that I want.
- drdougApr 28, 2023Iron ContributorObviously we all agree here that we need this feature back and I would suggest the entire W10 interface back.
The biggest thing I do not understand is the developers can make Windows default as a poor quality Mac like they seem to want to, but easily leave in the in the options to alter the interface to individual needs. It looks so much like someone said I don't use these features so why would anyone else or I don't like a crowded taskbar so everyone must prefer it to auto combine.
Just like Win 8 it was decided the Tablet Style interface was for everyone, happily they got the message then for a short while, but have now tried again to dumb down the OS.
As to third party installs, no IT dept will allow Explorer Patcher, but if you go to management and explain the loss of productivity and the gain installing Start 11 or Startallback will give for the tiny investment I could not understand them not getting one of them installed for those who need it.
Although Explorer Patcher works, it is a maintenance nightmare. It will cause issues after Windows updates, sometimes serious issues even crashes, until it itself gets updated. So IT would have many hours sorting this out each time. The loss of productivity in the end would not make up for the productivity gain by having never combine available while ExplorerPatcher was working correctly.
Why does Microsoft not understand we want the performance of a Mac with W10 interface plus more options like total ungrouping, not just never vertical combine icons NOT the Mac interface with Windows performance. Why do they not understand that if we are forced to have the Mac lack of modification we will buy a Mac.- Michael BrooksApr 29, 2023Brass ContributorWhilst I fully agree with the sentiment of all the above posts, for those who don't understand Microsoft's thinking I am going to give my ten pence worth:
Microsoft is no longer a products company. People are disparaging about Steve Balmer but he was no mug and he accurately predicted during his time at the helm that the future was cloud services, and initiated what has become Azure. Since then Microsoft has rapidly evolved from a products company to a cloud services company. When they announced several years ago "we love Linux" they weren't kidding - from Microsoft's perspective Linux and Mac are great because they're more platforms that can consume Azure cloud services. Although Microsoft continues to invest in Windows, the O.S. has lost its strategic significance and this impacts the company's decision-making process. The balance between what the users want and what the company wishes to spend has changed. As I understand it, the replacement taskbar is a UWP app. I'm assuming that this makes life easier in some way for Microsoft themselves - easier to port across devices, or less complex architecture perhaps. For whatever reason, they took a strategic decision to replace the taskbar with an app, which invariably means a loss of functionality as there's no way anyone is going to invest in porting all features across without letting the user base at it first, for fear of wasting effort on features that aren't that important to the users - much safer to put a minimum viable product out there and listen to the feedback. I've no doubt that the new taskbar will get enhancements based on feedback; hopefully reports that we're getting the "never combine" feature back are correct - the sad fact is that WIndows is a lot less important to Microsoft than it once was, and those of us who use it have little option but to make loads of noise while waiting for crumbs from the table.
Is it time for a new player to enter the OS arena perhaps?- EMIGUSMay 03, 2023Copper ContributorAre we gonna just not talk about the fact that indie / open source developers have made a solution that has so far taken Microsoft over 18 months to implement?
The incompetence is astonishing.
But continue to let staff go Microsoft, seems to be working fine.