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How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
How to let windows 11 "never combine taskbar buttons"?
- The 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.
1,327 Replies
- Just wanted to leave this here to let MS know that I'm not changing to win11 until this is addressed, and am actively warning others about this. I know it's not much, but it really is that big of a deal for me. Thanks.
- Thank you. Good to take a stand. I have been doing the same with Edge because of the lack of ability to disable tabs. I hate tabs, they are insidious little bastards.
- I thought I had to be missing something and spent more time than I should have trying to figure this out. This is a big hit to my productivity as I'm constantly switching between Excel spreadsheets all day long. I'll be rolling back to Windows 10 until this is resolved because I don't want to install a 3rd party app.
- You're assuming it's going to get fixed, me not so much. Explorer Patch is small, simple and super effective. At least try it before running backward.
- Another recommendation to try the Explorer Patch before rolling back. Very easy to install.
- +1 to the request to bring back "never combine taskbar buttons." It's OK to let Windows look more like MacOS, but keep the Win 10 options for those who need them.
- Seems to me, also, that it's all about looking like the Apple brand OS, which I find sheer nonsense, because there is no way that everything they do is the best way of doing it.
To my fellow frustrated Win11 users
After much hesitation, I finally downloaded and installed the Explorer Patch from github. After a few days of use, I see no ill effects to my system and I finally have the "never combine" function I have been missing. I will encourage those wishing and waiting for MS programmers to come to their senses, to just download it and gain back the lost productivity. The download and install was quick and easy. After a quick Windows Explorer restart, I have the old functionality back.
Thank you to the developers (valinet and Speedy37) who created this patch.
I just want to chime in, to let Microsoft know that another user is EXTREMELY unhappy with the lack of taskbar customization. What the hell were you thinking? Bring it back ASAP. I bought this machine with W 11, so I can't go back.
While we are at it, bring back the move option in the Windows Explorer menu! In my work, I used it daily, and this cut and paste process is not pleasing me. I loved when you clicked on move, and it just gave you a drop down menu to select the folder to move files to. It was so much easier!
- Windows 11 is the worst for anyone trying to use a computer in a productive sense. The snap screens and everything screw up my programs so I have to resize and have a billion screens on top of each other, and I use extended displays hooked to my brand new gaming laptop. I bought this 2 days ago and I miss my P.O.S. laptop I just replaced that is so old it came with windows 8 originally installed on it. It was slow, but at least I could manipulate it to what I needed!
- Agree, Microsoft lawyers are going to be very busy.....
- If Windows 11 is supposed(as some have said) to appear like Apple sheet, does Apple really treat it's customers this poorly by degrading system function? Does anyone know the official Microsoft position on this? Do they give a sheet? Thought I'd start 3 years early buying systems that support Win11 and get a head start. Discovering this "Never combine" issue is a head stop for me. Wake up Microsoft. Just because you've screwed users and gotten away with it in the past does not mean your luck will continue. I may as well run Linux with garage like this. Morons.
- I installed Windows 11 last Fall, shortly after its release. When I realized I could not ungroup the taskbar items, I quickly uninstalled it and went back to Windows 10. I keep searching to see if Microsoft has gotten the message yet and has added a "never group" taskbar to Windows 11. So far, nothing and I'm still using Windows 10. Until Windows 10 is no longer supported, I will continue to use it, unless MS adds an ungroup to Windows 11.
If I do a reset on my computer and tell it to do a new install as if it were new - will I get Windows 10 back? I am past the point where I am "eligible" to fall back.
- I'm not sure. I didn't let Windows 11 fester on my computer, once I figured out I could not ungroup taskbar icons. It is the first setting I do. If you reset, as if it were new, I believe you will lose all your personal data. I have a thumb drive to restore Windows 10, I used on an old computer. (I tried to install the Chrome OS and it failed miserably!) I noticed that one of the options on the boot was to restore without losing personal data. Unfortunately, I don't have a link to share where I downloaded the thumb drive. You might want to do a search. On the other hand, you could back up all your data onto an external drive and then reset.
- Seriously, how you expect us to upgrade do Windows 11 when even the simplest features that were always on windows are not there?
Its painful to use windows without "never combine" and I don't like using third party software for the UI.
Has been a while and this feature was not delivered, plz hurry up, its getting on my nerves!- It's getting on my nerves as well! I keep going to this board to see if it has been reinstated and so far, the answer is no. I installed 11 and quickly uninstalled when I realized its limitations.
huali1405 - please allow us to never combine on the taskbar. If I hadn't bought a new laptop with Windows 11 installed, I would have rolled back to Windows 10.
- Another reason not to buy a new laptop! I didn't realize (should have) that all new computers would have Windows 11. I'm not upgrading until that option is available on Windows 11. Until then, I'm using Windows 10.
