Ungroup items on the Taskbar in Windows 11

Iron Contributor
I need help on how to ungroup items on the Taskbar in Windows 11

 

115 Replies

@xjikkaReread my post again, if the edited version does not work, this will reinstall start menu components and also reset the associated apps (it will also ungroup the taskbar buttons like you want, and enable labels.) It is safe to use also. These System Apps are directly linked to the UI, so they have to be reset in some cases (Normally you would reset them all, but if you don't want to lose any configuration data this is the easiest route.)

 

Start Powershell -> Start Menu -> Run -> taskmgr -> File -> Run new Task -> %SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -> Select "Create this task with administrative privileges." -> Click OK.

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope LocalMachine -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages" -Name "UndockingDisabled" -PropertyType DWord -Value "00000001";
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages" -Name "UndockingDisabled" -Value "00000001";
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -Name "SearchboxTaskbarMode" -PropertyType DWord -Value "00000000";
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -Name "SearchboxTaskbarMode" -Value "00000000";
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" -Name "NoTaskGrouping" -PropertyType DWord -Value "00000001";
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" -Name "NoTaskGrouping" -Value "00000001";
Get-AppxPackage -allusers 1527c705-839a-4832-9118-54d4Bd6a0c89 | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers c5e2524a-ea46-4f67-841f-6a9465d9d515 | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers F46D4000-FD22-4DB4-AC8E-4E1DDDE828FE | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.Search | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Windows.CBSPreview | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Reset-AppxPackage;
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Windows.PrintDialog | Reset-AppxPackage;
./taskkill /f /im explorer.exe;
./CMD /Q /C START /REALTIME explorer.exe;

 

Going back w10@TiredOfYou 

@Mousefluffthank You. Registry changes doesn't helped. Same result: Start Menu does not work /is not showed/ and Explorer is starting in about 1-2 minutes. Installing other packages I did not tried. I need this simply revertable (meaning only acceptable are registry changes). I'm developer, and I must test my applications in "standard W11 Environment" our Customers have. Anyway, thank You. I'm using last standard official W11 version with all the updates installed.

Please MSFT, reverse this decision!!! Forcing grouping upon us is TERRIBLE! Stop trying to copy Apple, we appreciate MSFT providing choices and options that don't copy Apple. If we liked what Apple did, we'd buy their products.

@xjikka 

My posts have actually shown up now (even if this works, I actually don't use this function, despite the fact that I tested these scripts quite a bit before posting it. Sort of ironic, but I haven't used labels since Windows 98 SE, and Windows XP.)

The taskbar grouping in Windows 11 is terrible for me. As a software developer with dozens of windows and virtual desktops running, grouping adds additional steps often when I need to switch applications. MacOS or Linux is much faster for my workflow.

Grouping items on the taskbar reduces my productivity. Users should have the option to group or ungroup identical to Windows 10.

I really cannot believe how Microsoft just decided to remove that functionality without care of the professional users. This could work for some teen or gamer or whatever, but in my daily work I usually have multiple windows with multiple tabs in each of them. I have also Mac and I really do not like how the task bar is organized. Why do they want to make Windows look to MacOS? It doesn't make sense.
The inability to ungroup taskbar has murdered productivity. Learn from my mistake and go back to Windows 10 while you have the chance within the first 10 days.

Conveniently my three or four attempts to seek assistance from Microsoft Tech Support to rollback to Windows 10 were met with advising me that I would have to do a fresh install of 10 and all third-party programs. Technical support had no clue that Windows 11 will allow a rollback within the first 10 days. On day 12, a Tech Support agent finally told me about it...and I missed it by 2 days.

Learn from my mistake, roll back to Windows 10 NOW!!! ...until Windows 11 is ready for prime time. It's not even close. It's an Apple wannabe in terms of aethetics and novel in no way!!

Windows 11 absolutely kills productivity. It affects Zoom, making it clip. There is lag in clicking between tabs. I'm running Gen 9 i7 processor with 16 gigs RAM and a 2 gig SSD. Windows 11 is just not ready.

Cheers!

I agree. Sometimes it takes a long time for something to start (in compare to W10). I have an i7 11gen, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD nVMe. Windows 10 worked wonderfully. Next problem is that Embarcadero debugger (Delphi 11 with W11 support) keeps crashing (not responding). On same HW with W10 it worked without problems. Combined with icon grouping, Windows 11 is a disaster for developers and a terrible extra time waster. Due to the missing panels on the taskbar and stupid startmenu, I had to write an application that will at least partially replace functionality for me. I know, new system always hurts a little, but this is the way to hell. Really. I've been using W11 for 2 months and it's terrible (like my English ;-)).

Another annoying thing is the inability to turn off the stupid Win+C shortcut (used for Zoom). Even if you uninstall it, it's still there. The original method of disabling Win+something shortcuts from Windows 10 doesn't work, unfortunately.
Please, please please provide ungroup on the taskbar in windows 11. I pay my hard earned money for the new windows and office 365. I deserve good customer service to be able to have my 10 word documents displayed individually instead of spending unnecessary time clicking a menu and then searching for the right one.....long aggravated sigh
I don't know about you but I just tried all solutions in this thread, "CAREFULLY", and now my system barely boots (slowly) and the taskbar/start is seriously damaged... start menu doesn't pop up and my task bar is on the left and keeps grouping everything... i tried to "fix" something and by the help of some random people from the internet, I spent my whole sunday afternoon/evening, tried to "unfix" their "fix".... thanks 😕 appreciate it A LOT... even the software from github made it worse 😞 at least this one was uninstalled... 😞

@Pernille-Eskebo

 

please reintroduce this feature, was avaliable since win95 and speed´s up work, specialy when have to switch applications. 

 

regards.

 

Too many clicks throughout the work day. Please restore the ability to ungroup the items in the taskbar. Fine if you don't want it to be the default but it should be possible (and easy to do) for the sake of productivity.

Add me to the chorus. Can't believe how many clicks and difficult viewing is needed to do something I used to be able to do by just hovering over the taskbar.

 

Did any of the designers consider the older user who's eyesight is no longer what it once was (but not yet needing reading glasses)?  The microscopic window replicas are difficult to differentiate.

so, the microsoft answer is: go back to windows 10?
@Pernille-Eskebo Please address this, taskbar grouping is no longer optional in Windows 11. Grouping slows down productivity tremendously.
Funny thing is: If you search Settings, search results will show you that the option is there... but if you click the result to get to that setting, that setting is missing from the targeted page (Customization / Taask bar)... So the setting IS / WAS there, but is just hidden from us 😮 😮 😮 Bad Microsoft, bad!
We need this feature, grouping items on the taskbar reduces productivity. Users should have the option to group or ungroup identical to Windows 10.

Just wanna say thank you to everyone in this thread.

My honeymoon with Windows 11 is over. I have reinstalled Windows 10. It will be good for another 5 years.

Cheers.