After the merging function of the taskbar was canceled in Win11, it became inconvenient to use file drag and drop for copying. There are many third-party tools online that allow the taskbar to not be merged. I have tried using them one by one, but various problems occur after each Win11 upgrade. I am recording the method I used to solve this problem for reference only.
StartAllBack flashing error
I used a third-party tool called ExplorerPatcher to solve the taskbar merging issue in Win11 for a long time, until the recent update, which caused various problems with the taskbar.
I found another tool called StartAllBack, which is free for one hundred days. I found a cracked patch online that only enables the taskbar to not be merged, without the need to enable other features such as the File Explorer and the Win10 interface restoration in the Start menu, which are not particularly necessary.
However, a problem occurred. Today, when I turned on my computer, I couldn't access the desktop and the taskbar kept flashing.
I haven't installed any other software recently, so I quickly identified the problem caused by StartAllBack.
At this point, I couldn't open the system uninstall program. There are suggestions online that pressing "ESC" for a long time can restore the desktop, but I haven't tested it.
My first reaction was to bring up the task manager, but I couldn't find the StartAllBack process to end it even after a long time. Does this mean I have to reinstall the system? That's ridiculous.
Luckily, I have installed "Youqi Tong," a PE system.
It is necessary to have a PE system installed, similar to a boot disk. When the computer cannot access the desktop, it can enter through the back door.
In the PE system, I used the Everthing tool to locate the StartAllBack installation directory and deleted the entire folder.
After restarting the computer, the desktop loaded normally and the system returned to normal.
Geek: A very geeky Win system uninstall tool
During this process, the operation of searching for and deleting files using Everthing is not conventional. The correct approach would be to use the system uninstall program. However, entering the uninstall program requires certain permissions in the PE system, which is not convenient.
If there is a clean and refreshing third-party tool that can replace the system uninstall program, that would be great. God heard my response.
Geek is such a lightweight, simple, and free tool that is sufficient to replace the system uninstall program.
As shown in the picture, there is no need for further explanation. It is easy to use.
Solution to the taskbar merging issue in Win11
After experiencing two errors, I am not confident in using third-party tools to forcefully solve this problem. Every time the system is updated, unexpected problems arise, which is really worrisome.
It is reported that the latest update of Win11 has resolved the taskbar merging issue. Currently, only the preview version of the system has this feature. So how can the existing system be upgraded to the preview version?
Windows 11 Taskbar Not Merging (Without StartAllBack and other tools) Following the method shared by this netizen, I successfully upgraded to the "Windows Insider Program."
- Join the Windows Insider Program account for updates.
- Update to Win11, there will be a complete preview version update package, which may take a while to install, so please be patient.
- After the update installation, the taskbar settings will have the option to not merge.
It is said that after updating to this Win11 preview version, there may be lag in N-card operations, but I haven't noticed this problem for now. If you are not too particular, you can wait for the official release of Win11.
I turned on a switch in the preview version. My understanding is that when the main version of Win11 is released, the preview version will automatically switch to updating to the main version. Our goal is to experience it, but ultimately we still need to use a stable version of the system. This is my own speculation, I don't know if it's correct.
File Explorer after upgrading to Win11 preview version
One of the top ten new features of Windows 11 22H2: File Explorer tabbed browsing, with a tab bar at the top of each window.
Just like a browser, you can open multiple windows in File Explorer. Originally, I used QTTabbar to replace this feature, but now I can eliminate one more software.
A problem occurred. QTTabbar is not easy to uninstall. After some troubleshooting, I finally managed to remove it:
- Download the latest version of QTTabbar from the official website and reinstall it. Usually, if you can't uninstall it properly, you won't be able to install it either.
- Download the troubleshooter from the official website, double-click to open it, and follow the next steps to automatically analyze and resolve errors related to QTTabbar.
- Install the latest version of QTTabbar program again, this time correctly.
- Go back to the system uninstall program, find QTTabbar, and uninstall it correctly.
