Start11 v2.5 Changelog (Released 01/15/2025)

01/15/2025

Version

• UI: 2.5

• Start11Config.exe: 2.5.0.0

Platforms

• Stardock and Steam

Changes

• NEW Adds experimental vertical taskbar support Windows 11 (23H2+ only)

• NEW Centred taskbar buttons mode in Win11 now works on > 2 monitor setups

• Fixed issue with dragging taskbar buttons to the left of the taskbar when centered

• Fix for DisplayFusion issue

• Tweaks for changing the size of taskbar icons etc

• Fixed an issue with Microsoft Loop and a resource leak

• Fix for position of jumplist on mixed vertical and nonvertical setups

• Fix for config having a nonfunctional indicator on the left causing an odd blank box

• Fixed 1 en-us localization issue

• Detection of 23H2 as we were detecting beta channel only

• Added UI options for icon size, button width, and height to advanced taskbar settings.  Only properly apply when not using OS autohide

• Fixed issue with Win+X menu going away when you mouseover a vertical taskbar

• Resolved issue with touch long press to get a right click not working on vertical taskbars for items

• Resolved flicker on custom start button when mouseover on a vertical taskbar

• Removed excess slider on advanced taskbar settings

• Fixed issue with Win+X menu appearing in the wrong location when taskbar is on the right depending on the screen scaling factor

• Resolved issue with on-top secondary taskbars causing a hang issue.

• Fixes for Directory Opus taskbar docked bars

• Added a registry key to make S11 on Win10 using center mode delay before updating : S11_DelayCentreUpdateWin10
  value in ms
  
  Registry location for values:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

• Removed excess All apps item on Win10 all apps list

• Tweaked color of the taskbar when using color on the taskbar and also resolved accent color choice being wrong sometimes on the taskbar.

• Fixed Win10 style on vertical taskbars not correctly painting buttons for > 1 window open when in combine mode.

• Fixes issue with top aligned taskbar getting misaligned horizontally

• Fixes issue with combined mode taskbar buttons not performing correct action on click when having a monitor in negative coordinates and also not working for vertical taskbars on the left

• Fix for having a monitor with negative coordinates stopping combine mode window switch popup always showing when clicking on the taskbar.  Note that newer insider versions of Windows no longer support this and will switch between windows on click rather than show the popup.  This may be a bug in insiders and fix itself in the future

• Fix for juddering jumplist when on top and using a rounded taskbar.

• Fix for win+X menu when using on top and autohide having the submenu misaligned when not reserving one pixel for the taskbar.

• Fixed overflow taskbar system tray icons not showing correctly when not using enhanced taskbar but with a top of screen taskbar.

• Fix for top taskbar thumbs on insider

• Rounded taskbar settings no longer impact taskbar items on vertical taskbars

• Fix for thumbs on Windows Insider with autohide left aligned taskbar

• Fix for blank taskbar after rebooting or log off \ on

• Further login tweaks for vertical taskbars

• Fix for >2 monitor taskbar center mode

• Clock text on the vertical taskbars is made less small when wider

• Fixes some secondary monitor issues with autohide, vertical and screen workspace

• Fixes a case of no settings showing in search

• Removes - File explorer from taskbar buttons

• Resolved issue with clicking on pinned taskbar items in combined mode causing a new instance of the app to launch sometimes

• Resolved an issue found when fixing that to do with clicking doing nothing on newer OS builds sometimes if the thumbs window was open.

• Resolved thumbs placement issue with beta channel update

• Resolved jumplist not showing when taskbar is on top on secondary displays and now with enhanced taskbar off on primary too

• Removed hyphen from ‘Task Manager’ in the supported languages.

***Reserved***

The custom start button flicker has been resolved, but if you don't have an app open or pinned to the taskbar, the default Windows 11 start button is used.

If you hide the start button on Primary monitor, if you don't have an app open or pinned to the taskbar, the default Windows start button is displayed, but does not work. If an app is open or pinned to the taskbar, the start button is hidden.

There seems to be an issue related to whether an app is open or pinned to the taskbar and how the Start button is displayed.

Taskbar on the left.

Windows 11 Pro - 22635.4660; Start11v2 - 2.5.0.0

There is a placeholder where the All Apps text was removed from the Windows 10 style menu, that highlights and when clicked opens the "rolodex" listing.

Windows 11 Pro - 22635.4660; Start11v2 - 2.5.0.0

If I set the Icon size, Button width, and Button height all back to the defaults, the Taskbar size settings works for me on 22635.4660.

You can still drag the taskbar to increase the size, and it doesn't affect the icon sizes, but it does allow multiple rows of icons.

After changing the setting to Align left and restarting Explorer, the taskbar will appear at the bottom for a few seconds and then should move to the left.

Uninstall, reboot and then reinstall 2.5 as it sounds like some older files got left behind.

Nope. Stays resolutely at the bottom.  Tomorrow I’ll try an uninstall, reboot and reinstall to see if that fixes it

Just installed this version - all appears to work, apart from the fact that with a vertical taskbar on either left or right side, my desktop icons don't stay put!  If I disable Start11's management of the taskbar and use the latest explorer patcher instead everything works as expected and my icons stay where I put them. Windows is fully updated too.

I was on 2.11, but I can't seem to find anywhere to download that from a safe location. Is there a way to get the previous version from Stardock's website / our account page? Thanks!

I'm curious about this as well, 2.5 is only displaying the start menu when I press the windows key on the keyboard. All 3 monitors otherwise show the stock windows start menu. I need a rollback.

Are you able to save your config file (using the Start11 backup options) and send a link to it to me via private message.

My gut is saying the use of explorer patcher is probably triggering the problem here.  Tricking things into thinking they are not Windows 11 is liable to cause confusion.

Try uninstalling ExplorerPatcher, rebooting, installing Start11v2.5 and rebooting. I think/bet it'll work fine. I think EP is interfering with Start11v2.5.