Despite the interface changes, the underlying architecture for toolbars still exists within Windows 11. Here is how to force it back:
Windows 11 was designed to feel modern and fluid. The taskbar is arguably the biggest departure from previous versions. It is locked to the center by default, and the right-click context menu has been stripped down. In older versions of Windows, you could simply right-click the taskbar, select "Toolbars," and add a "New Toolbar." In Windows 11, that option is missing from the primary interface.
If your goal is quick access to rather than apps, create a new folder on your desktop and name it exactly this: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} quick launch toolbar windows 11
: A free, open-source tool that brings back the Windows 10 Taskbar style, which supports the original Quick Launch toolbar.
While the method above works, the implementation is imperfect. Because the Windows 11 taskbar was not designed with this feature in mind, the Quick Launch toolbar behaves like an unruly guest: It is locked to the center by default,
The most effective way to restore the true Quick Launch toolbar is by using ExplorerPatcher, an open-source utility that brings back the Windows 10 taskbar architecture within Windows 11.
If you are desperate for the Windows 7/XP aesthetic, the community has provided better solutions than Microsoft’s hidden workaround. Tools like ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack allow you to "downgrade" the Windows 11 taskbar to the Windows 10 style. While the method above works, the implementation is
The , a staple of Windows productivity since the 1990s, was officially deprecated with the release of Windows 11. Because Microsoft rebuilt the Taskbar from scratch using modern code, the legacy "Toolbars" menu is gone.