How to use Explorer Patcher, a tool to bring Windows 10 Taskbar back to Windows 11

If you are looking for a way to get the Taskbar and File Explorer back to the way they are in Windows 10, then this free Explorer Patcher tool is for you. You just need to add a DLL file to the C:Windows folder and then restart Explorer.exe and wait for a while and everything is ready.

The developer of Explorer Patcher claims that this project aims to help people increase productivity on Windows 11.

Explorer Patcher Features:

Taskbar:

• Bring back “always combine” app icon merge options https://quantrimang.com/”combine when full”https://quantrimang.com/”never combine” on both main and secondary Taskbar
• Remove Search button
• Removed Task View button
• Along with some other features…

File Explorer:

• Disable Windows 11 Control Bar
• Disable Windows 11 context menu
• Along with a few other options…

Along with some customizations, other options for Start Menu, Windows switcher (Alt+Tab)…

How to install Explorer Patcher

Because you need to download the file, you must ensure that your computer has a stable internet connection during the installation process.

B1: First, you need to visit the link below to download the DLL file named dxgi.dll. According to the developer, Explorer Patcher works stably on the official Windows 11 version. However, TipsMake.com’s test shows that even the latest Dev version can still run normally:

Note: With the ZIP file downloaded from TipsMake.com, you need to extract it to see the dxgi.dll file.

B2: After downloading the DLL file, copy and paste the file into the folder C:Windows. This operation requires you to have Administrator rights.

B3: You restart Explorer.exe according to the following instructions:

B4: In this step, you have to wait for the system to automatically download the necessary files from Microsoft. After downloading, Explorer.exe will automatically restart again and the Taskbar with Windows 10 Start menu will appear.

B5: You need to reconfigure a bit to suit your needs. To configure Explorer Patcher you need to access the settings of this tool by right clicking the button Start (or press Win + XD) then select Properties.

B6: In this interface, you can display the clock and date icons missing on the Taskbar by clicking Enable missing system tray icons. In the new window that appears, select On in the Clock section.

B7: You can customize grouping for application icons by clicking Combine taskbar icons on maintaskbar.

Explorer Patcher has many other interesting features that you can discover for yourself. You can also combine it with other tools like TaskbarX.

More about Explorer Patcher:

How to remove Explorer Patcher

To remove Explorer Patcher and return to the normal Taskbar and Start Menu of Windows 11, you first need to bring the Taskbar to the position below the screen (if you have changed its position).

Next, you rename the DLL file in the C:Windows folder from dxgi.dll to dxgio.dll. Then, restart your computer and delete the dxgio.dll file. You can also delete the %appdata%ExplorerPatcher folder to ensure the experience returns to normal.

Good luck!