Exploring the Features and Limitations
In the ever-evolving landscape of Windows customization, a new contender has emerged, capturing the nostalgia of users longing for the simplicity of Windows 7. Explorer7, a third-party project, offers a unique solution by allowing users to integrate the classic Windows 7 taskbar into modern operating systems, including Windows 10 and 11, with a primary focus on Windows 8.1.
Explorer7 is currently available as a public beta, which means users should be prepared for some rough edges and known bugs. The installation process is not as seamless as one might hope; it requires a Windows 7 image file to extract the necessary components, adding a layer of complexity to the setup.
However, potential users should be aware of a significant limitation: modern applications, including those from the Microsoft Store and even essential stock apps like Settings, cannot run on Windows 8.1, 10, or 11 when using Explorer7. This makes it less than ideal for daily use, though it may provide an interesting experience on a secondary device or within a virtual machine.
For those seeking a more reliable alternative to the default Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu, options such as Start11, StartAllBack, or ExplorerPatcher may prove to be more functional and user-friendly.
Known Issues and Limitations
General:
- UWP/Metro UI apps won’t run, a limitation the developers hope to address in the future.
- No support for multi-monitor taskbars, as this feature was absent in Windows 7.
- Autoplay functionality may not operate as expected.
- Missing context menu entries for pinning and unpinning items in the internal Start menu.
- Transparency effects from the 8.x style do not apply to the taskbar or Start menu.
Windows 10/11:
- The all programs list functionality is limited and relies on a temporary workaround.
- Thumbnails may exhibit issues due to inactive DWM Colorization, particularly on Windows 10 versions 1809 and above.
- Icon badges for compression are visible, which may detract from the user experience.
- Changes to the accent color will not take effect until explorer.exe is restarted.
- Notification icon settings in the Control Panel are absent.
- Users may encounter unusual color behavior on the taskbar if the system theme filename is “aero.msstyles”.
- Searching for executables by their actual names rather than shortcut names can lead to items not opening or responding correctly.
For those intrigued by the prospect of revisiting the familiar interface of Windows 7, more information about Explorer7 can be found on its forum page at winclassic.net or its GitHub repository, where enthusiasts can engage with the community and explore this nostalgic venture further.