Start11 adds support for Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11
Start11 is a popular Start Menu alternative for Windows 11. And now, the app lets you move the Taskbar to the side of your screen.
Microsoft does not officially support a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11, despite it being requested by many users since the operating system was launched. You will have to rely on third-party tools to make changes to the Start Menu and other aspects of Windows.
Get a Vertical Taskbar on Windows 11 with Start11
Stardock has announced on its blog that it has made it possible for users to move the Taskbar to the side in the latest beta version of Start 11. The customization app allows you to place a Vertical Taskbar on the left or the right side of your screen, the choice is yours.
To do this, you will need to install Start 11 v2.5 beta on your computer. When you have installed the program, you can select your taskbar experience from the configuration panel, i.e. click on the Taskbar tab in the side panel and go to Enhanced Taskbar Settings to make your changes. It's that simple.
Image credit: Stardock.
The update also brings an option to use Start11 with a left aligned Start button on multiple monitors. Prior to this update, the feature only supported two displays.
Start11 is a premium program, a license for a single installation costs $9.99. You can download a trial version of Start11 from Stardock's website to try it free for 30 days, before you buy it, or uninstall the software. Trying the program does not require a credit card, buy you will need to enter your email address, and click on a link that you will get in the activation mail to start the 30-day trial. If you own Start10, you may be eligible to upgrade to Start11 at a lower price. I recommend checking Start 11 v2 on Steam, as it may offer better regional pricing in some countries.
That being said, you should know that beta versions are locked behind a paywall. So, unless you have bought the app already, you'll need to wait for the final release of Start11 2.5 to try the Vertical Taskbar feature via the free trial.
If you want a free app that supports Vertical Taskbar, you can try some mods for Windhawk. But, you may want to be careful when you are using such programs that modify the Windows registry, as you can easily mess things up. Create a system restore point, a backup of the registry, and maybe back up your important data before experimenting.
It is kind of silly that we need a third-party software to make basic changes that were previously supported on Windows. If only Microsoft cared about quality of life features, instead of shoving ads everywhere. Do you remember when the Head of Product for Windows Shell casually explained that they had rebuilt the Taskbar from scratch, and they were working on adding more features? This was over 2 years ago, by the way. Microsoft also went on to clarify that touchscreen devices did not have enough room on the display for a vertical taskbar? So, don't make the feature available for those devices. The majority of Windows users are either on a desktop, or a laptop. You can't deny what a larger percentage of users want, to please a smaller subset of people.
What is your favorite Start Menu alternative?
help me out here (non-11 user), I can hardly believe what I am reading here in the title.
Why is there a program for that?
Vertical/side taskbar was a standard thing at least as far back as windows 8.
Maybe even earlier.
Of course top/left/right/bottom, pick your flavour, has been in linux desktops for something like 20 years, so… what is being achieved here? Stardock trying to get a little xmas excitement for more sales?
StartAllBack is better in every way, plus Stardock’s programs are subscription like Adobe. No thanks.
A lot of windows users are staying with windows 10.
When this Start11 vertical taskbar gets out of Beta I’ll check it out.
Unfortunately, no one at Microsoft is able to bring this feature back. No one there is competent enough. It demonstrates the extent to which Microsoft has devolved under this fool Satya. We always have to rely on third party tools to make Windows usable as before. They are occupied with pointless features like bloated Crapilot web-based panels, abbreviated time, and another dark pattern moving around the widgets, so we accidently click on MSN news crapbaited articles. Microsoft needs to be broken up.
We’ve been using Power Start Menu since we switched from 10 to 11.
We only use it to hide the search box and suggested section from the start menu though it has more features.
We got it from the M.$ (then had to clean the system of the account data we used to purchase it). It does allow installation multiple devices and it keeps working even after remove the account you use to purchase it from your pc. (We use local account.)
I looked at all the options and this one just keeps working through every windows patch and update with no user interaction needed. Most of the other options do not.
I stand with Windows 10 till 2032.
Microsoft has sort of been on a dumming down of everything these days. Can’t be bothered incorporating more features. Too busy with AI I guess.
Because their goal is to turn Windows into a platform for advertising, the so-called “AI” algorithms and data collection. User satisfaction is last on their list if even on the list. That’s why I moved away from Windows permanently. I no longer had patience to fight with the stupid OS on what I want my settings to be and what programs/apps I want and don’t want to have.
“It is kind of silly that we need a third-party software to make basic changes that were previously supported on Windows. If only Microsoft cared about quality of life features, instead of shoving ads everywhere.”
Just amazing priceless speech! Thank you Ashwin for these good words!
Best third program ever! Please Nadella go home to fry some potatoes and feeding the cats, don’t make us suffer more than expected in your development teams of Shitdows 11.