sdrohan

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Start11 v2.5 Beta Feedback Thread

With the Start11 v2.5 beta release today, we are creating this thread so that users can report any observed issues.

Obtaining Object Desktop Insider Builds

Object Desktop Manager

Object Desktop members can get beta and Insider builds from within Object Desktop Manager with 'Enable Object Desktop Insider builds' enabled:

Stardock Download Page

Or via their download page in the ‘Object Desktop Insider’ section

Obtaining Beta Releases

Stardock.com

If a beta was released, Object Desktop Members would see it in the ‘Object Desktop’ section.

Individual purchases would see it on their registration of the product under their download page.

Steam

Right-click the Product in Steam
Properties
Betas
Select the beta branch at the top right (there is no password)

Example

https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/steamwebhelper_2024-02-19_17-44-35.png

Reporting an issue

Please include the following for anything found:

Exact Windows version \ build (winver.exe)
Detailed steps to recreate the issue seen
Screenshots and videos are very helpful. Videos can be uploaded to a cloud drive service (GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive, YouTube), with a shared link included in your post. Images can be copied and pasted directly into a post.
If there are specific apps that the app does not work (well) with, please note what apps and their exact versions. If any app is not common, a link to a trial version would be appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and any time you put into making Start11 v2 a better product.

start menu products

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sdrohan

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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.

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sdrohan

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Known issues

While we appreciate all feedback, please remember that we offer no official support for beta \ preview \ developer channel versions of Windows. If you report issues while in any of those early release channels, you should not expect them to be addressed unless it still exists in a retail version of Windows.

For verticle taskbars, on a reboot, the taskbar has a high tendency to be blank on Preview or Insider builds of Windows 11. Logging off \ on (not a reboot) or a restarting of Windows Explorer will resolve it. We are looking into a fix for this and will update the beta when one is found.

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sdrohan

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I have been playing around with the 2.5 beta and discovered an issue.

With the taskbar positioned at the left, It seems only left aligned start button works.

Also, I hid the start button on the primary display, and then unhid it. The start button did not reappear on the taskbar, however, if you click where it is supposed to be it opens the start menu. Restarting explorer did not help. Once any app is opened, then the start button appears, and then after all apps are closed, it disappears again.

This is a really cool addition to Start11v2.

pelaird

EDIT: Upon restarting the computer, the taskbar (on the left) did not populate the System Tray, and open apps do not show in the taskbar.

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sdrohan

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Quoting pelaird,

reply 4

I have been playing around with the 2.5 beta and discovered an issue.

With the taskbar positioned at the left, It seems only left alighted start button works.

Also, I hid the start button on the primary display, and then unhid it. The start button did not reappear on the taskbar, however, if you click where it is supposed to be it opens the start menu. Restarting explorer did not help. Once any app is opened, then the start button appears, and then after all apps are closed, it disappears again.

This is a really cool addition to Start11v2.

pelaird

We will look into it, Pelarid, ty for the feedback.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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Upon restarting the computer, the taskbar (on the left) did not populate the System Tray, and open apps do not show in the taskbar.

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Quoting pelaird,

reply 6

Upon restarting the computer, the taskbar (on the left) did not populate the System Tray, and open apps do not show in the taskbar.

Putting the taskbar back to the bottom and then back to the left repopulated the System Tray, but the start button is still not appearing.

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sdrohan

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Quoting pelaird,

reply 6

Upon restarting the computer, the taskbar (on the left) did not populate the System Tray, and open apps do not show in the taskbar.

I was able to reproduce this. Restarting Windows Explorer seems to resolve it.

Bugged internally: ODNT-9324

Thanks again, Pelaird.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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Couple things here; may need some clarification.

Quoting pelaird,

reply 4

With the taskbar positioned at the left, It seems only left alighted start button works.

I haven't been able to reproduce this. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the exact steps/setting configuration that lead to this?

Thanks and best regards,

Adam McGuinness
Stardock Customer Support Specialist

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Quoting Abisnabidam,

reply 9

What can be accomplished though, is using Enhanced taskbar settings to vertically center the taskbar buttons:

Yes this works.

Quoting Abisnabidam,

reply 9

I haven't been able to reproduce this. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the exact steps/setting configuration that lead to this?

First I set the Taskbar to the left, then turned on "Hide the start button on the primary display." I then closed the Start11v2 config app, and opened it again. Set the "Hide the start button on the primary display" off, and the start button did not reappear. Clicking where it is supposed to be opens the start menu. Restarting explorer does not help. As long as an app is open the start button appears, but when you close all apps, it disappears again. Nothing I do seems to bring it back.

What is the registry setting for this? I can then see if changing the value in the registry works.

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Quoting Abisnabidam,

reply 9

I haven't been able to reproduce this. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the exact steps/setting configuration that lead to this?

Thanks and best regards,

Adam McGuinness
Stardock Customer Support Specialist

Here is a short video for the issue. If the video title is covering up the start button, click "Watch on YouTube."

EDIT: This has been resolved with a complete removal and new installation.

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I am an insider but 2.5 is not showing for me to download yet. I'm showing 2.49.

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Quoting pelaird,

reply 11

Here is a short video for the issue.

Are you using Windowblinds 11? I can not reproduce this issue myself so it is either that or your Windows 11 build.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

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Quoting deScribe,

reply 12

I am an insider but 2.5 is not showing for me to download yet. I'm showing 2.49.

2.5 is the eventual name, 2.49 is the beta.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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Quoting PhoenixRising1,

reply 13

Quoting pelaird,

reply 11

Here is a short video for the issue.

Are you using Windowblinds 11? I can not reproduce this issue myself so it is either that or your Windows 11 build.

Did you install over 2.11, or uninstall 2.11 and then install 2.49?

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I had the same question until I read the changelog at the top of this page. Apparently 2.4.9.0 is 2.5.

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Quoting pelaird,

reply 15

Did you install over 2.11, or uninstall 2.11 and then install 2.49?

I installed it over top. I am also running insider build 26100.2605 so it may run differently on my machine

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Quoting sdrohan,

reply 1

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

Doesn't seem to be working, I have 4 monitors. Upon choosing the option, the start menu still aligns left on all of them:

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Quoting GameBurrow,

reply 18

Quoting sdrohan,

reply 1

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

Doesn't seem to be working, I have 4 monitors. Upon choosing the option, the start menu still aligns left on all of them:

Can you try uninstalling, rebooting and then reinstalling in case files are not being replaced correctly.

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Didn't seem to help. Tried even with clean settings (before reimporting settings)

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Quoting Abisnabidam,

reply 9

Couple things here; may need some clarification.

Quoting pelaird,

reply 4

With the taskbar positioned at the left, It seems only left alighted start button works.

Can you clarify what you mean and are expecting? If you mean to get the Start Button in the vertical center, that isn't offered (would normally bounce back when you try). What can be accomplished though, is using Enhanced taskbar settings to vertically center the taskbar buttons:

Also, I hid the start button on the primary display, and then unhid it. The start button did not reappear on the taskbar, however, if you click where it is supposed to be it opens the start menu. Restarting explorer did not help. Once any app is opened, then the start button appears, and then after all apps are closed, it disappears again.

I haven't been able to reproduce this. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the exact steps/setting configuration that lead to this?

Thanks and best regards,

Adam McGuinness
Stardock Customer Support Specialist

I tried to uninstall 2.49 and reinstall 2.11, and things got really messed up. After trying every method I could think of, I finally deleted everything in the registry, Programs (x86), Program Data, and App Data. I then restarted and reinstalled 2.49. It took me a minute to get everything back the way I had it since my Start11 backup was from a few weeks ago.

Anyway, everything is working again. When I get the nerve up to try vertical taskbars again, I'll relay my findings.

EDIT: This has been resolved with a complete removal and new installation.

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The My Downloads page doesn't show any registrations, so I cannot download the beta of Start11

My registration links to stardock.onfastspring.com which doesn't work

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sdrohan

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Quoting davinp,

reply 22

The My Downloads page doesn't show any registrations, so I cannot download the beta of Start11

My registration links to stardock.onfastspring.com which doesn't work

This is an account question and would require a ticket

https://stardock.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/4/group/14

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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I'm very happy to see this vertical taskbar feature arrive. I have been keeping two machines on Windows 10 because I didn't want to give it up.

I have a couple comments according to my taste regarding the tray icon area. I'm glad that you can resize this orientation of the taskbar, but the clock remains comically small(fixed in 2.49.1) and the one column of taskbar icons looks strange.

Windows 11 24H2, 26100.2605 if it matters.

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Hello! Yesterday I installed this new beta version. Unfortunately, the added shortcuts from portable programs to the Start11 menu still work poorly: when you right-click, there is a long delay before the menu opens. Maybe the developer can fix it this way? Unfortunately, when recording a video, this is not visible properly, so I am not attaching it.

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