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+--- Thread: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later (/thread-24414.html)
Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - atitlan - 08-29-2022
Re: Windows 11 23H2 • 22631.2715 + TLB 8.0 [Free] / Asus ZenBook / 1200 x 1080 + 125% Scaling
Executive Summary: TLB indeed is compatible with ‘11’. Its power to organize access to the entire Windows system, applications, folders, and data files, is phenomenal, as it always has been. On ‘11’ TLB requires more time, planning, and patience to setup than with the prior versions of Windows. Yuri Kobets has now released version 8 of TLB with “improved compatibility” for Windows 11. (However, an ‘11’-specific Help-file and User Manual have not been produced — yet.)
Disclosure: My notes here derive from building three ‘11’ systems in the past four weeks, two 27-inch A-i-O PCs and a 14-inch notebook PC.
In ‘11’ I have built a Windows Infrastructure to manage my workflow and aesthetic, as I have since ‘XP’ and ‘Vista’. TLB used to be about the first ‘master utility’ that I would install in a new Windows system. The others to follow would include xplorer², Direct Folders, FileMenu Tools, Classic -now Open-Shell, Microangelo, Default Programs Editor, Beyond Compare, 8GadgetPack, and Winaero Tweaker. However, the centrality of ‘Virtual Folders’ to setting up TLB now has made it the last Master Utility I install, and altogether late in the application installation process.
Key Observations: TLB runs as a ‘Standalone’ Desktop Toolbar, no longer dependant on ‘11’s emasculated Taskbar. Planning, saving, revising the ‘Virtual Folders’ for your TLB installation is the critical move in its setup operations. I believe all the components of TLB’s instantiation in prior versions of Windows remain available to deploy in ‘11’. Obviously, on the surface, TLB as a Toolbar rather than a ‘Taskbar zone’ or extension, looks differently now. With patient experimentation, its functionality will attain 100% equivalence to its prior incarnations. Then, it will put to shame all the stupidities and inadequacies of the idiot geniuses in Redmond who persist in mal-designing Windows.
In my original post I should have indicated the vital utility of TLB’s Backup function when experimenting with a new Standalone toolbar. Multiple states can be recorded, very convenient and sometimes life-saving!
Below: As I did last year, I have been building 1-icon wide TLB toolbars because they are neat and get the job done. First level functionality of TLB remains the shortcuts set on the 'surface' of the Standalone toolbar, whatever its 'width'. These may be shortcuts to applications, Windows functions, and, of course, most famously, 'nested Menus' or Sub-menus. The last, Sub-menus, provide vast flexibility and capacity. Each of us will have our particular preferences for these items. Yet, as before '11', TLB allows reorganization of all these as dictated by experience and by the evolution of your Windows system itself. —
[attachment=2238]
This TLB Toolbar now displayed, 'Unhidden' on my ZenBook Desktop (still 'Hidden' at the bottom of the Desktop is '11's Taskbar, modified by Open-Shell, another story entirely) —
[attachment=2239]
Where it all comes together: Toolbar + partially 'unpacked' Menus and Sub-menus, or in TLB terms, 'Torn Off' —
[attachment=2240]
Please understand, I'm not providing more than hints how to set TLB up on '11'. My intent is to confirm (again) that it is eminently feasible, and once done more than worth the effort.
Final note: Previously in this space I had suggested buying extra licenses to help support TLB’s development. Obviously that thought is mooted by Version 8’s current free distribution.
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - Philip Goddard - 10-03-2022
I'd got round the incompatibility of the Win11 taskbar with TLB by enabling Classic Taskbar, using Open-Shell and Winaero Tweaker. That restored the Windows 10-style taskbar right-click context menu, where I just needed to click the Toolbars item and then True Launch Bar.
But then last week the Windows autumn 'feature' update, 22H2, hit my system and broke things. Once again I enabled Classic Taskbar and got TLB (and StartKiller) working just fine, but File Explorer failed to open every single time it was launched, and I traced that to the use of Classic Taskbar.
The answer turned out to be a little utility called Explorer Patcher ( https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher ), which fixes the FE issue and gives great configurability with regard to what appears on the Taskbar. Strongy recommended!
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - atitlan - 12-05-2022
Addendum to my original post above: I have updated my TLB installation, not done a new / first time setup on Windows 11. As described in the August post, the upgrade / update to v8.0 has not perceptibly changed my TLB's operation in Standalone Toolbar mode, nor that of the few plugins it is running.
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - atitlan - 03-03-2023
The so-called 'Moment 2' Feature Update Microsoft has just dropped on Windows 11 [build 1344] demonstrates the brilliance of True Launch Bar v8.0 running as a Stand Alone Toolbar. Many customizations to the Registry implemented by 3rd party tools were broken or impaired — if temporarily — by the KB5022913 Cumulative Update. By contrast, the Stand Alone Toolbar of TLB runs as an application independent of the Taskbar, with which Microsoft continues to fiddle haplessly. Thus, TLB securely sails through the turbulence of Windows 11's ongoing development.
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - Hans L - 08-10-2023
Is it possible to use this latest version ot TLB in Windows 10? I am asking because TLB starts at computer startup only every second time or so.
Hans L
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - atitlan - 08-10-2023
(08-10-2023, 08:18 AM)Hans L Wrote: Is it possible to use this latest version ot TLB in Windows 10? I am asking because TLB starts at computer startup only every second time or so.@Hans L: I am using TLB v8 [Free] only on Windows 11; however, I imagine it should function flawlessly on Windows 10 as well. This isn't much help, but my thinking is that your TLB startup problem is not an issue of version but rather of Windows application startup registration.
Hans L
From TLB's site FAQ
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - Hans L - 08-11-2023
(08-10-2023, 05:24 PM)atitlan Wrote:atitlan, you are probably right about the startup issue I have. I will try to resolve it, although I am not entirely sure how.(08-10-2023, 08:18 AM)Hans L Wrote: Is it possible to use this latest version ot TLB in Windows 10? I am asking because TLB starts at computer startup only every second time or so.@Hans L: I am using TLB v8 [Free] only on Windows 11; however, I imagine it should function flawlessly on Windows 10 as well. This isn't much help, but my thinking is that your TLB startup problem is not an issue of version but rather of Windows application startup registration.
Hans L
From TLB's site FAQ
Regards,
Hans L
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - Hans L - 08-12-2023
(08-10-2023, 05:24 PM)atitlan Wrote:atitlan, is it possible for you to give me some more details on how to deal with "TLB startup problem is ... rather of Windows application startup registration." I am not sure what to do.(08-10-2023, 08:18 AM)Hans L Wrote: Is it possible to use this latest version ot TLB in Windows 10? I am asking because TLB starts at computer startup only every second time or so.@Hans L: I am using TLB v8 [Free] only on Windows 11; however, I imagine it should function flawlessly on Windows 10 as well. This isn't much help, but my thinking is that your TLB startup problem is not an issue of version but rather of Windows application startup registration.
Hans L
From TLB's site FAQ
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - atitlan - 08-13-2023
(08-12-2023, 11:09 AM)Hans L Wrote:(08-10-2023, 05:24 PM)atitlan Wrote:atitlan, is it possible for you to give me some more details on how to deal with "TLB startup problem is ... rather of Windows application startup registration." I am not sure what to do.(08-10-2023, 08:18 AM)Hans L Wrote: Is it possible to use this latest version ot TLB in Windows 10? I am asking because TLB starts at computer startup only every second time or so.@Hans L: I am using TLB v8 [Free] only on Windows 11; however, I imagine it should function flawlessly on Windows 10 as well. This isn't much help, but my thinking is that your TLB startup problem is not an issue of version but rather of Windows application startup registration.
Hans L
From TLB's site FAQ
Hans L: Assuming you have the Installation Executable for TLB v8 [Free], try starting over. Uninstall your current TLB + whatever plugins display in 'Programs and Features'. (You might consider downloading and installing the free version of Revo Uninstaller — or back-burner this move for Round 3 — if necessary.) When the uninstall completes, be sure to Restart Windows. Only then attempt a new installation of TLB.
Before TLB itself displays in the right-click menu of the Task Bar, you will need to Restart Windows. If, after the first post-installation Restart, TLB is listed in the right-click menu of the Task Bar, you should be 'off and running' to set TLB up as you wish.
RE: Revisiting the Triumph of True Launch Bar over Windows 11 One Year Later - Hans L - 08-14-2023
(08-13-2023, 03:33 PM)atitlan Wrote:(08-12-2023, 11:09 AM)Hans L Wrote: Hans L: Assuming you have the Installation Executable for TLB v8 [Free], try starting over. Uninstall your current TLB + whatever plugins display in 'Programs and Features'. (You might consider downloading and installing the free version of Revo Uninstaller — or back-burner this move for Round 3 — if necessary.) When the uninstall completes, be sure to Restart Windows. Only then attempt a new installation of TLB.
Before TLB itself displays in the right-click menu of the Task Bar, you will need to Restart Windows. If, after the first post-installation Restart, TLB is listed in the right-click menu of the Task Bar, you should be 'off and running' to set TLB up as you wish.
---------------------------------
Atitlan, when you say ""...set up TLB ip as you wish", you are, I hope, implying that TLB will open by itself and show up in the taskbar. It not doing so sometimes was my original problem.
Hans L