Yesterday, Microsoft announced the deployment of build 25120 to users on the Dev channel of Windows 11. This, among other things, adds a taskbar to the desktop of the operating system. However, a little manipulation is necessary to be able to take advantage of it. We explain all the steps to follow to access it.
As always, Microsoft continues to integrate and test new features on Windows 11. Not all of them are destined to be deployed to the general public in the near future, but nothing prevents us from having a taste of them from then on. that they are available in the various channels provided for this purpose. Thus, we reported to you yesterday that Insiders members on the Dev channel can now enjoy a brand new taskbar on their Desktop.
The latter is still prone to a few bugs, including the fact that it ignores the user’s default browser and always opens its results in Edge. Nevertheless, the first feedback is rather positive, which could well lead Microsoft to continue its development. Fortunately, if you don’t want to wait for it to arrive in the final version, there is a solution.
How to Join the Windows 11 Dev Channel
First of all, you will need to join the Insiders program to be able to add the taskbar to your desktop. Indeed, for the time being only build 25120 of Windows 11 allows access to it. However, the latter can only be installed by users on the Dev channel. As a reminder, the latter is used to test new features in the early stages of their development, so builds can be particularly unstable.
So be sure to use it on a computer that does not contain important data, in order to avoid any inconvenience in the event of a problem. With these considerations in mind, here’s how to join the Windows 11 Dev channel:
- From Windows 11, go to the Settings then in the section Windows Update
- Click on Windows Insider Program
- In the new tab, click Getting started
- Link it Microsoft account of your choice, then click on Continue
- Select option Dev Channel
- Restart your PC
Once your computer has restarted, you will now be in the Dev channel. You can then continue the manipulation to add the taskbar to your Desktop.
How to Enable and Disable the Search Bar on Windows 11 Desktop
Once this step is over, all you have to do is get to the heart of the matter. If the search bar is not already showing on your desktop, here are the steps to do so:
- Download the latest version of ViveTool by clicking on this link
- Copy the contents of the archive to an easily accessible folder, for example on your desktop
- Open the folder then, by clicking on the bar at the top of the window, copy the path
- Open the Terminal in administrator mode
- Type the following command: VS:[votre_chemin_d’accès]vivetool addconfig 37969115 2
- Press on Entrance and wait for the installation to complete.
- Once done, restart your pc
- After restarting, right-click on your desktop and select Show more options
- Finally, click on Show search bar
The search bar will then be visible on your Desktop. Now you can use it to search the web or go directly to a site without opening your browser first. Be careful however, as specified above, this one only works for the moment with Edge.
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Finally, if you want to get rid of the search bar, the procedure is not very complicated. Here’s how to go about it:
- Open the Terminal in administrator mode
- Type the following command: VS:[votre_chemin_d’accès]vivetool delconfig 37969115 2
- Restart your PC
That’s it, the taskbar has disappeared! Let us know what you think of this new feature in the comments.