How to Get a Classic Taskbar on Windows 11 with RetroBar

To replace the Windows 11 taskbar with a classic Windows 95, XP, Vista, or 7 taskbar, install RetroBar from its GitHub releases page, extract the ZIP to C:\RetroBar, and run RetroBar.exe. Right-click the new taskbar, open Properties, and pick a theme like Windows XP Blue. RetroBar runs alongside the Windows 11 taskbar — no uninstall or patching required.

Applies to: Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) — also works on Windows 10 (22H2) | Last updated: April 14, 2026

Key Takeaways

• RetroBar is a free, open-source taskbar replacement from developer dremin that ships classic taskbar styles from Windows 95 through Windows 7.
• It is portable — unzip and run. RetroBar does not install, does not patch Explorer, and disappears the moment you delete its folder.
• The .NET 8 Desktop Runtime is required. RetroBar prompts to install it on first launch.
• RetroBar replaces the taskbar, not the Start menu. Pair it with Open-Shell for a matching classic Start menu.
• For a more integrated Windows 10 look instead of Windows 95/XP, use ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack — they hook into Explorer so the Windows 11 taskbar is fully replaced.

Quick Steps

1. Download the latest RetroBar ZIP from the RetroBar releases page.
2. Extract the ZIP to C:\RetroBar.
3. Run RetroBar.exe — install the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime if prompted.
4. Right-click the new taskbar, open Properties, and choose a theme.
5. (Optional) Create a Quick Launch folder inside C:\RetroBar and point RetroBar at it to pin apps.
6. (Optional) Install Open-Shell for a classic Start menu.

In This Guide

• Install RetroBar — download, extract, and launch the app.
• Pick a classic theme — Windows 95, XP Blue, Vista Aero, Windows 7, plus community dark themes.
• Pin apps to the RetroBar taskbar — set up the Quick Launch folder.
• Replace the Start menu — optional Open-Shell pairing for a complete classic look.

Install RetroBar on Windows 11

1. Open the RetroBar releases page on GitHub.
2. Expand Assets on the latest release and download the ZIP that matches your system — x64 for most PCs, ARM64 for Snapdragon/Surface Pro X, or x86 for older 32-bit Windows.
3. Right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All. Extract to C:\RetroBar. Keeping it at the root of C: avoids permission headaches when the app writes its settings file.

Open C:\RetroBar and double-click RetroBar.exe. If Windows prompts for the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime, click Download, install it, and run RetroBar again. Within a second a classic Windows taskbar appears along the bottom of the screen, right on top of the Windows 11 taskbar.

Tip: To hide the Windows 11 taskbar entirely, right-click the RetroBar taskbar > Properties > Advanced and tick Hide the Windows taskbar. This gives a single, clean classic taskbar on screen.

Pick a Classic Theme

Right-click any empty area of the RetroBar taskbar and choose Properties. Open the Theme dropdown to switch between bundled styles:

• Windows 95 — the iconic grey 3D look.
• Windows 98 — same style with the Active Desktop refinements.
• Windows XP Blue / Silver / Olive — the Luna themes from XP.
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 — Aero glass taskbar.

Below the theme dropdown, the Taskbar position setting lets you pin RetroBar to the top, left, right, or (default) bottom of the screen. The Notification area section enables the classic system tray, including the XP-style network status icons.

Add Dark-Mode and Custom Community Themes

The community maintains dark-mode variants on DeviantArt. The most polished set is RetroBar Dark Modes by madhale, which ships dark takes on every bundled theme plus a purple-tinted Midnight set.

1. Download the ZIP from DeviantArt.
2. Inside are two folders: Resources and Themes.
3. Extract both directly into C:\RetroBar — merge with the existing folders if prompted.
4. Close RetroBar from its system tray icon and relaunch RetroBar.exe.
5. Open Properties > Theme and pick one of the new dark-mode entries.

Pin Apps to the RetroBar Taskbar

RetroBar uses the original Windows Quick Launch pattern — a folder full of shortcuts that appears as icons next to the Start button. The setup is a one-time thing:

1. Inside C:\RetroBar, create a new folder called Quick Launch.
2. Drag any app shortcut into that folder. The fastest way is to open the Windows 11 Start menu, click All apps, and drag each app into the Quick Launch folder — that creates a shortcut automatically.
3. Right-click the RetroBar taskbar > Properties > Quick Launch and click Select Folder.
4. Browse to C:\RetroBar\Quick Launch and click OK.

Every shortcut in that folder now appears on the taskbar. Add or remove shortcuts later and RetroBar updates the taskbar instantly.

Replace the Start Menu With Open-Shell (Optional)

RetroBar deliberately leaves the Start menu alone. For the full classic look, pair it with Open-Shell — the open-source successor to Classic Shell.

1. Download OpenShellSetup.exe from the Open-Shell releases page.
2. Run the installer. Only tick Classic Start Menu — skip Classic Explorer and Classic IE unless you want them.
3. Click the Start button. The Open-Shell settings open automatically on first launch.
4. Pick Windows 7 style for a modern-classic look or Classic with two columns for the XP style.

See my dedicated Open-Shell walkthrough for skin downloads, the search tweak, and how to hook Open-Shell into Windows 11’s Start button without breaking Explorer.

Make RetroBar Start Automatically With Windows

RetroBar does not auto-start on login by default. To make it launch with Windows:

1. Right-click the RetroBar taskbar and open Properties.
2. On the Advanced tab, tick Start RetroBar when I sign in to Windows.

RetroBar adds itself to the Run registry key under the current user — nothing else changes on the system.

Uninstall RetroBar

Because RetroBar is portable, there is no uninstaller:

1. Right-click the RetroBar system tray icon and click Exit.
2. Delete the C:\RetroBar folder.
3. If you enabled autostart, open Task Manager > Startup apps and disable RetroBar (the entry clears on next sign-in).

Troubleshooting

RetroBar shows the taskbar but the Windows 11 taskbar is still there. Open RetroBar Properties > Advanced and tick Hide the Windows taskbar.

Nothing happens when I run RetroBar.exe. The .NET 8 Desktop Runtime is missing. Download and install .NET 8 Desktop Runtime (x64), then relaunch RetroBar.

System tray icons are missing or misplaced. Right-click the RetroBar taskbar > Properties > Notification area and enable the icon categories you want. Some Windows 11 tray icons (e.g. Widgets) deliberately do not migrate because they have no legacy equivalent.

Pinned apps from the Quick Launch folder do not show. Make sure Quick Launch mode is enabled in Properties, and the folder path is set correctly. On some themes you also have to widen the Quick Launch divider by dragging its handle to the right.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does RetroBar work on Windows 10 as well as Windows 11?

Yes. RetroBar works on Windows 10 22H2 and every Windows 11 feature update through 25H2. The install steps are identical. On Windows 10 you can also hide the modern taskbar through RetroBar Properties > Advanced.

Is RetroBar safe?

Yes. RetroBar is fully open source at github.com/dremin/RetroBar and distributed as a portable ZIP — no installer, no registry writes beyond the optional autostart key.

Does RetroBar replace the Windows 11 Start menu?

No. RetroBar only replaces the taskbar. For a matching classic Start menu, install Open-Shell. For a Windows 10-style Start menu instead, ExplorerPatcher is the better pick.

Will RetroBar survive Windows 11 feature updates?

Usually yes. Because RetroBar does not patch Explorer, a Windows feature update rarely breaks it. If autostart stops working after 24H2 or 25H2, re-tick Start RetroBar when I sign in in Properties.

Does RetroBar use much CPU or RAM?

No. RetroBar idles around 40–70 MB of RAM and well under 1% CPU. It is lighter than most modern shell utilities and safe to run on older machines.