When a major Windows release is made available, one of the most noticeable differences is the Taskbar. This can be reflected with new colors, graphical effects, and how the Start button looks. When Windows 11 was released back in 2021, it heralded one of the biggest changes to the Taskbar yet, in the form of apps being placed in the center, as well as a revamped Start Menu. This huge change has been a point of contention among Windows users, with many missing the Taskbar from the past, like the one from Windows XP. This is where RetroBar comes in.

Available as a free download for Windows 11 users, this app transforms the Taskbar into one from previous releases of Windows. If you want to have the Taskbar look like one from Windows 98 or Windows XP, Retrobar makes it possible. There are plenty to choose from, and you can ensure the Taskbar doesn't revert to its Windows 11 appearance. There's no complicated process to make this work either — it's a simple matter of downloading the app, launching it, and deciding which Taskbar you want to have on your desktop. However, there are a few settings worth highlighting to get the best out of Retrobar, especially if you want to take one of the best laptops back in time. With this in mind, we've listed three tips below that let you use Retrobar to its fullest.

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3 Switch from Windows 98 to Windows Vista in an instant

Retrobar does exactly what it sets out to do — transforms the Windows 11 Taskbar into one from the past. To do this, simply right-click on the Taskbar and then tap on Properties. Here, you can select the Taskbar you wish to have. There are 17 in total you can use, including a few that were exclusive to certain products like Media Center, and Microsoft's ill-fated Zune, an iPod competitor. There's even a 'Longhorn' theme, which was a very early version of Windows Vista before this was scrapped and became the Taskbar we came to know when it was released in 2006.

2 Ensure Retrobar is enabled at all times

A big feature many overlook when using Retrobar is to make sure it's enabled at all times. Otherwise, switching off or restarting your PC will revert the Taskbar to its Windows 11 appearance. To keep your taskbar stuck in the past, right-click on the Taskbar, go to Properties, then tap on Advanced. Ticking the box beside Automatically start at logon will ensure your customized Taskbar will stay put.

1 Install custom themes into Retrobar

Another great feature of Retrobar is the ability to install custom themes that you can download for free. To do this, simply make sure there's a Themes folder in the same directory as Retrobar on your PC, then place any downloaded themes into this new folder. For example, this custom Windows 10 Dark Theme can be used in Retrobar and will appear in the drop-down box alongside the other pre-installed Windows Taskbar themes.

Go even further in taking your PC back in time

Retrobar is a simple yet powerful app that can take your Windows Taskbar back to the past and back to the future in an instant. However, if you want to transform your PC even further to look like one from 1994, instead of 2004, there are other apps available that can grant this. For instance, WindowBlinds 11 can completely transform the windows, Taskbar, fonts, and more to reflect a PC from the past. There's also Winaero Tweaker, which can bring back certain features to your Windows PC, such as the Ribbon interface for Explorer, launch an app as an Administrator without a prompt, and much more. If you're curious to see how far you can take your PC along this retro journey, follow the link below to learn more.