Auxiliary & Enhance

RetroBar – Classic taskbar themes for modern versions of Windows

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RetroBar is a free and open-source taskbar theme application that provides the classic taskbars of Windows 95-98, Me, 2000, XP for modern versions of Windows. Unfortunately, it only changes the style of the taskbar (including the start button and system tray), but not the start menu and window.

RetroBar was developed based on the ManagedShell library for great compatibility and performance (written in C#), uses the XAML ResourceDictionary format of themes, and supports custom themes. To use custom themes, you need to create a “Themes” folder in the same directory as RetroBar.exe, and create a .xaml file that meets the requirements as theme.

RetroBar doesn’t waste time switching between different themes, and the changes happen immediately. To close the program, you can choose Exit from the right-click menu. Surprisingly, it exits (and reopens) without restarting the Windows Explorer, which means it probably uses overlay technology on the default taskbar.

Personally, my favorite Windows theme is the Windows XP Classic (simple, clean, decent, and efficient). If you want to see what the taskbar looks like on an older system you’ve never used, or like and miss the simple and clean taskbar style of older versions of Windows, RetroBar is for you.

// Key Features //

  • Replaces default Windows taskbar with classic layout
  • Native notification area with balloon notification support
  • Native task list with UWP app support and drag reordering
  • Quick launch toolbar
  • Start button opens modern start menu
  • Ability to show or hide the clock
  • Display taskbar on any side of the screen (even on Windows 11)
  • Option to display the taskbar, notification area, and clock on multiple monitors
  • Customizable XP-style collapsible notification area
  • Custom theme support
  • Several themes included:
    • System (Classic and XP)
    • Watercolor
    • Windows 95-98
    • Windows Me
    • Windows 2000
    • Windows XP (Blue, Silver and Classic)
  • Support for the following languages

// System Requirements //

// Prompts //

  • Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar to bring up RetroBar’s context menu.

// Download URLs //

License Version Download Size
Freeware Latest n/a

(Homepage)

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