A new pre-release of Open Shell Menu, version 4.4197, has been released which brings compatibility with unthemed taskbars to Windows users who prefer the classic Start menu design. This update addresses an issue where recent Windows updates caused odd-colored taskbars by pulling colors directly from the operating system and textures them correctly.
Open Shell Menu 4.4197 Pre‑Release Brings Classic Theme Support to Unthemed Taskbars
The latest pre‑release of Open Shell Menu, version 4.4197, finally lets users keep that beloved Windows 7–style Start menu even when the taskbar is running in “unthemed” mode. Instead of fighting with hard‑coded colors that no longer match the system palette, this update pulls colors directly from Windows and textures the taskbar correctly.
What’s New
- Unthemed Taskbar Compatibility – The patch, originally written by Valinet for Explorer Patcher, replaces Open Shell's rigid color scheme with dynamic values fetched from the OS. This solves the odd‑colored taskbars that appeared after recent Windows updates.
- Refactored Color Handling in StartMenuDLL – Cleaner code and fewer hard‑coded values mean fewer bugs when Windows changes its theme palette.
Open Shell Menu’s new pre‑release patches a long‑standing annoyance for users who love nostalgia but don’t want to sacrifice modern aesthetics. It’s a quick install, no extra configuration required, and it keeps your Windows experience looking cohesive again—without throwing away the classic menu you’re used to.
Release Open-Shell-Menu 4.4.197
Classic Shell Reborn. Contribute to Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu development by creating an account on GitHub.
