https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar

Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows
https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar

Last synced: 12 days ago
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Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar
• Owner: dremin
• License: apache-2.0
• Created: 2020-11-24T06:17:57.000Z (over 4 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2025-03-27T00:08:56.000Z (19 days ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-03-27T13:01:45.802Z (18 days ago)
• Language: C#
• Homepage:
• Size: 2.11 MB
• Stars: 3,179
• Watchers: 48
• Forks: 275
• Open Issues: 305
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

• awesome - dremin/RetroBar - Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows (C# #)
• starred - dremin/RetroBar - Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows (C# #)
• awesome-free-apps - RetroBar - Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows. 🪟 [🟢](https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar) (Customize / System Customization)

README

        
![alt text](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dremin/retrobar/master/retrobar-preview.png "RetroBar")

# RetroBar

[![Current release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/dremin/RetroBar)](https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar/releases/latest) ![Build status](https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar/workflows/RetroBar/badge.svg)

Pining for simpler times? RetroBar teleports you back in time by replacing your modern Windows taskbar with the classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, or Vista style.

RetroBar is based on the [ManagedShell](https://github.com/cairoshell/ManagedShell) library for great compatibility and performance.

## Requirements

- Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11

- [.NET 6.0.2 or later desktop runtime](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/6.0/runtime) (select the appropriate download button under "Run desktop apps")

  - When using the RetroBar installer, this is automatically downloaded and installed if necessary.

## 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

- Ability to auto-hide the taskbar

- Locked and unlocked taskbar appearances

- Display taskbar on any side of the screen (even on Windows 11)

- Resizable taskbar with support for multiple rows

- Option to display the taskbar, notification area, and clock on multiple monitors

- Ability to show Vista-style window thumbnails

- Customizable XP-style collapsible notification area

- Custom theme support

## Included themes

- System (Classic, XP, and Vista)

- Watercolor

- Windows 95-98

- Windows Me

- Windows 2000

- Windows XP:

  - Classic

  - Blue

  - Olive Green

  - Silver

  - Royale

  - Royale Noir

  - Embedded Style

  - Zune Style

- Windows Longhorn Aero

- Windows Vista:

  - Aero

  - Basic

  - Classic

Looking for more themes? [Check out the great community-made RetroBar themes on DeviantArt](https://www.deviantart.com/tag/retrobar)!

## Supported languages

- Arabic (العربية)

- Basque (euskara)

- Bulgarian (български)

- Catalan (català)

- Chinese (Simplified) (中文(简体))

- Chinese (Traditional) (中文(繁體))

- Croatian (hrvatski)

- Czech (čeština)

- Dutch (Nederlands)

- English

- English (United Kingdom)

- Finnish (Suomi)

- French (français)

- German (Deutsch)

- Greek (ελληνικά)

- Hebrew (עברית)

- Hungarian (magyar)

- Indonesian (Indonesia)

- Italian (italiano)

- Japanese (日本語)

- Korean (한국어)

- Latvian (latviešu)

- Lithuanian (lietuvių)

- Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch)

- Malay (Melayu)

- Persian (فارسی)

- Polish (polski)

- Portuguese (português)

- Romanian (română)

- Russian (русский)

- Serbian (Cyrillic) (српски)

- Serbian (Latin) (srpski)

- Slovak (slovenčina)

- Spanish (español)

- Swedish (svenska)

- Thai (ไทย)

- Turkish (Türkçe)

- Ukrainian (українська)

- Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

## Custom languages and themes

RetroBar supports custom languages and themes. You may install community-made theme files that you have downloaded in RetroBar Properties > Advanced.

You may manually install custom languages or themes by creating a `Languages` or a `Themes` directory in `%localappdata%\RetroBar`, and placing valid `.xaml` language or theme files there.

Themes use the XAML `ResourceDictionary` format. When creating a new theme, [view the included example themes](https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar/tree/master/RetroBar/Themes) to get started.

## Open-Shell Menu users

You may need to adjust some Open-Shell Menu settings for the best compatibility with RetroBar. We recommend the following settings:

- Controls > Windows Key opens > Open-Shell Menu

- Menu Look > Align start menu to working area