# valinet/ExplorerPatcher

This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows

Repository: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/explorerpatcher
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-07-06T12:44:31+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 88/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 91, release rhythm 77, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1850, "days_push": 58, "days_rel": 74, "gap_med": 36.5, "n_releases_24m": 9}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 33721, forks 1366 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:58.405256+00:00)

## What it is
ExplorerPatcher is a Windows utility that restores and customizes classic Windows 10-style UI elements such as the taskbar, Start menu, and Alt+Tab switcher on newer Windows versions. It is written in C, installed as a system-level patch to explorer.exe, and offers a properties dialog for extensive configuration.

## Use cases
- restore the Windows 10 taskbar on Windows 11
- bring back the classic Windows 10 Start menu
- use the old Alt+Tab window switcher
- customize taskbar behavior and appearance on Windows
- make Windows 11 feel like Windows 10

## When to choose
- you prefer Windows 10's taskbar or Start menu over Windows 11's redesigned shell
- you want fine-grained control over taskbar and explorer behavior
- you want a free, actively maintained customization tool with built-in updates

## When to avoid
- you are happy with the default Windows 11 shell
- you need guaranteed compatibility on every Windows build, as some features may be unavailable on certain versions
- you avoid system-level patches to explorer.exe in managed/enterprise environments

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: gui, developer-tools
- domain: desktop-applications, windows, developer-tools
- platform: windows
- tags: taskbar, start-menu, windows-11, windows-10, shell-customization, system-tweaks, desktop

## Member repositories
- valinet/ExplorerPatcher (main) score 88

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:58.405256+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:28:09.256002+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:58.405256+00:00, sha a9efbaab97cf)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.