# dremin/RetroBar

Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows

Repository: https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/retrobar
Language: C#
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-08-19T05:46:46+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 83, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2108, "days_push": 14, "days_rel": 32, "gap_med": 60, "n_releases_24m": 6}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4334, forks 337 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:46.036088+00:00)

## What it is
RetroBar is a Windows application that replaces the modern Windows taskbar with classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, or Vista style taskbars. It is built on the ManagedShell library and supports themes, multi-monitor setups, and native task list and notification area integration.

## Use cases
- get the classic Windows 95 taskbar on Windows 11
- make my taskbar look like Windows XP
- restore the old-style taskbar with quick launch toolbar
- show the taskbar on multiple monitors with a retro theme
- use a Vista-style taskbar with window thumbnails
- customize the taskbar with community-made retro themes

## When to choose
- you want an authentic classic Windows taskbar experience on Windows 7 through 11
- you need multi-monitor, auto-hide, or resizable taskbar features with retro styling
- you want a customizable, actively maintained shell replacement with community themes

## When to avoid
- you are on Linux, macOS, or another non-Windows platform
- you want to replace the Start menu or entire desktop shell rather than just the taskbar
- you need deep Windows 11 taskbar feature parity rather than a classic look

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: desktop-framework, ui-components, theme
- domain: desktop-applications, windows, developer-tools
- platform: windows, dotnet
- tags: taskbar, windows-95, windows-xp, retro-ui, shell-replacement, customization, nostalgia, desktop

## Member repositories
- dremin/RetroBar (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:46.036088+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 2026-08-29T18:21:39.046275+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:46.036088+00:00, sha 40defbe2b8c7)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.