One of the most annoying things I encountered while trying out Windows 11 a few months ago was the utterly broken dark mode; broken since its inception nine years ago, but finally getting some fixes. One of the smaller but downright disturbing issues with dark mode on Windows 11 is that when Explorer is in dark mode, it will flash bright white whenever you open a new window or a new tab. It’s like the operating system is throwing flashbangs at you every time you need to do some file management.
Luckily, it turns out there’s a fix, as Neowin details.
Windows 11 is turning four in a couple of months, but Microsoft still has not fixed this annoying and, for some people, legitimately life-threatening bug (there is a reason why we have seizure warnings in games, movies, etc). As such, users have to take things into their hands and come up with custom solutions. One such solution is a simple Windhawk mod that fixes what a nearly four-trillion-dollar company still won’t figure out.
↫ Taras Buria at Neowin
This made me check out Windhawk, and it seems like an awesome project for people forced to use Windows. It is basically a package manager for various small mods, fixes, and changes for Windows, allowing you to mix and match exactly what you need. This way, you can easily fix the little niggles that bother you, all from a central location.
The list of available mods is quite long already, and browsing through it, I’ve already seen quite a few things I’d be applying in a heartbeat if I were to be using Windows. Every mod comes with its source code included, ensuring you can check that it does exactly what it says it will do, and of course, you can contribute your own mods as well.
It really shows how in a bubble they are that they didn’t think calling it a “marketplace” might make a bad first impression. If I heard that phrase out of context, I’d assume the #1 purpose of it is was to take my money (i.e. https://www.stardock.com/products/) and not investigate further.
After all, these exist:
NoFences (open source) or Fences 1.0.1 (last freeware version. Works at least up to Win7 in my testing.)
Barrier (Multiplicity)
Open Shell Menu (Start11)
WindowTabs (Groupy)
AniFX (Object Desktop → CursorFX)
WizTree (personal use) or WinDirStat (not as fast, but open-source) (Object Desktop → SpaceMonger)
(Funny enough, only WindowTabs isn’t something I already knew and use for my Windows 7 retro-hobby machines… well, ClassicShell in Win7’s case, but Open Shell Menu is a maintained fork of that.)
I don’t have a use for ObjectDock, WindowBlinds, or DeskScapes. Check https://alternativeto.net/ if that’s what you turn to Stardock for.
Or, you know, you can set your screen’s brightness to a level that’s comfortable for the ambient light present in your room and not have to wait until every software gets a “dark mode”.
It has been scientifically proven that Dark Mode hurts readability. It’s better to reduce brightness than to enable dark mode
Interesting. I have just checked right now – my Windows 11 is permanently in dark mode, and File Explorer opens as a dark window immediately, no matter if I open a first window of File Explorer, a new window of File Explorer with existing one in background or minimized, or a new tab in the existing window of File Explorer. So, apparently, this problem does not affect all users.
On the other hand, LibreOffice, while in the dark mode, opens up maximized and white. It takes a second or two for LibreOffice to load its interface and to remember that it should actually be dark. That flashbang grenade really annoys me, especially when I decide to write a paragraph or two of a story while I’m in bed, just before going to sleep.
WindHawk is for me a must have in Win11 for one mod: the vertical taskbar, I used it in Win10 for years and I am convinced it’s the best, one and only position for taskbar in today panoramic screens.
https://windhawk.net/mods/taskbar-vertical