Start 11 Taskbar transparency lost after November windows update

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I am on Windows 11 OS Build 22621.1105 and Start11 1.39 (aka 1.38 Beta). And the Taskbar Trans slider work as normal for me. Refer screenshot below.

Would like for you to try. Uninstall Start11, reboot immediately after, download install latest version from your account product page. Reboot immediately again after the installation finish. Retest it and report back.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Thanks for the help!  I did exactly as you said and it is still a no-go, If there was a way to post a screengrab I would.

To post a picture you can click on this icon.

Try Sandbox https://forums.stardock.com/505872/start11-support-faq#windowssandbox

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

There you go!

Thanks for the screenshot. Please try the Sandbox test.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I tried the following in that environment  

1) Installed Windows and updated with these scenarios, and a fresh install each scenario

-Current Version: No Transparency -Original Install: v 1.2.x; Result: No transparency reads as "Preview Version of Windows 11"; Beta Install: Result: No transparency.

2) Downloaded and executed the purge program each time, then not each time: Result: No transparency, 

Did not run purge on above scenarios: Result: Not effective

3)Uninstalled the KBs from Microsoft which I installed and reverted back to 22H2 22621.819. Uninstalled Beta then (after purging and trying) installed general release: Result: No Transparency. Uninstalled general release, did not/did run purge, installed April 2020 version: Works perfect.

In short, the only way I can get transparency is to stay with the original April release of the program and remain at build 22H2 22621.819

I have run every possible scenario. I would say it logically would then be a driver, but the same thing is occurring on three different computers purchased several years apart and different models.  The only commonality is that all the computers are DELLs, and they all have a NVIDA GeForce graphic card with this one 1660 Ti the others with varying "Ti" numbers. (and varying designators GT, GTX, etc).

I even went insofar as to try it on a 4K monitor. Still wont work.  Is this program just incompatible with NVIDA GeForce graphic cards when it comes to the taskbar beyond the April release and the Windows 11 22H2 22621.819?

I'll just park at this build of windows and with the April 2022 version, disable checking for updates for both W11 and this program. Perhaps a solution will appear with the next major windows release. 

John

Actually my system is using simple low end Nvidia GTX 1050ti. And I have no issue with transparency thing. Anyway as I mentioned before, have you tried the Sandbox method?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Yes. All of the above work was done in the sandbox. Most of it was done on an actual PC as well. There is some common hardware component or card in a Dell , as the chance of this occurring across three different PCs, different 'realities' (ie sandboxes). I just don't know what it is. Unfortunately I don't have a PC with an AMD chipset to see if that makes any difference. Since your NVIDA card works fine, that takes the NVIDA or graphics card card off the table as a possibility. 

Hello,
I have forward your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi CJ,

I am also not able to repro the issue using the current Start11 beta and the most recent Windows11 release (22621.1105)

Are you running anything else that modifies/changes the taskbar?  (Windowblinds, ExplorerPatcher, Open-Shell, ext)

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

Hey Paul!  Thanks for looking into this. I did have Window Blinds installed as well as Adobe Premiere Pro (video editing) and Photoshop (my photography) both video-taxing apps. I uninstalled WB, but still had no success.

I messaged a contact at MS about another issue and through a lot of troubleshooting and investigating--despite the fact I was not on an Insider Build (not for a long while), the "control-scroll-lock" trick gave me the GSOD and said "Your Insider preview has run into..." 

Somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary in the OS/Registry/winver/on screen, etc, part of the OS still thinks it is an insider build and for some reason, going beyond build .819 triggered the taskbar issue. This was true on all the PCs. I got a glitch in the software somewhere which was "shared" to my other PCs thanks to that feature meant to save bandwidth and pull code from machines on my network. 

There is no way to fix this. Save turning off the feature, shutting down the other machines and doing a totally isolated clean install--and that would have meant a day on the phone contacting the myriad of software programs to "reactivate" keys, tokens and so forth. Then installing them. 

Whatever 'fragment' which flagged the OS as an insider build could not be cleared by an in-place upgrade, would always be 'shared' to the refreshed PC. It was not a virus, to be clear. I've never had one and can't afford to loose 80K photos even with backups to the cloud and an external HD. (the time involved would have me down for weeks) I have several terabytes of data. I have Norton and Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office guarding against any malware or ransomware. 

This is truly bizarre and the ONLY way to clear it according to the consensus is to do the one thing that will guarantee transparency won't work at least for now. Join the Insider Program. When it finalizes to the public if "queued for disenrollment" is checked, the machine will be offramped and no more code fragments, it will be all sealed up and  I'll get the BSOD and be on retail for sure. 

So, I'll just have to wait for Start11 to catch up after the next version of Windows rolls out later. It won't be a full-fledged feature update--rather they have switched to "moments" where they release ready features into the wild when they are cleared, wrapping them all up with a final "moment".  One this spring, summer and if the past is any indication the fall will be the final "moment". I don't know if they are going to call it "23H2" or what. 

I do know some of these "moments" which are finalized beyond insiders may be released to production versions as optional packages in Windows Updates. Heads up for the programming and engineering teams.  If all of the sudden tickets start flooding in or the forum burns up after an optional "moment" update is offered to the general public and things like the taskbar or gawd knows what no longer work right, that's probably because they've (had) released a "moment".

Thanks to everyone who spent time helping me every way you could. It wasn't a Start11 issue. It was a code fragment issue. It's an issue I'll just have to wait on.. and that's okay.

-John