Start11 2.74 with taskbar features disabled

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having issues. From what I know, it is best to keep up with latest Windows 11 latest stable release, since Start11v2 also evolve to keep up with Windows version. From what I understand release of Windows did some changes in Taskbar area, perhaps, that is why you are seeing issue with older Windows 11 version.

Also, I found this: 

Yes — the Windhawk Taskbar Clock Customization mod on Windows 11 has a reported bug where the clock seconds freeze at “59.” This issue has been documented on GitHub, especially when seconds are enabled, and developers have acknowledged it as a mod bug. Updates (like v1.5.2) were released to address it, but users still report occasional freezes or related crashes in Explorer.exe.

Look like the issue not from Start11.

Thank you,

Basj,

Stardock Community  Assistant.

I think the previous post rushes to judgement.

I saw the same note on the Windhawk Taskbar Clock Customization mod version 1.5.2 through a Google AI search which address the freezing at "59" issue.  The current release is 1.8 so 1.5.2 which is the fixed version is fairly old.

I had posted stopping the Start11 service and app fixes the problem.  That part was ignored.

As for the comment of keeping up with the "stable" release of Win11, there are reasons to stay with 23H2 (such as the still included Win10 code that allows a Quick Launch Bar).

As a test, I upgraded a VM running Win11 23H2 to 25H2.  The problem with Start 11 2.74 interfering with the taskbar clock went away.

It's looking more and more like a bug/limitation of Start 11 2.74 as the taskbar clock is still affected even though the option to disable taskbar features is toggled.

Whoever at Stardock posted the last reply please pass this on to another team member.  Possibly lab this.  I'd be interested if the same results are found or it's different.

I believe the Support and Dev team does read all threads posted here. They will reply directly or note issues internally when they feel it’s necessary. We truly appreciate the detailed feedback you’ve shared, especially your testing across different Windows 11 builds and the observation that stopping the Start11 service affects the taskbar clock behavior.

Do note that since your system also runs Windhawk, which is not part of default Windows, it’s always possible that compatibility issues arise when Windhawk and Start11 are both active. Start11 is designed to work with a vanilla Windows 11 environment, so third‑party mods can sometimes introduce unexpected interactions.

Your findings are valuable for the team to review, and rest assured they are seen. Thank you again for taking the time to document your results.

Basj,

Stardock Community  Assistant

I finally got the seconds working.  I've confirmed it works on a VM and a computer with Win11 23H2 installed natively.  The solution was so simple it was a face-palm moment.

Start11 > Taskbar > Show seconds on the taskbar clock = Off

With this setting off, and Windhawk's Taskbar Clock Customization turn on, everything works.  The seconds increment fine and do not freeze at '59'.

Per Google AI, the probable reason it originally worked with Win11 25H2 vs not working with 23H2 is that Microsoft refactored the code for the taskbar between the versions, and the Start11's code injection was specific to 23H2.

Glad you got there, and it is worth having the answer written down on the thread. For anyone finding this later, the setting that mattered is a Start11 one rather than a Windhawk one: Taskbar > Show seconds on the taskbar clock = Off.

Since you are deliberately running Start11 alongside a third-party taskbar tool, there is a documented key for that arrangement that goes further than the UI toggle. In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8, add a string value (REG_SZ, not DWORD) named S11_BLOCKMOSTTASK set to 1.

It is documented as stopping Start11 from modifying most taskbar behaviour for compatibility with third-party tools, and it turns off the enhanced taskbar, taskbar colour control and the custom start button along with it. It needs an Explorer restart to take effect, not just a settings reload, and it leaves the Start menu alone. It arrived in 2.7.0.1, so your 2.74 has it.

I would not put it forward as the answer to the seconds behaviour. You already have that solved, and the key is not documented against the clock specifically. It is the one to reach for if any other Start11 and Windhawk overlap shows up on 23H2.

The full key list, with the version each one was added in, is here: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1750138994

Older versions of Win11 lack native support for seconds, so it sounds like the mod you were using breaks how Start11 works to make that happen.

Later versions support it, so Start11 does nothing to implement support for it, hence no issues.