Start11 2.55 Beta Release

from Stardock Forums

With the Start11 2.55 beta release today, we are creating this thread so that users can report any observed issues.  

Obtaining Object Desktop Insider Builds

Object Desktop Manager

Object Desktop members can get beta and Insider builds from within Object Desktop Manager with 'Enable Object Desktop Insider builds' enabled:

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Stardock Download Page

Or via their download page in the ‘Object Desktop Insider’ section

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Obtaining Beta Releases

Stardock.com

If a beta was released, Object Desktop Members would see it in the ‘Object Desktop’ section.

Individual purchases would see it on their registration of the product under their download page.

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Steam

  • Right-click the Product in Steam

  • Properties

  • Betas

  • Select the beta branch at the top right (there is no password)

Example

https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/steamwebhelper_2024-02-19_17-44-35.png

Reporting an issue

Please include the following for anything found:

  • Exact Windows version \ build (winver.exe)

  • Detailed steps to recreate the issue seen

  • Screenshots and videos are very helpful.  Videos can be uploaded to a cloud drive service (GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive, YouTube), with a shared link included in your post.  Images can be copied and pasted directly into a post.

  • If there are specific apps that the app does not work (well) with, please note what apps and their exact versions.  If any app is not common, a link to a trial version would be appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and any time you put into making Start11 v2 a better product.

start menu products
62,576 views 56 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Start11 2.55 Changelog (Released 10/02/2025)

Version

  • UI: 2.55

  • Start11Config.exe: 2.5.5.4

Changes

  • Resolves an issue with bad info in some control panel shortcuts (Turn windows features on and off in particular).

  • This fixes an issue with taskbar thumbnail popups being far left on secondary displays

  • Tweaks right-click on some files in S11 to reduce the impact of a background check that has to take place to determine taskbar pin status.

  • Fixes issue with pinning an item to the taskbar having a lower-than-expected res icon in some situations.

  • This tweaks taskbar thumbnail positioning to potentially prevent it being too far left sometimes.

  • Fixes issue with Cloudflare warp and vertical taskbars

  • Fixes issue with shutdown menu in Win10 menu showing different results when right arrow opening it vs clicking or pressing enter

  • This tweaks how thumbnails are handled, especially on mixed dpi setups

  • Tweak for non clickable areas of the screen caused by the thumbnail window

  • New option to make auto hide taskbars only hide when a window is over them (the topmost window on any given display)

  • Added in RDP as an alias in search for Remote Desktop

  • Added support for anything following -- in a search string to be passed as a command line.  This only works with some apps, depending on how the app has a shortcut

  • Added new command line for Start11Config to apply changes to registry keys if done manually.  Run Start11Config RELOADSETTINGS

  • Performance improvements to general drawing and animations,

  • Fixes for older icons having boxes around them sometimes

  • Tweak that may help whatsapp notification badges

  • Should fix issue with taskbar areas getting screen dirt

  • Should resolve issue with DisplayFusion secondary taskbars not showing correctly

  • Resolves issue with shadows on menus being the wrong way up

  • This should resolve the issue with WhatsApp and message notifications 

  • Adds in support for S11_OnlyShowSignout registry key which makes Sign Out the only power menu option. Location:
    \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

  • Fix to a thread leak when opening locations as menus, a memory leak in the same situation resolved

  • Fixes for custom start button image size when resizing a vertical taskbar and when on Win10.  

  • Fix for fullscreen animations on insider build painting twice, 

  • Tweaks universal icon loading to be quicker, resolves some steam game icons being small and instead stretching low res icons for those larger

  • Fix for switching virtual desktops causing taskbar changes if the user has different non max/max settings

  • Wheel mouse can now be used to scroll vertical taskbar when full

  • Resizing a vertical taskbar now correctly recentres things

  • A possible fix for non clickable areas of the desktop for some users

  • The position of the thumbnail previews on a vertical taskbar have been tweaked to overlap less though they may go slightly off screen but not unusably so

  • A small tweak to tab image loading to reduce max memory usage during load of an image.

  • Now shows sub menus for folders for computer link and document

  • Resolves a performance issue with large menus

  • Resolves issue with closing the start menu with the mouse causing it to reopen if the mouse moves between mouse down and up on the start button with the start menu open

  • Fixes the mouseover indicator in Win10 style menus

  • Fixes spotify taskbar icon bug.

  • Fixes a problem with right clicking to the left of the start button on a secondary taskbar when the taskbar is set to centred with enhanced taskbar enabled

  • Translation updates

     

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Known issues

While we appreciate all feedback, please remember that we offer no official support for beta \ preview \ developer channel versions of Windows. If you report issues while in any of those early release channels, you should not expect them to be addressed unless it still exists in a retail version of Windows.

  • tbd
Object Desktop - Get all of our enhancement utilities in one suite
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

***Reserved***

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello! Installed this new beta version. As in previous versions, the problem with the lack of translation has not yet been corrected. I attach a screenshot. Please fix. 

The problem with the launch of labels from portable versions of programs has also not been corrected: when they are launched, three seconds are approximately delayed. I published a video with this problem many times, but unfortunately it was never corrected ...

Screenshot

 Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, 64-bit, V10.0.26100

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Vertical taskbars are occasionally completely blank after restarting Windows. Usually restarting Explorer from Start11 taskbar menu fixes it, but then sometimes desktop icons aren’t shifted properly after that, so a second Explorer restart is required.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Microsoft Windows Pro Version 23H2 (0S Build 22631.5699)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (Core i7, 16MB, 1TB)
Start11 v2.55 Beta

Run "Backup settings to a file" > select file > confirm save > system not responding (see pic).

Please help.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SentotAdi, reply 7

Microsoft Windows Pro Version 23H2 (0S Build 22631.5699)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (Core i7, 16MB, 1TB)
Start11 v2.55 Beta

Run "Backup settings to a file" > select file > confirm save > system not responding (see pic).

Please help.


Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try, uninstall Start11, reboot immediately (important), download latest version available in your account product download page: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products. Install it, reboot immediately again. Retest it and report back.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Uninstall Start11 (keep settings) > fill out a questionnaire > REBOOT > download Start11 > get activation key by e-mail > finish install Start11 > REBOOT > Backup settings to a file > select file > confirm save > same result "Start11 is not responding"

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SentotAdi, reply 9

Uninstall Start11 (keep settings) > fill out a questionnaire > REBOOT > download Start11 > get activation key by e-mail > install Start11 > REBOOT > Backup settings to a file > select file > confirm save > same result "system/Start11 not responding"

Perhaps something else is blocking Start11 from working properly. Test install in Sandbox and see if that work. https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1416855562/Testing+Start+in+Sandbox. Try it and report back. 

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SentotAdi, reply 11

It's not a major issue. Hopefully, the next update will fix it. Thanks.

I don't think its an issue with Start11, its more like a compatibility issue specifically with your system. If not we will see more similar report from everybody. I don't think it can be resolved if we can not reproduce this issue.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SentotAdi, reply 9

Uninstall Start11 (keep settings) > fill out a questionnaire > REBOOT > download Start11 > get activation key by e-mail > finish install Start11 > REBOOT > Backup settings to a file > select file > confirm save > same result "Start11 is not responding"

Have you installed anything which might alter file picker dialogs or mess with UAC settings?

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

The 'Controlled Folder Access' feature in 'Ransomware Protection' was activated, which prevented some apps from writing to certain folders. Turning it off allowed Start11 to save its settings. Problem solved.

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Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Great, really glad to hear you've figure it out.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

A small bug I have discovered, on the secondary taskbars, centered, right clicking on the taskbar on the left of the start button does nothing, I have to click on the right side of the icons to get the Start11 menu.

Latest 2.55 Beta and Version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4946)


Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Windows 11 Pro - 23H2 22631.5768
Start11v2 - 2.5.5.0
Windows 10 Style

The "Selected item accent color" does not display correctly in Start11 2.5.5.0. It simply shows a light gray solid background which is very hard to see with my chosen start menu background.

In Start11 2.5.5.0 if I choose "Use Windows 11 menu style icons" in the Advanced options, it does show a solid background of the "Selected item accent color."

In Start11 2.5.3.1 the "Selected item accent color" displays as a colored border around the icon.

Not sure if this is by design or just doesn't display correctly in 2.5.5.0

The decimal color for the chosen Accent Color is displayed correctly in the Registry settings.

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Windows 11 Pro - 24H2 26100.4946
Start11v2 - 2.5.5.0
Windows 11 Style

There's still a translation issue (here, in french). In the main menu, the access button to the All applications section is correctly translated:

But this is not the case for the title of the section itself (and I didn't found any matching string in the translation file):

Could you please remedy this ?

 

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

We have updated the beta build with a few fixes

  • Now shows sub menus for folders for computer link and document

  • Resolves a performance issue with large menus

  • Resolves issue with closing the start menu with the mouse causing it to reopen if the mouse moves between mouse down and up on the start button with the start menu open

  • Fixes the mouseover indicator in Win10 style menus

  • Fixes spotify taskbar icon bug.

  • Fixes a problem with right clicking to the left of the start button on a secondary taskbar when the taskbar is set to centred with enhanced taskbar enabled

  • There are new language files added but not yet be available in the UI>
+1 Loading…
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

Issue in Reply #17 is fixed in 2.5.5.1

  • Fixes the mouseover indicator in Win10 style menus

Thank you for fixing this so quickly. :grin:  

Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting coth5829, reply 22

Steam version says 2.55 is still latest

Yes, Start11v2.55 beta is the latest for now.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello! Unfortunately, this version did not correct the problem with the translation, with the launch of portable applications assigned to Start11 and display the fixed labels. There is a Localsend program and it has a green icon, but after it is fixed in Start11, it becomes red! Of course, this is not very important, but still, if possible, fix it all please.

Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello! Please tell me how to make this menu (context menu of the Start button) more compact and change the font size?