I had to buy a new computer which has Win11, I was using Win 10. Where is the search box on the task bar where you could search for things like Control Panel, etc. I used to right click and get the shutdown menu. What happened to that? How do I put the computer to sleep?
To add a search box to the Windows 11 taskbar, follow these steps:
-
Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings. Alternatively, open the Settings app, go to Personalization, and then select Taskbar.
-
In the Taskbar settings, find the section called Taskbar items.
-
Locate the Search option. There will be a dropdown menu next to it with several choices:
-
Hide (removes the search feature from the taskbar)
-
Search icon only (shows only the search icon)
-
Search icon and label (shows the search icon with the label “Search”)
-
Search box (displays a full text box for search input)
-
-
Choose Search box from the dropdown.
-
The search box will now appear on your taskbar.
-
Close the Settings app when done.
This will enable a full search box directly on your Windows 11 taskbar for easy searching of apps, files, settings, and web content.
Got it, thanks. It was actually there already but in the center of the task bar, not the far left.
Is it a laptop? You can usually just close the screen to put it to screen. Or if desktop, you can configure the power button to put it to sleep instead. Shut down, sleep, or hibernate your PC - Microsoft Support
There’s a setting to make the taskbar left justified instead of centered, if you prefer the old way. I don’t remember exactly where it is but it’s pretty easy to find. That’s one of the first things I did after upgrading to Win 11 was to leftify the taskbar.
Me too.
Right-click the taskbar. Select “Taskbar settings” from the popup menu. The bottom entry in the list of settings (just above the “related settings” section) is an item titled “taskbar behaviors”, with “taskbar alignment” being the first words of the description just below. Expand that and the topmost setting is the one you want.
I had finally got used to the center menu / search bar before having to move it back to the left.
I got a new samsung monitor with an on-screen display that insists popping up to cover the menu everytime the screen wakes up. Yes the monitor has options to turn off the OSD and to change its position, neither of which do anything. Our main contract has strong privacy regulations, plus I sign into the bank account and several other vulnerable points. I need the screen to lock down in a timely manor. So …back to the left.
LSLGuy for the win! Amazing how just a little setting makes the computer feel familiar again.
Also if I’m not mistaken you can just click Start and start typing, it will bring up a search blank as you type. This applies to Windows 10 too. Shortcut is Control-Esc.
Yep, that still works in Windows 11. It also brings up app matches in the Microsoft Store.
Why, why, oh why do programmers change stuff like this?
For decades, a billion people have gotten used to clicking on standard menus, and everybody was happy. Why change things? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!
Because Apple put theirs in the middle, and they define what is cool and desirable and what isn’t. Focus groups said they wanted their PCs to more resemble their Macs & iPhones, and here we are.
Yeah, I guess they wanted to make it look like the dock, but they completely missed that Apple’s version of the Start menu just…appears with the correct gesture or button press. I ended up leaving my Start menu centered, since it’s such a sad shadow of its former self; it’s hard to describe, but it looks odd popping up from the left side when it’s so small.
Then there’s the strange folks like me… I love my Mac, but hate the Dock and all its wasted space on the sides. I wish I could get a Windows-style taskbar back 
Hmm, seems like there’s aftermarket apps for that: Taskbar For macOS – lawand.io
Might have to give it a try!
I also really miss the ability to just push the Windows key and start typing the name of an app to launch it — much faster than the mouse. macOS has the Spotlight search feature, but it’s much slower and jankier.
For the last 20 years I’ve had my Windows taskbar on the left edge, not the bottom edge. I am not liking the fact its now stuck on the bottom.
Nevertheless as a matter of personal policy I refuse to run 3rd party apps to badly replace the real shell. That just creates more upgrade and compatibility headaches. Adapting muscle memory to reach for the bottom, not the side isn’t that hard and once adapted is permanent.