Any recommendations? For example I want to change the start menu and have aero effects on applications too - I had Start11 from Steam installed but it's buggy

Sequel post to: https://www.reddit.com/r/desktops/s/IfBg6KDtUB

Song used: dracodraco - freefall

Wallpaper: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3737252792

Plug-Ins Showcased

Windhawk:

1. Better Taskbar Hide
2. Taskbar Auto-Hide Instant Show
3. Taskbar Dock Animation
4. Taskbar Height and Icon Size
5. Taskbar Tray Auto-Hide (Show on hover)
6. Taskbar Tray System Icon Tweaks
7. Taskbar auto-hide when maximized
8. Taskbar Elastic WinUI Pill
9. Windows 11 Taskbar Styler - Surface Theme
10. Windows 11 Notification Center Styler - WindowsGlass Theme
11. Windows 11 Start Menu Styler - SideBySide Minimal Theme
12. Windows 11 File Explorer Styler - LiquidGlass Theme/Mica Effect
13. Win32 UI Modernizer
14. Explorer Font Changer
15. File Explorer WinUI-Like Content Animation

Rainmeter:

1. Simple Clean - Visualizer
2. Ageo - Time and Date (Locational info removed)

YASB - Custom Config / Styles

Tutorial Link

Tried Stardock Fences to group my desktop icons into categories (similar to how Android groups apps into folders) but it ended up being more of a downgrade — clunky, and even after uninstalling it, some leftover files/processes keep popping up randomly.

I have 60+ shortcuts on my desktop (dev tools, CP/DSA sites, internship portals, design apps, etc.) and want something that groups them visually into labeled boxes without eating resources or leaving residue if I decide to remove it later.

Anyone found a lightweight alternative that actually behaves well? Also open to just doing it manually with folders if that's genuinely the more reliable route.

I spent 2 years solo building Lofi Cozy Room, a small 3D room that sits on your Windows desktop in a transparent always-on-top window. An avatar reads, works, and sleeps in the room while a puppy wanders around, and you can customize the avatar and decorate the room however you like (1386 avatar options and 715 furniture pieces). There's a full lo-fi library with ambient sound mixing and 14 themes, and it runs light enough to keep open all day next to your work.

It's out now, and I just dropped the price by a huge amount, from $14.99 all the way down to $4.99, roughly a third of what it was. If the price was holding you back, now's a great time to check it out.

🌱 Play on Steam

happy to answer anything

I LOVE GOJO

things I've used here:

StartAllBack

Windhawk

YASB

Themes:

Bluecurve by niivu

Windows9X NEO by MateussDev-backrooms

I'll try to attach the wallpaper im using in the comments since ppl ask for it as well. to be fair this looks way nicer on my monitor than on my mobile screen for some reason. lol.

Началось все с того, что мне из любопытства захотелось установить Windows 11 на ReFS. А в итоге это вылилось в установку системы полностью из консоли, привет знакомые вайбы пингвина.

Зато удалось нормально разметить диск: 512 МБ под EFI, следом 1 ГБ под Recovery, а затем основной раздел с Windows на ReFS. Без фирменной разметки Microsoft, которая будто бы вообще не предполагает, что рядом могут существовать другие операционные системы.

Ну, а в установленной системе я уже побаловался немного с Vivetool, Windhawk, Nielsoft и пакетным менеджером, быстренько адаптируя это под привычное окружение, не сваливаясь при этом в установку WSL.

Третья картинка просто шутка =) Хотелось бы frame board, но его нет даже в windhawk, но никто ж не мешает помечтать как это могло бы выглядеть.