I use two main tools to replace the start menu: - Powertoys Run (or Flow Launcher) - Everything for Windows
There is also an Everything plugin for both Powertoys Run and Flow Launcher. This allows me to use a hotkey to search for any file on my system, and because of the way Everything indexing works, it's very fast.
I also use this Autohotkey Script to disable the Windows key, but retain its combinations (such as WIN+Arrow Keys):
;Disable LWin press and retain its combos
~LWin::vk07
And this script to hide the taskbar, in combination with the vanilla auto-hide functionality. This hides the taskbar or shows it again when CTRL + ALT + = is pressed.
^!=:: ;Ctrl + Alt + = : Hitaskbar
If WinExist("ahk_claShell_TrayWnd")
{
WinHide, ahk_claShell_TrayWnd
WinHide, ahk_claShell_SecondaryTrayWnd
}
Else
{
WinShow, ahk_claShell_TrayWnd
WinShow, ahk_claShell_SecondaryTrayWnd
}
You can find the rest of my Autohotkey Scripts on my Github. I've tried to leave comments so that it's obvious what everything does. If you want a more stylish taskbar replacement, I recommend Zebar in combination with GlazeWM.
I may make a seperate post about Zebar and GlazeWM when I have a better configuration and Zebar has been updated some more. I've also experimented with PowerToys Fancy Zones as well for this purpose.
* * *