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RetroBar FAQ
Short answers to the questions people search for most, each linked to the page with the full, tested detail. Checked against RetroBar 1.22.122.
On this page 4 sections
About RetroBar
What is RetroBar?
A free program that replaces the Windows 10 and 11 taskbar with the taskbar of Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP or Vista. It draws its own Start button, Quick Launch, task buttons, notification area and clock in the theme you choose, and hides the Windows taskbar while it runs.
Who makes RetroBar?
Sam Johnson (GitHub: dremin), with contributions and translations from the community. It is developed in public at github.com/dremin/RetroBar and has been since November 2020. This site is an independent guide, not the project.
Is RetroBar free?
Yes, completely: open source under the Apache License 2.0, with no paid version, ads or account.
Is RetroBar the same as RetroBat?
No. RetroBat is an emulator front-end for retro games. RetroBar is a Windows taskbar replacement. The names are one letter apart.
Is RetroBar safe?
The official download from GitHub is. Microsoft Defender found nothing in our tests; Windows may warn because the files are not code-signed. Details on Is RetroBar safe?
Is there RetroBar for Mac or Linux?
No. It works with Windows' own taskbar interfaces and only runs on Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10 and 11.
Windows versions
Does RetroBar work on Windows 11?
Yes. We test every release on Windows 11; 1.22.122 ran on Windows 11 25H2 (build 26200) in our latest tests. One Windows 11 change to know about: since 24H2 the Wi-Fi icon is no longer available to taskbars like RetroBar (workaround).
Does RetroBar work on Windows 7?
Yes, on Windows 7 SP1 and 8.1, with separate builds that use the .NET 6 Desktop Runtime. The installer picks them automatically; in the portable zip they are in the Win7-8 folder.
Does it need .NET?
Yes: the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime on Windows 10 and 11, .NET 6 on Windows 7 and 8.1. The installer installs it if it is missing (watch for its window).
Using it
How do I open RetroBar's settings?
Right-click an empty part of the RetroBar taskbar, or the clock, and choose Properties. Every option is explained on the settings page.
How do I change the theme?
Properties › Taskbar › Theme. All 19 themes are on the themes page.
How do I make RetroBar start with Windows?
Tick Automatically start at logon in Properties › Taskbar, or the “Automatically start RetroBar” box during installation.
How do I add programs to Quick Launch?
Drag a program or shortcut onto Quick Launch. By default Quick Launch shows the apps pinned to the Windows taskbar, because it reads the same folder; you can point it at another folder in Properties › Taskbar.
Can I move RetroBar to the top or side of the screen?
Yes: Properties › Taskbar › Location, or unlock the taskbar and drag it to another edge. On the sides, the clock also shows the day and date.
Can RetroBar have two rows?
Yes: Properties › Taskbar › Number of rows. By default you can choose up to 5; the limit itself is a setting in settings.json (RowLimit).
Can RetroBar combine (group) taskbar buttons?
No. Like Windows 95 to XP by default, it shows one button per window, and 1.22.122 has no setting to combine them.
Does RetroBar have a Start menu?
No. Its Start button opens the Windows Start menu. For a classic menu, add Open-Shell with our tested presets.
Does RetroBar change the window borders and File Explorer?
No, only the taskbar. Windows, title bars and File Explorer keep the Windows 11 look.
Can I set the theme from the command line?
RetroBar has no command-line options. Our Settings Builder makes a PowerShell script that switches themes and settings; we tested it on Windows.
Performance and files
Does RetroBar slow down my PC?
Hardly. In our measurements RetroBar used about 115 to 135 MB of memory (working set; 43 to 57 MB of it private) and practically no CPU while idle, and its taskbar appeared about one second after starting. Our measurements.
Where is RetroBar installed?
In %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\RetroBar (for example C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Programs\RetroBar). Its settings are in %LOCALAPPDATA%\RetroBar\settings.json.
How do I uninstall RetroBar?
Settings › Apps › Installed apps › RetroBar › Uninstall. The Windows taskbar comes back straight away. What is left afterwards.
How do I update RetroBar?
Run the newest installer from GitHub over the old version; settings are kept. RetroBar tells you about new versions in its right-click menu but does not update itself.
Keep going
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us at hello@retrobar.dev and we will fix it.