Windows 11 Is Almost There - What Got Fixed and What Didn't

Windows 11 is finally getting better, and for once you can feel it.

Glossy illustration of a Windows 11 laptop with the taskbar moved to the left and a half-built Start menu, with the title WINDOWS 11 ALMOST THERE

The September 2026 update brought back features people have asked for since 2021.

But plenty of it still feels like a room that is painted but not yet furnished.

Why Windows 11 is changing now

In March 2026, Windows chief Pavan Davuluri promised a quality reset built on three goals: performance, reliability and craft.

In July, Satya Nadella repeated it on an earnings call, saying Microsoft is investing so Windows "has the best quality and fundamentals".

That is unusually direct talk from Microsoft. This month, some of it finally landed.

What already got better

The September update (KB5124008, for versions 24H2 and 25H2) is the biggest step so far:

Movable taskbar - put it on the left, right, top or bottom, like in Windows 10. There is also a smaller size.
A Start menu you can shape - Automatic, Small or Large, and you can hide Pinned, Recent or All apps. "Recommended" is now simply "Recent".
Cleaner Search - separate switches to turn off Bing web results and Microsoft Store suggestions, and no more promo tiles.
Faster File Explorer - quicker Home loading, file sizes shown in MB and GB, and a dark-mode Properties window.
Calmer updates - you can skip updates during setup and pause them for longer.

Microsoft also pulled Copilot buttons out of several built-in apps, and Widgets no longer pushes MSN ads by default.

What still feels unfinished

You may not have it yet. The features arrive gradually, so a fully updated PC can still wait days or weeks. Installing the update is not the same as getting the new taskbar.

The side taskbar has trade-offs. Move it left or right and you lose the search box and the smaller size - both only work at the top or bottom.

The deeper rebuild is still coming. The Start menu has not moved to Microsoft's newer WinUI code yet, and the promised cleaner right-click menu is not even in public testing.

Dark mode is still patchy. The Run box and parts of File Explorer went dark, but old Control Panel windows can still flash bright white at you.

The old WMIC command is gone. It has been removed from 24H2 and 25H2 and cannot be added back. If an old script or tool suddenly fails, that may be why.

No numbers. Microsoft says testers "can feel" the speed gains but has not published benchmarks. It aims to finish most of the work by the end of 2026, with some pieces slipping into 2027.

What you should do now

Check your version. Press Win + R, type winver and press Enter. Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro stop getting updates on 13 October 2026.

Still on 24H2? Move to 25H2 through Windows Update or the free Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Still on Windows 10? Our guide on getting Windows 11 for free, legally covers your options.

Tired of waiting for Microsoft to clear out the clutter? FlyOOBE can remove AI extras and preinstalled apps today.

Our take

This is the most promising Windows 11 has looked in five years. The fixes are real, and they target the things people actually complained about.

But a movable taskbar was a Windows 10 basic, not a new feature. Microsoft gets full credit when the rebuild is finished, not when it is announced.

Quick questions

How do I move the Windows 11 taskbar?

Install the September 2026 update, then look in the taskbar settings. If the option is missing, it has not reached your PC yet - it rolls out gradually.

Do I need 25H2 to get these changes?

No. The September update covers both 24H2 and 25H2. But 24H2 Home and Pro stop getting updates on 13 October 2026, so upgrading soon is wise.

Is Microsoft removing Control Panel?

Not yet. It is being phased out slowly, and Microsoft has not given a removal date.