valinet / valinet/ExplorerPatcher

ExplorerPatcher stops working after update KB5089573 (Build 26100.8524)

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Dominant language
C
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Description

Before reporting your issue
  • I have confirmed that this issue does not happen when ExplorerPatcher is not installed
  • I do not have "register as shell extension" enabled
  • I have tried my best to check existing issues
Repro ExplorerPatcher versions

26100.8457.70.1

Repro Windows Versions

System information

  • OS: Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 24H2
  • OS Build: 26100.8524
  • Experience Pack: 1000.26100.315.0
3rd party tweak software installed

NULL

Describe the bug

ExplorerPatcher stops working after update KB5089573 (Build 26100.8524)

Describe the bug
After installing the 2026-05 Preview Update (KB5089573) on Windows 11, ExplorerPatcher stopped working. The taskbar and Start menu have reverted to the default Windows 11 style, and the customizations provided by ExplorerPatcher are no longer active.

To Reproduce

  1. Install the Windows 11 update KB5089573 (Build 26100.8524).
  2. Reboot the system.
  3. Observe that ExplorerPatcher settings are ignored, and the system uses the default Windows 11 taskbar/Start menu.
Expected outcome

Expected behavior
ExplorerPatcher should continue to apply the configured customizations (e.g., Windows 10/Classic Start menu) after the system update.

Actual outcome

Actual behavior
ExplorerPatcher is effectively disabled/inactive after the update.

Additional info

No response

Crash Dumps

No response

Media

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Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the failure on Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 24H2, build 26100.8524, after installing KB5089573. Trace the ExplorerPatcher integration responsible for the taskbar and Start menu customizations and compare its behavior before and after the update. Done means the configured customizations remain active after reboot.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
50/100

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