Is it still possible to activate the classic Alt+Tab interface in Windows 11, especially Windows 11 24H2? The short answer is NO. Despite what you may read on Reddit and across the internet, Microsoft has blocked all safe paths to enable the classic Alt+Tal interface in Windows 11.

Windows 11’s polished appearance is pretty, but longtime users, especially those who have witnessed the transition from Windows XP in the present, want certain old elements.

One such element is the classic Alt + Tab dialog that opens when you press the aforementioned shortcut. If you don’t remember, the old Alt+Tab dialog only contained icons with a flat icon UI instead of the large icons with thumbnails available from version 22H2.

While it was possible to restore it using a registry tweak, Microsoft appears to have blocked it in Windows 11 24H2.

Windows Latest tried every possible trick to restore the old Alt+Tab layout in Windows 11 24H2 and preview builds, but nothing worked.

Using Windows Registry to Restore Alt+Tab in Windows 11

First, we started by modifying the registry by adding a new dialog box. AltTabParameters Dword value that restores the classic menu.

We tried these steps to force restore the classic Alt+Tab in Windows 11:

1. First of all, we opened Run Windows and launched Registry Editor via regedit.
2. Then we sailed towards the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current version > Explorer.
3. We right-clicked in the right panel and clicked New > 32-bit DWORD.
4. We created a new value named AltTabParametersand changed its value to 1 by double-clicking.

All the tutorials we followed had recommended the above steps, but after restarting the PC, no results were obtained. The classic Alt-Tab interface did not appear in Windows 11.

Next, we tried using open source Explorer Patcher, which works well with other UI tweaks, such as changing the Start menu interface. We also used it for other experiments. For example, we recently used Explorer Patcher to demonstrate removing “Learn more about this image” icon from desktop.

Explorer Patcher offers several options for restoring old Windows 10, Windows NT, and even a custom simple bar. But it also ended in despair because the option to enable classic Alt-Tab style didn’t work at all.

Finally, we tried another popular open source application to adjust Windows functionality. Most applications no longer have the ability to restore the classic Alt+Tab dialog.

This could be because Microsoft finally removed the feature from Windows 11.

Ruined retro look

Although the classic Alt+Tab menu is a niche preference, its removal will surely hurt enthusiasts who like to do retro-themed PC appearances while still enjoying the benefits of a modern system. Next time you try to create the classic XP look or Windows 7 design on your PC, you will miss the Alt+Tab dialog box.

When we talk about menus, it’s hard to forget the classic right-click context menu that made a big splash when Windows 11 was released. All the applications mentioned above still offer an option to restore the old menu, because he was simply much better.

Microsoft has made incremental improvements, such as adding labels to frequently used actions, but it’s an uphill battle to convince everyone.

And you? Missing the classic Alt-Tab in Windows 11? Let us know in the comments below.