Using Windows 11 like it's Windows 3.1 (or so I try to)

Windows allows you to hide the taskbar by right clicking on it > taskbar settings (opens settings) > taskbar behaviors > automatically hide the taskbar. By right clicking on the desktop (with the old right click menu) and going to view then unchecking "Show Desktop Icons". Rudimentary but since I wasn't killing explorer or replacing the shell because of issues doing that has and me simply being too squeamish to do so, as well as some benefits from keeping explorer running, I went with it. Frankly the illusion is certainly there unless you move your cursor all the way to the bottom of the screens which causes the taskbar to pop up (this is only really necessary to access minimized windows though).

You can actually get programs from Windows NT 3.1 (the Windows NT equivalent of Windows 3.1) working on 11 still and that's what I intend on using for additional things as I keep messing around with this - you can't really use the "regular" Windows 3.1 versions since they're 16 bit and probably have more compatibility issues even if you do run them. If you're looking for the particular version, you should probably get them from "Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Workstation". Some programs might need other files from this version of NT as well. Program Manager (which I believe was last still part of Windows during early XP) works all the way to Windows 10, actually, though on Windows 11 it appears to blue screen the computer so if you do this on 11 you need to find alternatives.

github.com/Vortesys/Program-Manager-II/tags while this is intended to be a new Program Manager and Shell Replacement (it is even listed on the Wikipedia page for Windows Shell Replacements), it is currently too basic. You can however, use that "Classic" release next to if not perfectly which is what I did since it is the only totally functional one that doesn't blue screen 11 (though there are other working alternatives / remakes of course).

You can get Winfile / File Manager from NT 3.1 of course, although Microsoft actually maintains a updated version of it that can be downloaded on Github. github.com/microsoft/winfile/releases

As far as where to put them and other NT 3.1 Programs, I would just make a cheap folder to put them all in together and access easily. Since Program Manager no longer has any program groups you have to make your own. Go to the "File" menu and hover over "New", then click "Create New Program Group". After creating it, you right click on the Program Group, hover over "New" again, and click "Program Item". With my program groups I mainly just went for imitating some default 3.1 ones - "Main", "Accessories", "Games". From there it's a memorization game of trying to not close or minimize Program Manager unless you have to since closing it (the version I use anyway) won't log off or shut off windows and, again, if you minimize it you need to hover to the bottom of the screen to open that hidden taskbar. Past that you can add modern programs to the Program Manager interface's groups and everything is fine.

I use the Aerolite theme which is the backbone of High Contrast Mode from Windows 8 onward, though HC isn't enabled here. It frankly fits in a bit better and kind of reverts things since it's basically been untouched since Win8. There are a number of ways to enable it without HC but basically you can simply edit a .theme file to point to it instead of aero.msstyles or use Winaero Tweaker. Not really related to the actual goal of this (Trying to imitate 3.1 with 11), simply just my theme preference. Similarly I disabled all the visual effects in Windows except for Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts and the Translucent Selection Rectangle out of preference.

Update! I got some more old programs as well as the bitmap images, screensavers and sound effects (just need to make a sound scheme).

The original Control Panel still works but points to things in modern windows, redirecting you to modern control panel and UWP settings stuff. Paintbrush works but all the colors are these weird grey patterns and whatnot (I assume maybe I do not have a file or it is just some incompatibility), you can save things with the Win3.1 Notepad and open them in modern Notepad and vice versa, Winver reports 11 as 8 basically, etc. Funny thing is these programs seem to just...work inexplicitly - the clock, Calculator, and Clipboard Viewer are still kinda useful NGL. Also note some of these have old style buttons and pixelated fonts - Character Map, Notepad, and Winver in particular. Also the games work but I don't know how to play them besides Minesweeper which I suck at so. CD Player is also there but it doesn't want to run because my computer doesn't have a CD Drive.



In any case, these are some if not the oldest operable programs in Windows 11.

Is it even possible though? I don't know much about Windows 3.1 so I'm not sure. Maybe someone who used Windows 3.1 could figure it out and if it is possible, I think MajinTails should do that to his desktop.

I mean, they do show as icons on the desktop so..

Minimisation to icons is as possible as Windows 3.1 window frames themselves; they are simply how the non-client area is drawn when windows are minimised. Since Windows 95, a titlebar-only view is used for this state, but applications can override this default behaviour as they wish. It is indeed possible for an application developer to make an application which has window frames just like Windows 3.1, and it's possible to hook into applications to force them to do this.

It appears also there is still the 3.X save dialogue in Windows 11, though I've only been able to get it to appear with Cardfile and Pbrush:



Other programs I took from NT 3.1 open explorer windows when you try to save / create files, which makes this even more interesting. Between this, the minimized window behavior with explorer.exe killed while progman's running, what was brought up regarding restoring the icon format for said minimized windows, and just the inherent idea of trying to use Windows 11 like 3.X at all, there's certainly a lot of things to consider here.

Just cleaned up my computer recently - took some stuff out, reinstalled some things, just messing around a bit. Anyway, decided to add more Program Groups and Programs in them, some based off what are in Start Menu entries / shortcuts, as well as one with a bunch of power options so that I won't need to use the Windows Start Menu / Taskbar as much anymore for programs and searching things, and especially since it gives me the access to the shutdown perimeters through progman which are much needed for doing something like this.



I also made it so that Progman runs on startup / after logon. Redundant if you replace the Shell, but logical if you do what I do where it's more like a "illusion" that it is just the program manager, with the windows explorer desktop icons and taskbar hidden.