Open Shell 4.4.180 Released with Windows 11 Enhancements

The Open Shell team is proud to announce the release of version 4.4.180, which brings major improvements to the Windows 11 compatibility along with performance optimization and bug fixes that enhance the overall user experience.

What's New in This Release

Windows 11 Compatibility Improvements

With the growing adoption of Windows 11, we've dedicated significant resources to ensure Open Shell works seamlessly with Microsoft's latest operating system. This release includes:

• Improved Start menu integration with Windows 11's updated taskbar
• Fixed alignment issues when using center-aligned taskbar mode
• Enhanced support for Windows 11's new context menus
• Better compatibility with Windows 11's new system tray behavior
• Proper scaling on high-DPI displays commonly found on newer devices

Performance Enhancements

We've made significant improvements to Open Shell's performance, making it faster and more responsive:

• Reduced memory usage by approximately 15%
• Faster Start menu opening and search operations
• Optimized Explorer integration for better file browsing experience
• Improved startup time and reduced system impact
• Better handling of large icon caches

Bug Fixes

This release addresses several reported issues:

• Fixed crash when accessing certain pinned items
• Resolved menu flickering issue on multi-monitor setups
• Fixed keyboard navigation problems in cascading menus
• Corrected text rendering issues with certain fonts and DPI settings
• Addressed search functionality inconsistencies
• Fixed Explorer toolbar customization issues

New Features

While this release primarily focuses on compatibility and performance, we've also added a few new features:

• Enhanced skin support with new customization options
• Added ability to customize icon padding in the Start menu
• Improved settings backup and restore functionality
• New keyboard shortcuts for power users
• Additional language support for 5 new languages

Community Contributions

This release wouldn't have been possible without the amazing contributions from our community members. Special thanks to:

• @devUser123 for the significant Windows 11 compatibility improvements
• @menuMaster for the memory optimization work
• @UI_Designer for the enhanced skin support
• @translationTeam for adding support for 5 new languages
• And many others who reported bugs, suggested features, and helped test this release

Download and Installation

You can download Open Shell 4.4.180 from our download page or directly from the GitHub releases page.

Looking Ahead

Our development roadmap for the coming months includes:

• Further Windows 11 integration enhancements
• Modern UI theme options
• Improved touch screen support
• Enhanced accessibility features
• More customization options

We're excited to continue improving Open Shell and welcome your feedback on this release. Please report any issues you encounter on our GitHub issues page.