Former Microsoft Executive Explains Why Windows 11 Removed the Vertical Taskbar

Microsoft may be reconsidering the Windows 11 vertical taskbar after renewed user demand, and now a former executive has revealed why it was removed in the first place.

According to Neowin, former Microsoft executive Mikhail Parakhin said he “fought hard” against the decision to remove the vertical taskbar when Windows 11 launched.

Former Microsoft executive says he opposed the decision

Parakhin, who previously served as Corporate VP of Technology from 2019 to 2021 and later as CEO of Advertising and Web Services at Microsoft, confirmed there was internal disagreement over the taskbar redesign.

He stated that a vertical taskbar offers clear productivity benefits, especially on modern widescreen monitors where horizontal space is limited but vertical space remains abundant.

His remarks contradict earlier messaging that the feature lacked importance for most users.

Why Microsoft removed the movable taskbar

According to Parakhin, Microsoft’s design vision for Windows 11 focused on symmetry.

The system placed notifications and system controls on the right side, while Weather, Widgets, and News occupied the left. That layout pushed the Start menu into the center, creating a balanced visual structure.

A vertical taskbar, he explained, would conflict with those side panes and disrupt the intended layout consistency.

In short, the decision was design-driven rather than technical.

In related news, Microsoft recently released KB5077181 and KB5075941 as part of the February Patch Tuesday rollout.

However, KB5077181 has already drawn complaints from users reporting boot loop issues and login failures after installation.

While Microsoft has not yet confirmed a fix, affected users are monitoring the situation closely as the company investigates.

With both UI feature reconsiderations and update-related stability concerns in focus, Windows 11 continues to evolve amid strong community feedback.