Windows 11 May 2023 Update finally brings back missing taskbar feature

The Windows 11 taskbar is a major letdown for power users who rely on features like ungrouping icons, dragging and dropping, seeing the time in seconds, using third-party customization tools, and so on. Although drag-and-drop was reinstated in Windows 11 22H2, many features remain unavailable. Microsoft is working on enhancing the taskbar for Windows 11, and reliable sources have informed me that this is one of the team's top priorities. The reemergence of lost characteristics, and KB5026372 for Windows 11 restores functionality of the taskbar clock to include seconds. After the cumulative update has been released through Windows Update, users will have the option to manually activate the function. Changing the value of "ShowSecondsInSystemClock" in the Windows Registry to 1 will cause the taskbar clock to display seconds. The "ShowSecondsInSystemClock" feature was removed with the release of Windows 11 version 21H2.

Image Credit: Thewindowsfan.com Clock in the taskbar, showing the current time in seconds

Microsoft claimed in an Due to performance concerns, this feature was removed from Windows 11 because the processor is overworked showing seconds in real time, which drains the battery. Windows 11 lacks a feature that was present in Windows 10 and other operating systems. The "ShowSecondsInSystemClock" option, however, will be reinstated in Windows with the release of the May 2023 update. If you want the clock in your taskbar to display the current time down to the second, you'll need to edit the Windows Registry.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced

To enable seconds on the taskbar clock, create a new DWORD and name it "ShowSecondsInSystemClock." Microsoft has confirmed plans to add an option in Windows Settings to toggle the display of the taskbar clock's seconds hand on and off. In a subsequent update, you'll be able to enable the feature by going to the Settings menu. You can access the configuration menu by right-clicking the taskbar in the preview builds.

Clock options in the taskbar | Picture courtesy of TheWindowsFan.com

Alternatively, you can access the Taskbar behaviour section of Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to enable the display of seconds in the taskbar.

Taskbar to get more features.

According to our prior coverage, The "never combine" option has been reinstated by Microsoft to the taskbar, with the option to display labels (the names of applications next to their icons). To avoid a cluttered taskbar caused by multiple instances of File Explorer and similar programs, simply activate this feature. Currently, and by default in Windows 10, multiple instances of the same app are stacked vertically on the taskbar. However, Microsoft is soon going to add an option that will let you never combine app icons if you don't want to.

Source: https://thewindowsfan.com/windows-11-may-2023-update-finally-brings-back-missing-taskbar-feature/