translucenttb.dev
2026.2v2026.2

Safety

Is TranslucentTB safe?

Yes, when you get it from the Microsoft Store, winget or the official GitHub releases. We downloaded the 2026.2 release files, checked their signatures and hashes, read what the code does, and looked at exactly why some antivirus tools still flag it.

By translucenttb.devUpdated Checked against TranslucentTB 2026.2Tested hands-on on Windows5 min read

On this page
  1. What we checked
  2. Who signs TranslucentTB
  3. SHA-256 hashes of the 2026.2 files
  4. Verify a download yourself
  5. What loads into Explorer, and why
  6. Why antivirus software flags it
  7. Avoid unofficial download sites
  8. Privacy
  9. FAQ

Short answer

Is TranslucentTB a virus?

No. TranslucentTB is free, open-source software (GPLv3) with public source code on GitHub. The Store package is signed by Microsoft's Store certificate, and the app's .exe and DLLs are signed by a certificate issued to its lead developer through Microsoft's identity-verified code signing. It has no networking code. Antivirus warnings come from one legitimate behavior: it loads two small DLLs into explorer.exe to restyle the taskbar.

What we checked

5 of 5Signed binaries in the portable zipexe and all DLLs
0Networking libraries importedno WinHTTP, WinINet or Winsock
1Package capabilitiesrunFullTrust
GPLv3Licensesource on GitHub
CheckResult for 2026.2How we checked
Source code publicYesCloned TranslucentTB/TranslucentTB; the release is tag 2026.2, commit d4636e4.
Store bundle signatureMicrosoft Marketplace CA G 028Read AppxSignature.p7x in bundle.msixbundle. This is the certificate the Microsoft Store signs packages with.
EXE and DLL signaturesCN=Charles Milette, Québec, CARead the Authenticode signature of all five binaries. Issuer: Microsoft ID Verified CS EOC CA 03, Microsoft's identity-validated signing service.
Network accessNone foundImport tables of all five binaries contain no networking DLLs; the source has no HTTP or socket code. The only web addresses are links opened in your browser.
PermissionsrunFullTrust onlyThe package manifest declares one capability, which every regular desktop app packaged as MSIX needs. No administrator rights.
TelemetryNone foundNo analytics or crash-upload code. Logs stay in a local folder.
Process hardeningOnHardenProcess() in main.cpp turns on Windows process mitigations: safe DLL search order, termination on heap corruption, strict handle checks, an image signature policy, preferring System32 DLLs, and blocking legacy extension-point DLLs.

The Store page lists the app's permission as "Uses all system resources". That is how the Store words runFullTrust, which every traditional desktop program effectively has.

Who signs TranslucentTB

TranslucentTB is published by Charles Milette (GitHub: sylveon), who wrote most of the code: 1,794 of the 1,964 commits on the release branch. The Store lists the publisher as Charles Milette and the developer as "TranslucentTB Open Source Developers".

  • Store, winget and App Installer install bundle.msixbundle, signed by the Microsoft Store (subject CN=04797BBC-C7BB-462F-9B66-331C81E27C0E, the Store's identity for this publisher). Windows refuses to install an MSIX whose signature doesn't verify.
  • The files inside (and the portable zip) are signed by "Charles Milette" through Microsoft's identity-verified code signing, used since 2024.1. The certificates are short-lived, so the thumbprint changes between releases but the subject stays the same. The 2024.3 notes say an accent was added to "Québec" in the subject.

SHA-256 hashes of the 2026.2 files

We downloaded these from the official GitHub release on October 29, 2026. If your file's hash matches, it is byte-for-byte the official file.

File (2026.2)SizeSHA-256
bundle.msixbundle4.17 MB3f740e7019e11ff455af374945edb25413e0567c1eb6a16afefb23a496545649
TranslucentTB-portable-x64.zip1.77 MB0dbe8e0255c20e131cde536dcd0ae490d45989a7d360e26d0150dff1922ac420
TranslucentTB.appinstaller3 KBdaa91439ea64a7611bd81322cee4d8d9b2067176a5286398822dcd6fbbcdfb8e

Verify a download yourself

  1. Hash the file

    In PowerShell, in your Downloads folder:

    PowerShell
    Get-FileHash .\TranslucentTB-portable-x64.zip -Algorithm SHA256

    Compare the Hash column with the table above. (Hashes change with every release; this table is for 2026.2.)

  2. Check the signature of the program

    After extracting the portable zip:

    PowerShell
    $s = Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\TranslucentTB.exe
$s.Status
Valid
$s.SignerCertificate.Subject
CN=Charles Milette, O=Charles Milette, L=Greenfield Park, S=Québec, C=CA

    Anything other than Valid, or a different name, means don't run it. You can also right-click the file › Properties › Digital Signatures.

  3. Prefer the Store or winget

    They verify the package signature for you and keep it updated.

The same check on our test machine (our Windows test):

PowerShell on the test machine: the installed package and Get-AuthenticodeSignature reporting a Valid signature by Charles Milette, issued by Microsoft ID Verified CS EOC CA 03.
Real screenshot · TranslucentTB 2026.2 · Windows build 26100PowerShell on the test machine: the installed package and Get-AuthenticodeSignature reporting a Valid signature by Charles Milette, issued by Microsoft ID Verified CS EOC CA 03.
How this was captured

Captured October 29, 2026 on Windows build 26100 in our hands-on test; only cropped and resized.

What loads into Explorer, and why

Windows has no supported setting for a transparent taskbar, so TranslucentTB has to work inside Explorer, the process that draws the taskbar. It loads at most two of its own DLLs there:

DLLWhenWhat it does
ExplorerHooks.dllWindows 10 and classic/mixed taskbarsLoaded with a standard Windows hook (SetWindowsHookEx). It watches Task View and intercepts Explorer's own SetWindowCompositionAttribute calls on the taskbar so Explorer doesn't undo the look. It asks TranslucentTB with a 100 ms timeout, so a frozen TranslucentTB can't freeze Explorer.
ExplorerTAP.dllWindows 11 22H2+ XAML taskbarAttached through XAML Diagnostics (InitializeXamlDiagnosticsEx), the interface Visual Studio's live visual tree uses. It finds the taskbar's background element and swaps its brush. It restores the original brush when TranslucentTB exits or dies.
How TranslucentTB changes the taskbar TranslucentTB.exe watches window, Start, Search, Task View and battery saver events and reads settings.json. On the classic Windows 10 taskbar it calls SetWindowCompositionAttribute on the taskbar window, and ExplorerHooks.dll inside Explorer stops Explorer from resetting it. On the Windows 11 XAML taskbar it loads ExplorerTAP.dll into Explorer through XAML Diagnostics, and ExplorerTAP replaces the taskbar background brush with a solid, acrylic or blur brush. Windows events window shown, moved maximize, minimize Start or Search opens Task View opens battery saver changes settings.json reloaded 200 ms after save TranslucentTB.exe tray icon and menus picks one state per monitor's taskbar: battery › task view › start › search › maximized › visible › desktop explorer.exe SetWindowCompositionAttribute Classic taskbar Windows 10, or Windows 11 with a classic taskbar (ExplorerPatcher) ExplorerHooks.dll guards the accent Shell_TrayWnd accent policy XAML taskbar Windows 11 22H2 and later ExplorerTAP.dll loaded through XAML Diagnostics background brush SolidColorBrush AcrylicBrush blur brush
The two DLLs and what they touch. Neither reads files, keystrokes or the network; both only change the taskbar's background.

Why antivirus software flags it

Loading a DLL into another process (here, explorer.exe) is something malware also does, so heuristic and "potentially unwanted" detections sometimes fire on ExplorerHooks.dll or ExplorerTAP.dll, especially right after a new release before reputation builds up. The README addresses this directly: "Some antiviruses are over eager, so they might flag this program as malicious. IT IS NOT!"

  1. Make sure the file is genuine

    Check the hash and signature as above. A genuine, signed file with a heuristic name such as "Generic", "Heur" or "PUA" is a false positive.

  2. Report the false positive

    Submit the file to your antivirus vendor's false-positive form; for Microsoft Defender use the Microsoft Security Intelligence submission page.

  3. Then allow it

    Add an exclusion only for the verified file or the package folder, not for a whole drive.

Avoid unofficial download sites

Search results for "TranslucentTB download" include mirror sites and AI-written pages that bundle old versions or wrap the app in their own installers. TranslucentTB is only published in three places:

  • Microsoft Store: product ID 9PF4KZ2VN4W9 (listing).
  • GitHub releases: TranslucentTB/TranslucentTB releases.
  • Package managers that point at those: winget CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB, Scoop extras/translucenttb, Chocolatey translucenttb (community-maintained).

There is no paid version, no "pro" edition and no separate installer .exe in current releases. All options: Download.

Privacy

TranslucentTB keeps everything local: settings in settings.json and logs in its own folder (paths in the settings reference). The Discord, donation and GitHub issue links on the welcome page and the tray menu's Tips and tricks entry just open your browser. Updates come from the Microsoft Store or App Installer, not from the app.

FAQ

Is TranslucentTB malware?

No. Its full source is public under GPLv3, the release files are signed (Microsoft Store certificate for the package, an identity-verified certificate for the program files), and it contains no networking or telemetry code. Flags are false positives caused by its Explorer DLLs.

Is TranslucentTB from the Microsoft Store safe?

Yes. The Store version is the same build as GitHub, signed by Microsoft's Store certificate and installed in the usual MSIX sandbox folders. It's the version we recommend.

Does TranslucentTB need administrator rights?

No. It runs as your user. The only optional machine-wide change anyone suggests is the startup-policy registry fix, and only if Open at boot is broken.

Can TranslucentTB break Windows?

It changes only the taskbar's look, and restores it when it exits. Worst cases are an error dialog or an Explorer restart; uninstalling removes it completely. See Uninstall & reset.

Why does Windows SmartScreen warn about the portable version?

SmartScreen warns about downloads that few people have run yet. A new release's portable zip can trigger it for a while even though it is signed. Check the signature, or use the Store version.

What is TranslucentTB.exe and why is it running?

It is the TranslucentTB app. It runs in the background with a tray icon because it has to watch which windows are open and keep the taskbar in the look you chose. It starts with Windows because the installed package turns on "Open at boot" by default (we saw it enabled in Settings › Apps › Startup right after installing; see our test). Its file is in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\28017CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB_… and is signed by "Charles Milette". If you did not install it, uninstall it and scan the PC; if you did, you can stop it from the tray menu with Exit.

Keep going

DownloadEvery official download, which one to pick, and file hashes.How it worksWhat runs inside Explorer and why, on Windows 10 and 11.Install guideStore, App Installer, winget, Scoop, Chocolatey and portable.TroubleshootingEvery error message and common problem, with fixes.Uninstall & resetRemove it cleanly and get the default taskbar back.AlternativesTranslucentTB vs TaskbarX, Windhawk, StartAllBack and more.

Something wrong or out of date? Email hello@translucenttb.dev and we will fix it.