translucenttb.dev
2026.2v2026.2

Uninstall & reset

Uninstall TranslucentTB and reset the taskbar

Uninstalling TranslucentTB takes one click in Settings, and the normal taskbar comes back on its own. This page covers every install type, what gets left behind, and what to do if the taskbar stays transparent.

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

On this page
  1. Want to keep it, just reset it?
  2. Turn TranslucentTB off without uninstalling
  3. Uninstall from Settings (Store, winget, App Installer)
  4. Uninstall from the command line
  5. Remove the portable version
  6. What is left behind
  7. Taskbar still transparent after uninstalling?
  8. Clean reinstall
  9. FAQ

Short answer

How do I uninstall TranslucentTB?

Open Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find TranslucentTB, click ⋯ › Uninstall. Or run:

PowerShell
winget uninstall CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB

For the portable version, right-click the tray icon, choose Exit, and delete its folder.

Want to keep it, just reset it?

Three different "resets" are often confused:

You want toDo thisWhat changes
Fix a taskbar that is stuck in the wrong lookPress Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F1 (2026.2 and later), or tray › Advanced › Reset dynamic stateTranslucentTB re-detects open windows, Start, Search and Task View. Settings are untouched.
Go back to default settingsTray › Advanced › Return to default settingsEvery look goes back to the defaults; rules, ignored windows and hidden options are cleared too. The file is rewritten when you exit TranslucentTB or choose Edit settings.
Start completely freshExit TranslucentTB, delete settings.json, start it againThe welcome page appears again and a new default file is written. Exit first: TranslucentTB saves its settings on exit, so deleting the file while it runs does not stick.

Before you reset, consider saving a copy of your settings.json. Where it lives: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\28017CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB_v826wp6bftszj\RoamingState\settings.json For the portable version it sits next to TranslucentTB.exe.

Turn TranslucentTB off without uninstalling

To get Windows' normal taskbar back for a while but keep TranslucentTB installed:

How longDo this
Until you start it againRight-click the tray icon and choose Exit. The taskbar returns to Windows' own look at once (we saw this in our test), and your settings are saved.
Keep it running, but look normalSet Desktop to Normal and turn off the other states, or set each one to Normal. TranslucentTB keeps running but hands the taskbar back to Windows.
Stop it from starting with WindowsUncheck Open at boot in the tray menu, or turn TranslucentTB off in Settings › Apps › Startup. See stop it from starting.

Uninstall from Settings (Store, winget, App Installer)

  1. Open Installed apps

    Press Win+I and go to Apps › Installed apps. On Windows 10 it is Apps › Apps & features.

    You can also right-click TranslucentTB in Start, or search for it, and choose Uninstall:

    Start menu search after installing: TranslucentTB with Open, App settings and Uninstall.
    Real screenshot · TranslucentTB 2026.2 · Windows build 26100Start menu search after installing: TranslucentTB with Open, App settings and Uninstall.
    How this was captured

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

  2. Uninstall TranslucentTB

    Search for "TranslucentTB", click ⋯ (or the entry on Windows 10) and choose Uninstall. You can also right-click TranslucentTB in the Start menu and pick Uninstall.

  3. Expect a short blink

    On Windows 11 22H2 and later, the taskbar and desktop icons disappear for a second. That is intended, see below.

Why Explorer restarts when you uninstall

On the Windows 11 XAML taskbar, TranslucentTB runs a helper, ExplorerTAP.dll, inside explorer.exe. A DLL that Explorer has loaded cannot be removed while Explorer runs. Since 2026.1 the helper listens for the package being uninstalled, and since 2026.2 also for it being updated. When that happens it ends Explorer, Windows starts a fresh one without the DLL, and the default taskbar is back.

What happens when you uninstall TranslucentTB on Windows 11 You uninstall or update the package. ExplorerTAP.dll, running inside Explorer, receives the PackageUninstalling or PackageUpdating event and ends the Explorer process. Windows starts Explorer again, without the TranslucentTB DLL, so the taskbar comes back with its default look. 1. You uninstall Settings, winget or Remove-AppxPackage (also on updates) 2. ExplorerTAP.dll gets the package uninstalling event inside explorer.exe 3. Explorer ends taskbar and desktop icons blink for a moment 4. Windows restarts Explorer, without the DLL: default taskbar is back
From ExplorerTAP's OnPackageUninstalling and OnPackageUpdating handlers in the 2026.2 source. The release notes say this fixes problems when the app is reinstalled right after being uninstalled.

We saw this happen in our Windows test: Explorer's process ID changed from 7220 to 3236 when we removed the package while TranslucentTB was running, and the taskbar came back in Windows' own look.

Real screenshots · TranslucentTB 2026.2 · Windows build 26100Uninstalling while TranslucentTB runs

Before uninstalling: TranslucentTB running with a red opaque taskbar.

Real Windows taskbar: Before uninstalling: TranslucentTB running with a red opaque taskbar.

Ten seconds after Remove-AppxPackage: Explorer was restarted (new process ID) and the taskbar is back to normal.

Real Windows taskbar: Ten seconds after Remove-AppxPackage: Explorer was restarted (new process ID) and the taskbar is back to normal.
How these were captured

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

{ "desktop_appearance": { "accent": "opaque", "color": "#B42318FF" } }

Uninstall from the command line

PowerShell
winget uninstall CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB

If you installed from the Store, the Store ID works too: winget uninstall 9PF4KZ2VN4W9.

PowerShell
Get-AppxPackage *TranslucentTB* | Remove-AppxPackage

This removes it for your account. To remove it for every account on the PC, run an elevated PowerShell:

PowerShell
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *TranslucentTB* | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
PowerShell
choco uninstall translucenttb
Get-AppxPackage *TranslucentTB* | Remove-AppxPackage

The Chocolatey package ships an install script but no uninstall script, so choco uninstall only removes Chocolatey's record. The second command removes the app itself.

PowerShell
scoop uninstall translucenttb
scoop uninstall -p translucenttb

Exit TranslucentTB from the tray first. The first command keeps your settings.json in Scoop's persist folder; -p deletes it too.

Uninstalling from PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage *TranslucentTB* | Remove-AppxPackage, then a check that returns nothing.
Real screenshot · TranslucentTB 2026.2 · Windows build 26100Uninstalling from PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage *TranslucentTB* | Remove-AppxPackage, then a check that returns nothing.
How this was captured

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

Remove the portable version

  1. Exit TranslucentTB

    Right-click the tray icon and choose Exit. On the XAML taskbar the helper notices TranslucentTB has ended and puts the default taskbar back.

  2. Delete the folder

    Delete the folder you unzipped. It holds TranslucentTB.exe, its DLLs and your settings.json.

  3. Delete the temp copies and logs

    Press Win+R, run %TEMP%\TranslucentTB and delete the folder. It holds the copies of ExplorerTAP.dll and ExplorerHooks.dll that were loaded into Explorer, plus log files. If Windows says a file is in use, Explorer still has the DLL loaded: restart Explorer (below) or sign out, then delete it.

  4. Remove your startup shortcut

    If you added one, run shell:startup and delete the TranslucentTB shortcut.

What is left behind

TranslucentTB keeps its files in a small number of places. We also searched its source for registry writes and found none: it does not store settings in the registry.

ItemInstalled versionsPortable
settings.json…\Packages\28017CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB_v826wp6bftszj\RoamingState, deleted with the packageNext to TranslucentTB.exe; delete it yourself
Logs and DLL copies…\Packages\28017CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB_v826wp6bftszj\TempState, deleted with the package%TEMP%\TranslucentTB; delete it yourself
Start with WindowsStartup task inside the package, removed with itYour shell:startup shortcut
Startup registry fixIf you applied the EnableFullTrustStartupTasks policy values from Open at boot, they stay. They only allow startup tasks and are harmless; delete them only if you know nothing else needs them.
Runtime packagesMicrosoft.VCLibs.140.00 and Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8 stay installed. Other apps use them; leave them.

The full package path is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\28017CharlesMilette.TranslucentTB_v826wp6bftszj

Taskbar still transparent after uninstalling?

The look belongs to Explorer, not to TranslucentTB's files. A fresh Explorer always starts with the default taskbar. Restart it:

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, find Windows Explorer in the Processes list, right-click it and choose Restart.

Command Prompt
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

Signing out and back in, or restarting the PC, does the same. If the taskbar is still transparent after that, something else is styling it: check for Windhawk mods, StartAllBack or ExplorerPatcher settings. See conflicts with other taskbar tools.

Clean reinstall

  1. Back up settings.json (optional)

    Copy it somewhere outside the package folder, because uninstalling deletes it.

  2. Uninstall

    Use any method above. On Windows 11, wait until the taskbar comes back after the blink.

  3. Install again

    Follow the install guide. Before 2026.1, an immediate reinstall could fail because Explorer still held the old DLL; current versions restart Explorer to avoid that. If you still see "TranslucentTB was recently updated. Please restart Windows to start using the latest version.", restart Explorer or the PC.

  4. Restore your settings

    Open tray › Advanced › Edit settings, paste your saved file, and save. TranslucentTB reloads it automatically. Check it first with the settings validator.

FAQ

Does uninstalling TranslucentTB delete my settings?

For the Store, winget, App Installer and Chocolatey versions, yes: Windows deletes the package folder, including settings.json. Back it up first if you want it. The portable version's settings stay in its folder until you delete it.

Why did my taskbar and desktop icons flash when I uninstalled?

On Windows 11 22H2 and later TranslucentTB's helper restarts Explorer when the package is uninstalled or updated, so the DLL it loaded is released. The flash is that restart.

How do I stop TranslucentTB without uninstalling it?

Right-click the tray icon and choose Exit. To stop it starting with Windows, untick Open at boot in the same menu, or turn it off in Settings › Apps › Startup.

I can't find TranslucentTB in Installed apps. How do I remove it?

You probably have the portable or Scoop version. Exit it from the tray and delete its folder, or run scoop uninstall translucenttb. To check for a package version, run Get-AppxPackage *TranslucentTB* in PowerShell.

Will uninstalling bring back my taskbar color?

Yes. The default Windows taskbar returns, including the accent color setting from Settings › Personalization › Colors.

Keep going

Install guideStore, App Installer, winget, Scoop, Chocolatey and portable.TroubleshootingEvery error message and common problem, with fixes.settings.json referenceEvery key, type and default, checked against the source.Tray menu & shortcutsEvery tray menu item, the reset hotkey and ttb.exe.AlternativesTranslucentTB vs TaskbarX, Windhawk, StartAllBack and more.DownloadEvery official download, which one to pick, and file hashes.

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