Alex Ruben
How To Activate the New Flyouts Location Setting in Windows 11 26200.5661
Honestly, trying to customize where your notifications and system controls pop up can be kinda frustrating, especially since some features are buried under updates and hidden behind flags. If you’re running Windows 11 (especially a recent Dev or Beta build), there’s a way to move the flyouts (like volume, brightness sliders, etc.) to different spots on your screen. This guide walks through enabling that, because, let’s be honest, the default placement isn’t great for everyone. After getting this set up, you’ll have a bit more control over your UI—more intuitive, less annoying. Let’s skip the fluff and dive right in.
How to Fix the Flyouts Location Setting in Windows 11
Method 1: Using ViveTool to Enable the Hidden Feature
This is the most straightforward way. ViveTool is a handy utility for turning on hidden Windows features—think of it like a secret menu. On some setups, the feature is just disabled by default, so this tool flips the switch. Because Windows likes to make things tricky sometimes, you might need to do a bit of command-line magic.
Download and Extract ViveTool
- First, grab the latest version of ViveTool from GitHub. It’s usually a
.zipfile. - Open the downloaded
.zip— maybe don’t be that person who just leaves it zipped, because extracting is easier. Right-click on the file, choose Extract All. - Create a folder somewhere you won’t forget—”Hidden Features” or whatever, but make it easy to find. Extract the files there.
- Note the folder path (like
C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\Hidden Features) because you’ll need to navigate to it in the command line.
Open Command Prompt as Admin
- Type
cmdin the Windows search bar. - Right-click on Command Prompt and pick Run as administrator. Yep, gotta do the admin thing.
- Handle the User Account Control prompt by clicking Yes.
Navigate to the ViveTool Folder
- You need to change directories inside the command line to where you extracted ViveTool. Type:
- Hit Enter. If you see a bunch of folder info, you’re good.
cd C:\Path\To\Your\Hidden Features (replace with your actual folder path)
Run the Command to Enable the Feature
- This is where you turn on the flyouts movement. Type:
- Hit Enter. If you get a success message, sweet. If not, double-check your command.
- Sometimes Windows needs a kick in the pants—reboot to see the magic happen.
vivetool /enable /id:48103152
Reboot the PC
- Close the command prompt.
- Hit the Start menu and choose Restart. Or just press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select restart—whatever works.
Set the Flyouts to Your Preferred Spot
- Once it’s back up, go to Settings > System > Notifications.
- Scroll down to find On-Screen Indicators. If it’s there, the feature worked! If not, maybe try the command again or make sure your Windows build is the correct one.
- Select your preferred position—options like Top Left, Top Center, or elsewhere, depending on what your system offers.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
On some setups, the command might not register correctly, or Windows might throw up some error. In those cases, make sure your system is fully updated and you’re on a supported build (like the latest Dev or Beta channel). Also, check if you typed everything correctly—missed a slash or typo can break it. And sometimes, restart multiple times if it’s not working right away—Windows can be weird.
Wrap-up
The process might seem fiddly, but once it’s set, it makes the whole notification experience way better. Moving the flyouts around isn’t officially supported yet (at least not easily), but this trick actually works pretty reliably on recent Windows builds. Just remember: not every update will keep this intact, so a future update might turn it off or break the setup. Keep that in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ViveTool anyway?
It’s a nifty little utility that unlocks hidden features in Windows 11, kind of like a backstage pass. It’s not official, but it’s been pretty reliable so far for toggling bits that Microsoft hasn’t turned on by default.
Will this work with all versions of Windows 11?
Eh, not really. It’s mostly for insider builds—Dev or Beta channels. Stable releases might not support these features yet or might block them.
How do I undo this if I don’t like it?
Super easy. Just run this command in the same command prompt (with admin): vivetool /disable /id:48103152. Then restart.
Summary
- Downloaded ViveTool from GitHub
- Extracted it into a folder
- Ran Command Prompt as admin
- Navigated to the folder
- Enabled the feature with the command
- Rebooted and set the position in Settings
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully, this shaves off some hassle for someone tired of the default notification placement. Not sure why Microsoft makes it so hard, but hey, at least now you’ve got a workaround. Good luck!