Microsoft still doesn’t provide a dock in their operating system, but there are third-party options you can try if you really want one.
RocketDock
RocketDock is a great app launcher that has been around for a long time now. The developers who made it haven’t released a new version since 2008, yet somehow people still love it. It’s probably because it’s simple and easy to use, and its features are unique.
RocketDock still looks good, despite not having had a facelift for more than a decade. You can, however, give it different skins, even using ones from other launchers, such as RK Launcher and ObjectDock. ..
Adding and removing shortcuts is easy. It does exactly what you expect a dock to do, without any fuss and bloat. It’s also free under a Creative Commons license, so everyone should try it at least once.
Launchy
Launchy is a dock that indexes your Start Menu and documents and folders. You can set up your own shortcuts and launch what you need with a keystroke.
Launchy is a free and open source software application that lets you try it without any sort of obligation. There are also skins available to customize its look.
The software is free, but the developer does provide the opportunity for people to donate some cash, which would be a nice gesture.
XWindows Dock
While most docks are inspired by what MacOS has done with the idea, XWindows Dock is a clone of the Apple software.
The dock works well on my Windows 10 installation, but there is one small issue. The dock shows up behind the taskbar. ..
To fix the problem of the taskbar auto-hide, set the taskbar to auto-hide itself. This will give your desktop that MacOS look, but some people may be annoyed by this issue.
Since this is a clone of the Mac dock, it looks and functions similarly. However, it has been 8 years since the last stable release, so a future update may render it non-functional. For now however, this is the closest you’ll get to the classic MacOS dock. ..
Winstep Nexus
Nexus is a popular app for Windows 10 that’s been designed specifically for the platform. It’s one of the few dock apps that officially supports Windows 10. There’s a free and paid version. The free version is what we’re referring to here.
This dock is a Windows 10 dock that gives it a MacOS-like feel. It has reflective icons, support for animated icons, and of course skins. It’s also the only dock app with support for Windows 10’s Universal Windows Platform standard.
The dock is easy to use and supports in-dock widgets. It also has excellent multi-monitor support. The Ultimate version offers more features, but the free personal edition is more than enough for most users. ..
Circle Dock
Circle Dock is a dock that uses a radial design, which looks completely different from anything else we’ve seen. This is also not a persistent dock. Instead you press a hotkey and then the doc will appear wherever your mouse pointer is.
The RocketDock software is an innovative idea that is very functional. However, the software was never developed to the point where it matched the likes of Circle Dock, which is a feature for feature comparison. Still, if you like experimental UI ideas, RocketDock may be worth trying out.
A Docking Good Time
One of the best things about Windows 10 is that if you don’t like something about it, you can change it with the right knowledge or tools. While Windows 10 seems to have put a damper on full UI replacements such as the venerable Rainmeter, it’s still possible to make yourself at home in smaller ways.
