How to Make Windows 11 Look Like Windows 10 – Guide
Microsoft knows how Windows should be. At least that seems to be the company’s message with Windows 11. It makes big changes to the user interface and continues the trend of making customization more difficult. It is currently not possible to fully revert Windows 11 to the look and feel of Windows 10, and given Microsoft’s current stance on UI customization, this may never be the case. Still, there are some important tweaks that can make you more comfortable. You may have upgraded to Windows 11 or performed a clean install of Windows 11, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with every aspect of the new UI. Maybe, like me, you hate the new Start menu because it offers fewer icons when taking up more space. You might be angry because the right click menus only show about seven options at a time, not necessarily the top seven, and then you need to click “Show more options” to see all of them. Or maybe you just want the ribbon back in Windows Explorer. The good news is that you can get much of the Windows 10 look and feel back in Windows 11 with a combination of registry tweaks, third-party apps, and a few other works of art. The bad news is that Microsoft doesn’t seem to want you to revert to a previous UI so any registry hacks you use in future updates can be disabled.
How to Make Windows 11 Look Like Windows 10
Start menu location
Windows 11’s most obvious design change is the relocation of the Windows Start menu from its traditional home nestled on the left side of the taskbar to the center of the taskbar. Fortunately, this change is easy to reverse. Open the Windows Start menu and then the Settings app. In Settings, navigate to Personalization, then Taskbar and open Taskbar behaviors. You will see a field labeled Taskbar Alignment with a drop-down menu. Change the drop-dox menu from Center to Left.
remove new icons
While we’re at it, let’s disable the new icons added by Windows 11. They’re also in the Taskbar section of the Personalization settings. You will see a list called “Taskbar Items” that includes four options: Search, Task View, Widgets, and Chat. Use the buttons next to each one to disable all four icons. An important note about search: there is currently no way to restore the full search field to the Windows 10 taskbar. Disabling the new search icon means you cannot access search by clicking a field or icon on the taskbar. However, it will still be available via the Windows + S keyboard shortcut.
Start menu design
Microsoft is kind enough to let you easily change the location of the Start menu and remove some icons, but the Start menu itself is a different story. You will need to use a third party program. The free option is Open-Shell, an open source program (formerly known as Classic Shell) that can replace the Start menu. Download the program and install it. However, be sure to disable Classic Explorer and Classic IE during installation. Otherwise, Open-Shell will also modify Windows Explorer in a way that doesn’t look like Windows 10. Once installed, open the program called Open-Shell Menu Settings. Select the Windows 7 style menu and open the Skin tab. I used the Fluent-Metro skin for this guide. It actually works more like a Windows 7 Start Menu with a coat of Windows 10 paint, but it was the best skin I could find. While Open-Shell works well, it’s not perfect. It cannot properly replace the Start Menu and does not restore Windows 10 features. Stardock’s Start11 is an easier option. It doesn’t have the Open-Shell Start Menu icon issue and doesn’t require installing additional files to provide an attractive Metro design style menu. However, the Start11 costs $4.99, so you’ll have to decide whether the ease of use is worth the price.
change icons
Taskbar icons in Windows 11 are very similar to Windows 10, so you may not feel the need to change them. Other icons throughout the operating system differ significantly. First, download a Windows 10 icon pack. A variety of them can be found online: I used a Windows 10 build 10125 icon pack. Put your icons in a folder that is convenient for you to remember. Let’s start with desktop icons. Open the Settings app, choose Personalization, open Themes, and open Desktop Icons. A menu appears with the five usual desktop icons. Click the icon you want to change and tap Change Icon. Navigate to where you saved the icon pack, select the icon you want to use and tap Open. You can also change individual folder and shortcut icons. Right-click an item and open Properties. Then go to the Customize tab. Below is the change icon button. Click on it and choose an icon you want to use as described in the previous paragraph. Unfortunately, Windows 11 doesn’t allow you to change some icons, particularly the new icons for user drives and folders in Windows Explorer. However, you can use Drive Icon Changer to change drive icons.
Disable rounded corners
Rounded corners are key to Windows 11’s new look. Not everyone loves them, though, and there’s more bad news. It is currently not possible to change them through Windows 11 itself or a third-party solution. You have an option. Windows 11 will revert to square corners if you disable hardware graphics acceleration (this will also disable other visuals features such as transparency). Well, there is another option: you can disable your graphics hardware. Open Device Manager, expand Display Adapters and right-click the listed display adapter. Select Disable Device. Your screen will flicker for a moment, but when Windows returns, the rounded corners will be gone. Disabling the graphics hardware will make the Windows UI appear sluggish and stilted, and you won’t be able to use 3D apps or games until you turn the hardware back on.
change the wallpaper
Last but least, you can restore your original Windows 10 wallpaper. This is not included in Windows 11, but is available from various sources online, such as this 4K example on Imgur. Right-click the image after downloading it and select Set as Desktop Background. The change will take effect immediately.
Final note
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