“Seven” is the favorite version of Windows by many users. Not everyone will use it now, if there is a more advanced “Ten”, and not at all because the machine is not capable of more. At the same time, one of the main reasons why Windows 7 is in the favorites is the user-friendliness of the interface. With the advent of the “Eight”, many users swore, first of all, for the lack of the familiar Start button, and the rest of the elements were strikingly different from the usual controls. In version 10 of the operating system, a button that replaces Start is present, but if you do not at all like how the OS functionality is implemented, then you can rollback to the “Seven” or simply downgrade the version. When the question is only in the design of the interface and it is preferable for you to return the appearance of your native Windows 7, while leaving the functionality of the new version,just a few moves and your “Ten” will be successfully styled like a “Seven”.
However, remember that you will not get an exact similarity, since the “ten”, in principle, uses a different interface, and in many ways. You can only change some elements, and make the interface resemble Windows 7 in some little things. “Ten” from under this will still look out at every corner, but you will get a more familiar externally system, which is good in itself.
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Using a patch
There are several ways to make Windows 10 look like 7. Among the tools and methods used, patches are widely used, which make appropriate changes to the software code, in this case with the aim of returning Windows 10 to its previous form of version 7. There are many such auxiliary utilities. They allow you to return the interface of the “Seven” in Windows 10, for example, only the classic Start button along with its capabilities to replace inconvenient tiles and the look of the explorer (Classic Shell) or to implement the beloved transparency of windows (Aero 7) – it is in the “Ten” did not wait. But, using third-party tools (usually information about the compatibility of software with a specific OS assembly is indicated in the description for it), it is possible to patch the existing OS to suit your preferences.
Design packages that can transform the operating system, dress it in a transparent robe, or add a lot of other effects are freely available on the network, an assortment of all kinds of themes is also available for download on the official Microsoft resource.
To make the necessary changes to the Windows 10 interface by installing any of the themes, follow these steps:
- Unpack and install the UltraUXThemePatcher 3+ patch on your computer.
- Install the “OldNewExplorer” application (configure the explorer).
- Download to the “Themes” directory (it is located here C: Windows Resources Themes) the vending theme for the “Ten”.
- Open the “Personalization” window (press RMB on the desktop and select the appropriate item from the menu).
- Use the downloaded skin in the personalization settings.
Various programs can be used to bring the familiar 7-style back to the Windows 10 interface. Classic Shell is a good free tool for this purpose. The package includes three components: ClassicStartmenu (returns Start, as in the 7 version of windows), Classic Explorer (changes the “appearance” of Explorer) and Classic IE (for classic Internet Explorer). You can choose a custom installation by installing one of the components. For example, let’s put Startmenu:
- Having installed the software, click on the “Start” button and go to the Classic Shell parameters.
- In the window that opens, you can adjust the menu style for the “Start” and change the image of the button itself.
- The next tab “Basic parameters” will allow you to assign settings for controlling the mouse buttons, as well as set some hotkeys.
- The “Cover” tab offers a choice of themes for the “Start” menu and their customization.
- On the Customize Start Menu tab, you can customize which items appear on the menu and in what order.
- In addition, if you check the box at the top of the window, the item “Show all parameters”, more customization options will be available.
To return a convenient “Start”, as well as adjust the transparency of windows in the style of Windows 7, and other effects will help the shell “Aero 7”. There is enough software to restore the appearance of your favorite OS on the network, many of the utilities are available for free, but you should download the software only from trusted resources, better than official ones. If you do not like the program, you can simply uninstall it through the “Control Panel” – “Programs and Features”. But before making adjustments, it is still better to create a Windows restore point so that in case of an unsuccessful transformation, return the system to the “before the changes” state.
How to change the appearance without applying a patch
Styling Windows 10 for version 7 is also available through manual interface changes. Of course, you have to dig a little into the settings of the various elements, but this is quite feasible. So that Windows 10 looks like version 7, we will make some adjustments.
Activating an installed theme
To apply the theme that is available in the Tens’ arsenal, do the following:
- We press RMB on the desktop and from the context menu we go to “Personalization”.
- We select the section “Themes” – “Theme options”.
- Here you can activate and customize the themes found in the Themes folder.
Classic Start Menu
It is impossible to completely change the “Start” menu without using special software, but you can slightly correct it to make it look more like the menu of the usual “Seven”, for this we do the following:
- First, let’s remove the tile style on the right side (press “Start” and, by clicking on each tile with the right mouse button, select “Unpin from Start Screen”).
- Resize the menu by dragging the upper right edge with the cursor.
The functionality will remain the same, but a slight stylistic change can help dispel nostalgia for Windows 7.
Removing the search bar from the taskbar
In the tenth version of the windows, at the bottom of the taskbar there is a long line for performing a search (apparently, the developers assumed that when switching to the Top Ten and after each system update of it, the necessary functions would have to be searched with dogs). Not all users need it there, and besides, you can find everything you need using the same option from the Start button menu. Disable the search field as follows:
- We press RMB on the taskbar.
- Choose Search – Hidden.
- You can return the field to its place in the same way, only by checking the corresponding item from the menu.
Removing the conductor tape
At the top of the explorer windows in Windows 10 and 8.1, there is a ribbon that contains tools for interacting with files and folders. If you do not need quick access to these options, the ribbon can be hidden with an arrow-shaped button (the same effect is achieved by pressing Ctrl + F1) or it can be removed in other ways, for example, through the local group policy editor:
- We open it by entering the msc request in the Run console (Win + R).
- Follow the path “User Configuration” – “Administrative Templates” – “Windows Components” – “Explorer”.
- In the right pane of the window, we find the option “Start explorer with minimized tape” and with a double click of the mouse open a new window.
- Here, in the “Comment” block, set the checkbox to enable.
- For the changes to take effect, re-enter the system or use the gpupdate / force command in the Run console.
You can also remove the tape using the registry editor, but we do not recommend making any changes to the registry without the appropriate skills and knowledge, since even the slightest incorrect actions can seriously harm the system.
What else can be done
You can increase the font of the Desktop – to set the font size to 10, you need to refer to the “Screen Options” (right-click on the Desktop, select the appropriate item from the menu). In the “additional parameters” go to “additional changes in the size of the text” – “change only the size of the text” – “for all parameters, set the font size to 10”. If it didn’t work, but you want to do it, then you can download a program that allows you to change the system font.
To fully immerse yourself in the world of the seventh version of the operating system, you can switch your account to a local account, get rid of the Notification Center on the taskbar, lock screen, and also change privacy settings, disable automatic installation of system updates. And even for a more colorful entourage, you can download classic games for the 10 version of the OS from Windows 7 and set, like in the “Seven” shortcuts on the Desktop.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to return the AeroGlass effect without third-party tools, and Windows 10 looks exactly like Windows 7 only with a transparent interface, while it is still possible to approximate the appearance of the “Dozens” by standard means, although it is not necessary to remove the options that you like …
Using the official Microsoft resource
You can also change the Windows 10 interface to 7 using the official Microsoft Store. To download and change the theme, do the following:
- Go to the “Personalization” window (see how to do this above).
- In the “Themes” section, where they change the available skins, scroll down and in the “Customize Windows in your own way” block, click “Other Themes in the Store”.
- A huge assortment of free themes will appear, including wallpapers, colors and sounds.
- Choose the one you like and click the “Get” button.
- (If you are not logged in with your account, the system will ask you to log in or create an account).
- The topic will be added to the general list.
- Now, in order for the skin to change, go back to the “Themes” section, select and apply a new one, after which we will see Windows in a modified version.
After all the transformations, we will have a “Ten” with an interface like the “Seven”, in any case, very similar. In order not to limit yourself in functionality, cutting down the available possibilities with your own hands, it is enough to change the look of the Start button menu and install the theme. Well, if the “Ten” does not suit at all and it is not only about appearance, than to demolish all the new functions such as the Notification Center on the taskbar or the lock screen, it is better to go to extreme measures and just put your own “Seven” on your computer.