Microsoft knows how you opt to dangle Windows to look. That, now now not decrease than, looks to be the corporate’s message with Windows 11. It makes gigantic adjustments to the particular person interface and continues the pattern of making particular person customization more complicated. It’s now now not for the time being conceivable to fully revert Windows 11 to the look for Windows 10 and, given Microsoft’s modern attitude towards UI customization, it may possibly truly possibly perchance additionally never be. Quiet, there are several key tweaks that can make you more overjoyed.
Windows 11’s most glaring originate switch is the relocation of the Windows Birth menu from its used home nestled on the taskbar’s left facet to the center of the taskbar. Fortuitously, this switch is inconspicuous to revert.
Matt Smith/IDG
Birth the Windows Birth menu after which the Settings app. In Settings, navigate to Personalization, then Taskbar, and initiate Taskbar behaviors. You’ll gaze a enviornment labeled Taskbar alignment with a tumble-down menu. Replace the tumble-dox menu from Heart to Left.
The switch takes space immediately.
Contain unusual icons
Whereas we’re right here, let’s disable the unusual icons added by Windows 11. These are additionally within the Taskbar fragment of Personalization settings. You’re going to gaze an inventory labeled “Taskbar items” that involves four ideas: Search, Job gaze, Widgets, and Chat. Exercise the toggles next to each and each to turn all four icons off.
Matt Smith/IDG
A undoubtedly necessary screen about Search: there’s for the time being no arrangement to restore the elephantine Search enviornment from the Windows 10 taskbar. Turning off the unusual Search icon skill you’re going to additionally’t fetch correct of entry to Search by clicking a enviornment or icon on the taskbar. This is able to possibly perchance additionally mute be on hand thru the Windows + S keyboard shortcut, nonetheless.
Microsoft is variety adequate to mean you’re going to additionally without problems switch the Birth menu’s plot and utilize some icons, however the Birth menu itself is a various story. You’ll need to exercise a third-occasion program.
The free option is Birth-Shell, an initiate-source program (previously identified as Classic Shell) that can replace the initiate up menu. Download this arrangement and install it. However, make clear to disable Classic Explorer and Classic IE correct thru set up. As soon as you happen to don’t, Birth-Shell will additionally alter Windows Explorer in a skill that doesn’t vibe with the look of Windows 10.
Matt Smith/IDG
As soon as set aside in, initiate this arrangement known as Birth-Shell Menu Settings. Capture out the Windows 7 fashion menu after which initiate the Skin tab. I used the Fluent-Metro pores and skin for this e book. In truth, it capabilities more like a Windows 7 Birth Menu with Windows 10 coat of paint, however it undoubtedly became once the excellent pores and skin I’ll possibly perchance find.
Whereas Birth-Shell works okay, it’s now now not ideal. It will’t effectively replace the Birth Menu and doesn’t restore Windows 10 sides.
Stardock’s Birth11 is an less difficult option. It doesn’t dangle the Birth menu icon project of Birth-Shell and requires no set up of additional files to grunt an even looking menu within the Metro originate fashion. Birth11 costs $5, nonetheless, so that you simply’ll dangle to arrangement to a resolution if its ease-of-exercise is price the price. We’ve tested Birth11 (to boot to different StartAllBack, one other $5 program) and extremely recommend both within the event you’re attracted to making Windows 11 look more like Windows 10. These programs can additionally make it less difficult to skirt around about a of Windows 11’s taskbar woes.
Replace icons
The taskbar icons in Windows 11 are quite a similar to Windows 10, so that you simply’re going to additionally now now not undoubtedly feel the need to switch them. Other icons all over the running machine are considerably various.
First, download a Windows 10 icon pack. A diversity of these may possibly even be stumbled on on-line: I used a Windows 10 Fabricate 10125 icon pack. Region your icons in a folder you’re going to additionally conveniently endure in suggestions.
Let’s initiate up with desktop icons. Birth the Settings app, grab Personalization, initiate Themes, after which Desktop Icons. A menu will seem with the five usual desktop icons point to. Click on an icon you opt to dangle to switch after which faucet Replace icon. Navigate to where you positioned the icon pack, grab the icon you opt to dangle to exercise, after which faucet Birth. I’ve replaced the Recycle Bin icons within the screenshot below.
Matt Smith/IDG
You may possibly additionally switch the icons of particular particular person folders and shortcuts. Moral-click on on an merchandise and initiate Properties, then head to the Customize tab. On the bottom you’ll gaze the Replace Icon button. Click on it and grab an icon you’d like to exercise as described within the previous paragraph.
Unfortunately, Windows 11 doesn’t mean you’re going to additionally switch some icons, most notably the unusual icons for drives and particular person folders in Windows Explorer. You may possibly exercise Force Icon Changer to switch force icons, nonetheless.
Disable rounded corners
Round corners are key to the unusual look of Windows 11. No longer everyone loves them, nonetheless, and there’s more inappropriate news. It’s now now not for the time being conceivable to switch them thru Windows 11 itself or a third-occasion resolution.
You variety dangle one option. Windows 11 will revert to square corners within the event you switch off hardware graphics acceleration (this may perchance additionally additionally turn off various visual sides like transparency).
Matt Smith/IDG
Neatly, there is one various option: you’re going to additionally disable your graphics hardware. Birth Tool Manager, enhance Visual show unit Adapters, and moral-click on the point to adapter listed. Capture out Disable Tool. Your screen will flicker a 2d however, when Windows returns, the rounded corners will be long previous.
I don’t recommend this, nonetheless. Disabling your graphics hardware will motive the Windows UI to undoubtedly feel slack and stilted, and likewise you won’t be ready to exercise 3D apps or video games till you switch the hardware abet on.
Replace the wallpaper
Final, however least, you’re going to additionally restore the authentic Windows 10 wallpaper. Here is now now not included with Windows 11, however is on hand from a diversity of sources on-line, similar to this 4K sample on Imgur.
Moral-click on the image after you download it after which grab Region as desktop background. The switch will take cease immediately.
Where to trudge from right here
Matt Smith/IDG
Windows 10 purists will be upset to hear this leaves several sides of Windows 11, like the unusual context menu and File Explorer, within the running machine. A diversity of registry hacks circulating on-line narrate to partially or fully disable these sides, however in my attempting out they either precipitated facet effects or, in quite loads of instances, didn’t work in any recognize—likely attributable to Windows 11 has bought many updates over the previous few months.
Defend an perceive on projects that procedure to reduction users switch the look and undoubtedly feel of Windows 11, similar to ThisIsWin11. This project isn’t particularly helpful for now attributable to it mostly replicates tweaks you’re going to additionally attain manually, however it undoubtedly may possibly perchance additionally evolve into a more characteristic-rich option.
It additionally wouldn’t damage to let Microsoft know that you simply’d like more customization ideas. Necessary of this within the waste falls on Microsoft, which has gradually eliminated ideas for customizing the Windows interface over time.
For now, revel within the adjustments you’ve made. It can probably possibly perchance additionally now now not fully restore Windows 10, however hello—now now not decrease than the Birth menu is mounted.
Editor’s screen: This article in the initiating published on October 7, 2021, however became once updated to embody links to our reviews of Birth11 and StartAllBack.
Level to: As soon as you happen to raise something after clicking links in our articles, we may possibly perchance additionally fetch a slight commission. Learn our affiliate hyperlink policy for more slight print.