How to make Windows 10 look like Windows 7

Although Windows 10 accounts for 52% of the Windows PC market worldwide and continues to show steady growth, Windows 7 is coming to the end of its life cycle. But Windows 7 is still loved by fans, taking second place with 35% market share. Although Windows 10 is a more modern and secure platform, there are ways to retain the look of Windows 7 without sacrificing all the benefits of the latest version of Windows 10.

There is no simple way to quickly switch to Windows 7 mode, but users can change some things with third-party software and integrated settings. Before starting, as always, readers should create restore points in Windows 10 to return to the state before converting the interface to Windows 7 if there is a problem.

Bring the Start menu of Win 7 to Win 10

Step 1 : For starters, Classic Shell (download link: http://www.classicshell.net/) is very encouraging and it acts as a good starting point. With this free tool, users can modify the Windows 10 Start menu to look similar to the version provided in Windows 7. After installation, users will see 6 items on the Start menu listed in Classic Shell. Here, select Classic Start Menu Settings .

Step 2 : On the Start Menu Style tab , select Windows 7 as shown above.

Step 3 : Next, visit the link http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=174 to download Windows 7 Start Menu orb. After downloading, select Custom near the bottom of the Start Menu Style tab and select the downloaded image. You may need to adjust the button size because the default setting is too large for the screen resolution.

Step 4 : On the Skin tab , select Windows Aero.

Step 5 : Click OK and everything is done.

Change wallpaper (wallpaper)

Step 1 : To install Windows 7 wallpaper, download the images here.

Step 2 : Right click on the desktop and select Personalize.

Step 3 : The Settings application will appear, the default is in the Background control panel . Make sure the Background dropdown menu reads Picture and then select the Browse button to find the downloaded wallpaper.

Hide Cortana and Task View

Step 1 : Right-click the taskbar (task bar), select Cortana and then select Hidden to delete Microsoft virtual assistant.

Step 2 : Right-click on the taskbar and select Show Task View button to turn off this feature.

Change color

Step 1 : Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.

Step 2 : Select Colors on the left of the Settings application .

Step 3 : The example will select Navy Blue.

Step 4 : Next, we will convert the title bar's color. Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.

Step 5 : Select Colors on the left of the Settings application .

Step 6 : Check option Titlbe bars at the bottom of the control panel.

Replace Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer

Step 1 : Right-click the Microsoft Edge icon and remove the browser pin from the taskbar.

Step 2 : Search for Internet Explorer using the search field in the Start menu.

Step 3 : Right click on the result and select Pin to taskbar .

Step 4 : Open Internet Explorer, select the Tools icon of gear in the upper right corner and select Internet.

Step 5 : When the pop-up window contains Internet options, select the Programs tab .

Step 6 : On this table, click Make Internet Explorer my default browser .

Step 7 : Select Internet Explorer on the results list, then select Set this program by default setting .

Tweak Explorer

Here, we will use the free tool OldNewExplorer. It is downloaded as a RAR file, so users will need to install third-party software to extract the installer. The file to use is OldNewExplorerCfg.exe and after it is started, users can change what they want:

Step 1 : Select Use classical drive grouping in This PC .

Step 2 : Select Use libraries; hide folders from This PC .

Step 3 : Select Use command bar instead of Ribbon .

Step 4 : Select Show details pane on the bottom .

Step 5 : For Appearance style , there are three options: Default, Silver cream and Flat white.

Step 6 : For Status bar style , select Gray.

Step 7 : Now open File Explorer. Navigate to the Tools section and then select Folder Options. On the General tab , select This PC in the drop-down menu for Open File Explorer.

Step 8 : On the General tab , uncheck Show recently used files in Quick access .

Step 9 : Now uncheck Show frequently used folders in Quick access .

Good luck!

See more:

1. How to bring Windows XP interface to Windows 10
2. How to download Windows 10 Theme for Windows 7
3. How to download Windows 7 Aero Theme for Windows 10