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How to Make Windows 7 Look Like Windows 8 Theme

Make WIndows 8.1 or 8 look like Windows 7

If you have a PC with Windows 8 or 8.1 but miss Windows 7, there's no need to downgrade. Following a few simple steps, you can make Microsoft's current operating system look and feel almost identical to its predecessor. Here's how to bring back the Start menu and the attractive aero glass theme how to hide other Windows 8 elements like the Charms menu.

Step 1: Swap the Start screen for a Start menu

Without a doubt, the most unfamiliar (and, for some, most annoying) feature of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is its tile-based Start screen. Where Windows 7 lets you choose from a list of applications by pulling up the Start menu, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 make you go to a completely separate screen just to launch an application or conduct a search. Windows 8.1 places a Start button in the lower left corner of the screen, but don't be fooled; it does nothing more than take you back to the same tile-based Start screen when you click it.

MORE: How to Upgrade From Windows 7 to Windows 8.1

There are a number of third-party Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 Start menu apps including the free Classic Shell, but if you're willing to pay $4.99, we recommend Start8, because it looks the most like the Windows 7 Start menu and allows you to control many other elements of the UI.

To set up Start8:

1. Download and install Start8. You can try the program for 30 days without paying for it.

Start8 Install

2. Select Windows 7 Style and Shadow Theme under the Style tab.

Start8 Style Tab

3. Select the Desktop tab.

Start8 Desktiop Tab

4. Check "Disable all Windows 8 hot corners." This setting will prevent the Charms and Windows 8 Start shortcut from appearing when you hover the mouse in a corner.

Start8 Disable Hot Corners

5. Make sure "Automatically go to the Desktop when I sign in" is checked. This way Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 will take you straight to the desktop when it boots rather than making you go through the Start screen first.

Go straight to desktop

6. Make sure Disable Taskbar Translucency is unchecked.

Disable Taskbar Translucency

7. Select the Control tab.

Start8 Control Tab

8. Uncheck "show the Windows 8 menu when I press the right windows key." With this setting off, you won't accidentally end up on the Start screen if you hit the right Windows key.

Prevent right windows key from opening the start menu

9. Close the Start8 settings window.

10. View all your programs by clicking All Programs on the Start8 menu.

Click All Programs on the Start Menu

11. Pin your favorite programs to Start8 by right-clicking on them and selecting Pin To Start8.

Pin to Start Menu

MORE: 5 Windows 8 Apps to Bring Back the Start Menu

Step 2: Install the Windows 7 Aero theme

With Windows 8, Microsoft took away the attractive translucent Aero glass effects and style many people love in Windows 7. Instead, the company made the desktop theme flat, solid and a little bit boring. While you can't get all of the translucent effects back, you can get a very similar look to Windows 7's default theme.

1. Download and install UxStyle. This application tweaks your settings so you can install third-party themes you didn't get from Microsoft.

Uxstyle

2. Download this Windows 7 theme from Deviant Art and open its zip file. Ignore the warning saying that it does not work in Windows 8.1.

Aero Theme Zip

3. Copy the contents of the Themes Files folder from the zip file to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes.

Copy all files from the Theme Files folder

4. Double-click the Aero8Rounded-Default.theme icon. Your theme should now change to Aero 8 rounded, which looks like Windows 7's default theme, complete with the Windows 7 logo wallpaper.

Click Aero8Rounded-Default

To switch back and forth between this theme, the Windows 7 Architecture theme and several other Windows 7 and Windows 8 themes, right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.

Select other themes

MORE: How to Shut Down Windows 8 or 8.1  in Just One Click

Step 3: Add an Aero glass effect to window title bars

Even with the Aero theme installed, the window title bars and borders are opaque. While you can't make all parts of the UI have the smoky translucent effect they do in Windows 7, WinaeroGlass can make the title bars see-through.

1. Download and unzip WinaeroGlass to your desktop.

2. Double-click Winaeroglass.exe to turn on its visual effect. At present the app has no UI; it just works.

Winaeroglass running

3. Copy WinaeroGlass.exe to the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder if you want it to start every time Windows 8 starts.

Copy WinaeroGlass.exe to StartUp folder

Step 4: Skip the lock screen

Windows 7 doesn't waste your time by making you swipe away a lock screen before you get to its login prompt. Fortunately, it's easy enough to disable Windows 8's time-wasting lock screen.

1. Open Regedit by hitting Windows + R and entering regedit at the prompt.

Open Regedit

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MARCHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.

Navigate to the registry key

3. Create a registry key called Personalization if it doesn't already exist. You can create a key by right-clicking on the Windows key, selecting New then Key and renaming the folder that appears.

Create Personalization key

4. Create a new DWORD value and name it NoLockScreen. To create a DWORD, right-click in the white space on the right side of the window and select New then DWORD (32-bit) value. Rename the DWORD.

Create a DWORD

5.Assign NoLockScreen a value of 1 by double-clicking it and entering the number 1 in the dialog box that appears.

Set NoLockScreen to 1

6. Close Regedit and reboot. From now on you will be taken straight to the login prompt.

MORE:How to Read POP Mail in Windows 8

Step 5: Run Windows 8 style apps in Desktop mode

Even if your desktop looks like Windows 7, you have a Start menu and your system boots you directly to the desktop, you may still want to run some Windows 8 apps. Under normal conditions, you'd be forced to run new style apps like Bing News or the People app at full screen in Windows 8's Modern UI, but with the help of a utility called ModernMix you can run every Windows 8 program in its own draggable, resizable window on the desktop.

1. Download and install ModernMix. The application costs $4.99 but has a free 30-day trial. You may need to enter your email address to receive a download link.

Install ModernMix

2. Select Windowed mode under "When launched from the Windows 8 Start Menu." With this setting enabled, even if you launch a Windows 8 app from the Start screen, it will open on the desktop.

Select Windowed Mode

3. Select "Never return to the Windows 8 menu when I close applications" under the Advanced tab.

Never Return to Windows 8 Start Menu

4. Close the ModernMix settings window.

As long as ModernMix is running, all Windows 8 style apps (also known as Modern apps) will run in windows. You can even pin Windows 8 apps to the taskbar by right-clicking on their taskbar icons and selecting "Pin this program to taskbar."

Pin Modern Apps to Taskbar

  • Top 25 Windows 8 Apps
  • Windows 8 Guide
  • 8 Worst Windows 8 Annoyances and How to Fix Them

How to Make Windows 7 Look Like Windows 8 Theme

Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/make-windows-8-like-windows-7