How to Make Windows 11 Look Like Windows 10

Miss The Look of Windows 10? Fear Not!

Windows 11 boasts a sleek new design, but for some users, the familiarity of Windows 10 is missed. If you’re part of the group pining for the classic layout and functionality, fear not! This blog is your guide to transforming Windows 11 into a near-replica of its predecessor.

We’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions on adjusting the taskbar, tweaking the Start Menu and customising visual elements to achieve that quintessential Windows 10 look.

Let’s get started:

Adjust Taskbar and Start Menu
The first thing you probably noticed after the switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11, was the placement of the Start menu – it hasn’t gone far but it has moved from left to centre and that can throw you a little off keel when you’ve been used to something for so long. Fortunately though, this change is easy to revert.

Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar and select “Taskbar settings.” Under “Taskbar behaviours,” ensure “Align taskbars icons to the left” is selected. Hey presto, it’s back on the left!

 
Disable Widgets and Chat
Whilst you’re in the taskbar settings, from the same place you can disable some of those new widgets you’ve probably noticed, like the new “Task view” and “Widget” (it usually has a news icon, or weather icon. In “Taskbar settings,” toggle off the switches for “Task view”, “Widgets” and “Chat” if you don’t use them.

You can always go back and toggle them back again.

 
Change Taskbar Colour
You can change the colours that appear in Windows and the apps by choosing a mode that’s Light, Dark or Custom. You’ll be able to easily personalise the colours of the Start button and taskbar (this option is only available if you select Dark or Custom as your Windows colour), so they’re dark and feel more like they did with Windows 10.

You can also choose accent colours to contrast with or match your wallpaper and Windows colour and show accent colours for window title bars and borders.

While in “Taskbar settings,” you can choose a solid colour for the taskbar under “Personalisation” if you prefer it over the translucent look.

 
Disable Transparency Effects
Go to “Settings” > “Personalisation” > “Colours” > “Transparency effects” and toggle it off. This will remove the translucent look from the taskbar, Start menu and application windows, making them more solid like Windows 10.

 
Modify Start Menu (Two Options)
Whilst Microsoft have made it nice and simple to move the Search bar and amend some of the icons, but the Start menu itself however, they haven’t made things quite so easy. You do have a couple of options though…,

Built-in Settings: Right-click the Start menu and select “Settings” > “Personalisation” > “Start menu.” Here, you can choose to display more pins or recent files for a closer resemblance to Windows 10.

Start11 App (Third-Party): For a more complete transformation, consider a third-party app like Start11. This app offers a free trial and lets you change the Start menu layout to mimic the Windows 10 style. The downfall of course is that you have to pay for it and depending on your admin settings, you maty not be able to download it to your device.

 
Change Wallpaper
Apply a familiar wallpaper you used in Windows 10 to add a personal touch. If you’d like the traditional Windows 10 wallpaper, you’ll need to locate it online and save it to your device before applying it in Windows 11. To do that:

Next, open the Settings app on your PC—you can find it in the Start menu, or right-click the Start button and select “Settings.” Click the “Personalisation” section on the left side, then click “Background.” Under choose a photo select “Browse photos”, Select your chosen image.

Note: this may be disabled by your organisation, if they use branded wallpapers on their devices.

By following these steps, you can make Windows 11 resemble Windows 10 with ease. Remember that some customisations might require third-party apps, so be sure to download them from reputable sources.