Your guide to old computing!

Things to make your computer look old

As of February 15th, 2025

Each thing will say what OS they are trying to replicate, if you have any suggestions, either send something in the guestbook or DM me on Discord or Reddit.

[DON'T DO THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE THE TECHNICAL SKILL]

For people who have basically have no technical skill or are just lazy, there are the following:

ProjectBlue (10 to 8.1)
ImSwordQueeen's 10to7 Transformation Pack (Use after installing normal Windows 10)
Windows Vibranihorn (10 to Vista)
Windows eXPerience (10 to XP)
Project 2000 (10 to 2000)
ProjectMemphis (10 to 98)

Windows 10/11

SecureUxThemePatcher - You need this to apply the following themes
  • Aero10 - Windows 7/Vista theme for Windows 10, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", you need a deviantart account to download this, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY!

  • Aero7-11 - Windows 7 theme for Windows 11, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", read the main page for the theme on Github, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY!

  • Luna10 - Windows XP theme for Windows 10/11, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", you need a deviantart account to download this, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY, REQUIRES BASICTHEMER2!

  • Aero10: 7000 - Windows 7 Beta theme for Windows 10/11, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", you need a deviantart account to download this, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY!

  • Longhorn Pearl - Windows Longhorn theme for Windows 10/11, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", you need a deviantart account to download this, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY!

  • Aero10: Metro - Windows 8.1 theme for Windows 10/11, put in "C:/Windows/Resources/Themes", you need a deviantart account to download this, DON'T USE THE SETTINGS APP TO APPLY!


    • BasicThemer2 - The Windows 7/Vista basic theme into Windows 10/11

    7tsp - Icon patcher, this is for the next items on this list, you need a deviantart account to download this.

  • ImSwordQueeen's Windows 7 Icons, you use 7tsp to apply them.

  • Windows XP 7TSP pack - Windows XP Icons, you use 7tsp to apply them.

  • Windows Vista 7TSP pack - Windows Vista Icons, you use 7tsp to apply them.

  • Wndows 8 7TSP pack - Windows 8/8.1 Icons, you use 7tsp to apply them.


    • DWMBlurGlass - Aero and Windows 7 sized buttons for Windows 10/11, Don't use 2.3.0 on Windows 10 (from my testing).

    OpenGlass and Aero Window Manager - Does what DWMBlurGlass does, but better. Harder to set up properly.

    StartIsBack - Start menu and Windows 7+ taskbar for Windows 10, Paid with free trial

    StartAllBack - Start menu and Windows 7+ taskbar for Windows 11, Paid with free trial

    OpenShell - Free alternative to StartIs/AllBack

    RetroBar - Taskbar of Windows Vista and before on Windows 10/11

    explorer7 - Another free alternative to StartIs/AllBack, but it literally just is a patched explorer.exe from Windows 7, so use at your own risk, especially on Windows 11.

    win7games.com - Windows 7 Games and Vista's Inkball, Calculator, Sticky Notes, and Task Manager (Also Wordpad, Classic Notepad, and Classic Paint for Windows 11)

    Windows Media Center 8.5 - Was in Windows 7 (Works on Windows 10 and 11)

    winclassic.github.io - A guide to get a good classic theme in Windows 8+

    Windows SFX

  • Windows 10

  • Windows 8/8.1

  • Windows 7/Vista

  • Windows XP

  • Another repository of Windows sounds

    • Windows Cursors

  • Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 cursors - you have it already on Windows 10/11, because they are the same cursor

  • Windows 7/Vista

  • Windows XP and before, also in Windows 10/11 as the "None" option.


    • Classic UAC - Windows 10 1607 - Vista UAC screen for Windows 10, NOT WINDOWS 11!

    Windows 7 Network Flyout

    ExplorerPatcher - Does some cool stuff, also gives Windows 10 taskbar on Windows 11

    StartIsGone - Removes the start button to get a Windows 8.0 look, only Windows 10

    8GadgetPack - Brings back the widgets from Windows 7/Vista

    Control Panel Page Restoration - Brings back Control Panel pages from Windows 10 RTM and before (Not tested on Windows 11 by creator)

    Windhawk - Mod thingy for Windows 10/11. Use the following with it:
  • Aerexplorer (Windows 7/Vista File Explorer)
  • Eradicate Immersive Menus - Removes those big right click menus on the taskbar, so like 8.1 and below
  • Aero Tray - 8.1-Vista
  • Aero Flyout Fix - Fixes aero flyouts, 8.1-Vista
  • Force thick frames - Makes windows have big frames like Windows 7 and 8.1
  • Win32 Tray Clock Experience - 8.1-Vista clock widget
  • Windows 7 Alt+Tab Loader - Needs alttab.dll from Windows 7's System32
  • Windows 7 Clock Spacing - The clock is slightly spaced different in Windows 10 and 11, accurate to 8.1 and 7
  • Windows 7 Style UAC Dim - Might be good for Vista stuff too, I forgot tbh lol
  • Logon, Logoff & Shutdown Sounds Restored (You need to use the sound menu in Control Panel to apply a sound for these actions)
  • Accent Color Sync (For use with OpenGlass)
  • Restore Button Pulse Animation
  • StartIsBack++ Tweaker (Probably just Windows 10)
  • Disable rounded corners in Windows 11 - for Windows 10, 8.1, 7, and Vista themes only on Windows 11.
  • Remove UWP titlebars
  • Center Titlebar - Gives you centered titlebar text like in Windows 8 and 8.1

    • KDE Plasma

    AeroThemePlasma - Windows 7 Theme for KDE Plasma

    Pictures of the stuff put into play from the guide on the top of the page to make Windows 10 LTSC 2021 look like Windows 7

    If anyone wants to give me any screenshots of their setup looking like any old Windows version then go ahead and I might add it here.

    Click on the pictures to see it full size!
















    I think you can probably tell that I like music...