There’s one thing timeless about Home windows 7. From the graceful Aero Glass results to the traditional Begin menu, it struck a uncommon stability between magnificence and ease. Even years later, many nonetheless keep in mind it as one among Microsoft’s most elegant designs. After all, truly operating Home windows 7 in 2025 isn’t a good suggestion. It’s lengthy out of help, and sticking with it at the moment means lacking out on each efficiency enhancements and important safety updates.
However that doesn’t imply the feel and appear of Home windows 7 has to remain prior to now. With the correct instruments, you’ll be able to carry again that acquainted aesthetic whereas nonetheless having fun with every part trendy Home windows 11 has to supply. And the most effective half is, you don’t have to surrender any of Home windows 11’s finest options to do it.
Reviving the traditional Begin menu and desktop
This was simpler than I assumed
Step one in my Home windows 7 revival was fixing the Begin menu and desktop. Home windows 11 technically permits you to transfer the Begin menu again to the left nook, however that is about so far as its retro ambitions go. Out of the field, there is no actual method to make it truly look or really feel like Home windows 7.
To make it occur, I turned to Start11. This little instrument is a game-changer for anybody trying to utterly customise the Home windows 11 interface. It offers you a ton of choices to tweak the feel and appear of each the Begin menu and taskbar. With it, I swapped out the trendy Begin menu for the traditional Home windows 7 model. It isn’t free—you’ll have to pay round $6.99 relying in your area—however there’s a 30-day trial that allows you to check every part earlier than committing.
You possibly can obtain Start11 from Stardock’s web site. As soon as downloaded, the set up is as simple as some other software program. Within the Start11 app, all it’s a must to do is head to the Begin Menu tab, choose Home windows 7 fashion, and that’s it. Your begin menu will likely be changed with the traditional model.
Start11 additionally gives extra customization choices below the Configure menu. Right here, you’ll be able to change the beginning menu colour, transparency results, fonts, and extra. To seal the deal, I grabbed a high-resolution Home windows 7 wallpaper. Paired with the brand new Begin menu, it immediately introduced again that acquainted, clear desktop vibe.
Making File Explorer and different components really feel like Home windows 7
Bringing again glassy home windows in every single place
As soon as my desktop and Begin menu have been in place, the following step was bringing again the look of Home windows 7 inside File Explorer and different system home windows. That’s the place WindowBlinds helped. It’s one other instrument from Stardock, and it goes past Start11 by letting you apply full visible “skins” to the Home windows interface.
With WindowBlinds, I used to be in a position to give File Explorer the glassy transparency and softer colours that outlined the Home windows 7 period. And it doesn’t simply cease at File Explorer both—it additionally skins dialog bins, right-click menus, and even the taskbar.
Like Start11, WindowBlinds is not free. It prices a one-time charge of $19.99, although there is a 30-day trial to experiment earlier than shopping for. As soon as you have grabbed the installer from Stardock, setup is easy.
Inside WindowBlinds, head to the Obtain extra kinds tab and search for the Aero11 theme. If it doesn’t seem straight away, use the kind menu to listing kinds by reputation, and it ought to pop up on the high. As soon as it’s downloaded, change to the Kinds tab, choose Aero11, and hit Apply fashion to desktop. Immediately, your trendy Home windows 11 setup will feel and look just like the traditional Home windows 7 atmosphere you keep in mind.
The constraints it’s best to know earlier than you do that
What Home windows 11 gained’t allow you to change
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
Start11 and WindowBlinds do a formidable job of reviving the traditional Home windows 7 look, however they’re not excellent replicas. Some components, just like the Management Panel, slot neatly into the retro design, whereas others stubbornly maintain on to their trendy styling. File Explorer, as an example, retains components of the Home windows 11 design language even when wrapped in a Home windows 7-style body. The identical goes for the Settings app—it nonetheless feels trendy, even when the borders recommend the previous.
Efficiency-wise, I didn’t discover any main slowdowns, however these instruments do add an additional layer on high of the working system. For those who’re on an older or much less highly effective machine, you would possibly discover some lag. It’s not dramatic, however it’s one thing to bear in mind.
Value is one other issue. Start11 and WindowBlinds collectively add as much as about $27 should you purchase each, which isn’t outrageous, however it’s not free both. The trial variations are beneficiant sufficient to check every part, however should you’re simply chasing nostalgia for a weekend challenge, the value would possibly really feel pointless.
Recreating Home windows 7 inside Home windows 11 turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable challenge. It jogged my memory why the outdated design was so pleasing. How lengthy I am going to keep on with this setup is anybody’s guess—however for now, it is the proper mixture of nostalgia and practicality.
