Hate Home windows 11? These 9 free apps make it really feel like Home windows 10 once more
Only a few months earlier than the tip of free help, Home windows 10 continues to be probably the most extensively used working system model from Microsoft: Virtually half of all Home windows PCs are nonetheless operating it.
Whilst you can depend companies among the many crowd that may be detest to vary, the actual fact is that many customers are simply very glad with Home windows 10 and so they aren’t in any hurry to undertake a brand new approach of doing issues with Home windows 11. There may be nonetheless no “killer software” that will make the case for switching from Home windows 10 to 11.
Quite the opposite, Microsoft not too long ago cancelled one of the crucial vital new function of Home windows 11, specifically help for Android apps on PCs.
Nonetheless, as soon as Home windows 10 hits finish of service, it can grow to be more and more dangerous for customers to stay with the OS, beloved because it may be.
Additional studying: Home windows 10 will hit finish of life in 2025. Right here’s what to anticipate
The excellent news is that there are myriad methods to imitate the Home windows 10 expertise on Home windows 11. Listed here are 9 free apps that show that time.
Check out Home windows 11
You’ll be able to solely actually choose what Home windows 11 has in retailer for you and the way you’ll address it upon getting it and use it. In case you are at present nonetheless working with Home windows 10 and your laptop fulfils the system necessities for Home windows 11, you’ll be able to merely change to the brand new model through the Home windows replace.
Microsoft will even create a brief backup copy that you need to use to return to your Home windows 10 with all settings, information, and packages for 10 days. After these one and a half weeks, the “Home windows.previous” backup folder on the system partition is robotically deleted.
Nonetheless, expertise reveals that the “Revert” operate doesn’t at all times work reliably. To check out Home windows 11 with none worries, we advocate backing up the complete system partition.
Home windows 11 like Home windows 10
In apply, nonetheless, the principle factor is to adapt the present system with Home windows 11 to the acquainted Home windows 10 by way of operation, features, and look.
Along with the “Home windows 10 fashion”, the Start11 software program offers different ready-made profiles that make your individual system seem like an earlier model of Home windows.
Foundry
Start11 customizes your system to the fashion of both Home windows 7 or 10 with only a few mouse clicks. This is applicable particularly to the traditional Begin menu and the features of the sooner variations, which Microsoft has now cancelled.
After set up, choose the fashion choice for Home windows 7 or 10 in this system, then click on on “Begin icon” within the part bar on the left and change off the central positioning within the taskbar.
Then search the web for the desktop background of the earlier system within the native decision of your monitor utilizing the key phrase “Home windows 10 wallpaper,” save the picture file to your onerous drive, and insert it because the background. That is accomplished rapidly, and Start11 additionally presents many different settings to customise your PC.
Startallback is free and likewise simple to make use of; right here you’ll be able to select between three types for Home windows 7, 10, and 11. No matter this resolution, the format of the taskbar and Home windows Explorer may be outlined and lots of different issues may be modified.
One other free software for customizing is Open Shell Menu. The Explorer Patcher, which you’ll be able to entry through “Properties (Explorer Patcher)” within the Begin menu, can be helpful.

Explorer Patcher customizes Home windows Explorer, the taskbar, and extra in a wide range of methods. This additionally contains the flexibility to by no means have apps mix in your taskbar and bringing again traditional Home windows 10 context menu.
Jared Newman / Foundry
The software program restores quite a lot of choices from earlier variations of the Microsoft file supervisor, together with the traditional context menu, which presents all entries instantly and never simply by clicking on “Present extra choices.” Alternatively, Home windows 11 Traditional Context Menu additionally does this.
Lastly, Winaero Tweaker combines effectively over 100 instruments and settings in a single interface, together with many for customizing the desktop, taskbar, Home windows Explorer, and context menu. An in depth description would transcend the house obtainable right here.
Home windows themes and the Windhawk mods
Home windows “themes” are compilations of desktop wallpapers and modified layouts of home windows, mouse pointers, icons, and extra: Such themes present a totally new Home windows fashion.
Home windows 11 itself solely offers just a few themes below “Settings > Personalization > Themes;” Microsoft presents further packages through the hyperlink to the Retailer (search “themes”) and on the web. After downloading, you’ll be able to set up these theme packs by double-clicking on them and handle them below “Themes.”
If you wish to use third-party themes, first take away the set up lock with Extremely UX Theme Patcher.
Because the software has a deep impression on the system, we advocate making a system backup beforehand.
It is usually vital to solely obtain themes from reliable sources. Themes within the type of archive information should first be unpacked after which copied to the listing “C:WindowsResourcesThemes” along with subfolders. They’ll then be chosen within the Settings app.

On the Windhawk market, builders present so-called mods with which customers can customise their Home windows computer systems based on their needs.
IDG
Along with themes, Windhawk has established itself as a market for so-called mods, which will also be used to customise Home windows in a wide range of methods. After putting in the software program, you’ll be able to seek for mods on the person interface and choose them through “Particulars.”
The reasons and notes are vital, so learn them rigorously. Add the person mods to the system by clicking on “Set up -> Settle for the danger (Set up Mod).”
Then choose the specified choice or operate within the “Settings” tab and save the settings.
RevertSV: Home windows 10 completely imitated
RevertSV guarantees a contemporary Home windows 11 with the appear and feel of Home windows 10. The developer has already made all of the customizations and presents the system as a ready-to-use ISO picture.
Nonetheless, RevertSV will not be appropriate for productive use as a result of U.S. settings. Nonetheless, it may be tried out in a digital machine with Vmware Participant or virtualization software program.
The present model of RevertSV is predicated on Home windows 11 model 21H2, a model based mostly on Home windows 11 24H2 is deliberate. In a YouTube video, the developer reveals what the system appears like below the hood utilizing among the features.

Do you keep in mind the sooner Home windows photograph show? It’s a lot better for rapidly viewing and shopping by means of a group of photographs than the later apps.
IDG
This text initially appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.