How to Make Windows 10 Look Like Windows 11 Without Updating

Windows 10 is on its way out as Microsoft announced it will stop providing free software updates after October 14, 2025. At the same time, there are many reasons why you are hesitant to upgrade to Windows 11 or may not be able to upgrade at all . Luckily, there’s a middle ground: giving your Windows 10 PC a fresh coat of paint that will make it look a lot like a new Windows 11 PC.

It goes without saying that this won’t magically make your PC run Windows 11, but it will give it a new look and add some useful features from the new operating system.

Before moving on, note that you can still upgrade your unsupported PC to Windows 11 fairly easily, but it’s not an option for everyone as it won’t run as well as Windows 10 on weaker hardware. At the same time, after the end of support in October 2025 , Microsoft said that it will double the price of Windows 10 updates once a year . So while this aesthetic overhaul will help, in the meantime the time is ticking to get a new computer.

So, here’s how you can create a near-perfect Windows 11 look and feel for your Windows 10 PC.

Step 1: Create a restore point.

Before you begin, create a new system restore point. Don’t skip this step !

We’ll be changing a few important settings, so having a recent restore point will ensure that you can safely return to your current configuration with all files intact if anything goes wrong. This will also help you undo your changes if you don’t like the custom desktop look in the future.

1. Find “Repair” in the Windows taskbar.

2. Select “Create a restore point” from the search results to open the System Properties menu.

3. On the System Protection tab, select your hard drive and make sure the Security option is set to On. If it’s turned off, click Configure, then turn on system protection.

4. With system protection enabled, select the drive from the list, then select Create.

5. Add a description of the new restore point, then click Create.

6. Wait for the backup process to complete.

If you end up needing to use a restore point, return to the System Properties menu following the steps above, then click System Restore and follow the onscreen instructions.

Step 2: Make Windows 10 look like Windows 11

Next, we’ll make Windows 10 look more like Windows 11, including a new taskbar and Start menu, rounded folder and taskbar corners, new icons and backgrounds, and more.

To do this, you’ll need to install your own third-party desktop theme and icon set based on Windows 11, which requires a lot more effort than simply installing a theme from the Microsoft Store. If you’d rather just give Windows 11 a quick, temporary test drive, there’s a way to see the new OS interface for yourself without installing anything . However, if you want a more complete experience (and can’t install the beta), a custom theme is a better option.

However, before we can apply a custom theme, you will need to install a few third-party applications required to run the theme.

There’s a lot to set up, but don’t overwhelm yourself; Complete installation instructions for each application or file are available on each of the download pages listed below, and all of these applications are open source and/or certified safe to use.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• SecureUXTheme : This app allows you to install third-party Windows 10 themes without affecting system files.

• OldNewExplorer : Changes the appearance of the Windows Explorer menu.

• StartisBack ($4.99; free trial available): Adds an improved Start menu based on Windows 7. The full version has a one-time fee of $4.99, but the trial can be used indefinitely (albeit with limited functions). To use a custom Windows 11 theme, you only need a free trial.

• Stardock Curtain mod : Curls folder windows in Windows 10, like in Windows 11.

• RoundedTB mod in Windows Store : Adds rounded edges to the taskbar.

Once you have the required apps installed on your PC, it’s time to make it look like it’s running Windows 11. To do this, we’ll be using the Windows 11 theme for Windows 10 from niivu (this only requires a free DeviantArt account). Installation instructions for Niivu are available here , but here’s a simplified version:

1. First, you need to find out what version of Windows you have. Press Windows key + R.

2. Type “winver” and press Enter.

3. Make a note of the version number, then close the window.

4. Download the niivu theme from the link above.

5. Unzip the download file.

6. In the unzipped folder, open the folder corresponding to your version of Windows.

7. Open another Windows Explorer window, select This PC > [drive] > Windows > Resources > Themes and copy the downloaded files.

8. Once the files are in the correct folders, right-click on your desktop.

9. Select Personalize.

10. Under Themes, select a Windows 11 theme from the list. It should apply to your desktop immediately.

At this point, your Windows 10 desktop should look very close to the default Windows 11 theme, but there are a few additional tweaks you can make to make it even closer:

• Install custom Niivu Windows 11 icons for Windows 10 (requires 7TSP app).

• niivu also recommends installing xoblite to improve context menu functionality, but this is not required.

Again, these are optional mods, but they will make Windows 10 look even more like Windows 11.

Step 3: Update Windows 10 Security Settings to Match Windows 11 Security Settings (sort of)

The result of Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements is that it is a much more secure operating system—at least on paper. The combined requirements of TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and SecureBoot should help protect Windows 11 devices from malware, ransomware, and remote interceptions.

Some Windows 10 computers already have a TPM and support SecureBoot. Of course, this means that these computers can probably run Windows 11 if desired, but it’s still worth checking to see if your computer can take advantage of these features.

Enabling TPM or SecureBoot will improve your computer’s hardware security, but Windows 10 often disables them by default. We’ve already covered how to check and enable your computer’s TPM (if you have one), so let’s talk about SecureBoot—plus, it’s more likely that your computer will support this feature.

How to enable secure boot

SecureBoot prevents apps from being installed unless the code is properly verified, and it prevents processes from taking over control of your device during startup, so it’s definitely a useful feature if it’s available to you.

Here’s how to check if you can use it:

1. Find system information in the taskbar, and then select it from the search results.

2. In the System Information window, scroll through the list and ensure that BIOS Mode is set to UEFI and Secure Boot is set to On .

3. If Secure Boot is set to Off, it is disabled. If it says “Not Supported” then it is not available for your PC or your BIOS mode is set to BIOS.

In either case, you can enable UEFI and Secure Boot from the BIOS startup menu. This will depend on your motherboard and its firmware, but a quick Google search should point you in the right direction.

A word of caution, however: Only change your computer’s BIOS settings if you are absolutely sure you know what you’re doing. And even if you do, it’s always possible that switching to UEFI or enabling Secure Boot could cause serious problems. If this works, then you won’t have any problems. But if this does not happen, you will have to resort to drastic measures to reset the motherboard and restore access to the computer. This involves opening the computer and temporarily removing the battery from the motherboard. And if you mess it up, you’ll end up with an unusable computer.

Other security features you should enable

Enabling SecureBoot and your PC’s TPM (if you have one) will get you closer to the basic security features of Windows 11, but there’s a lot more you can do to protect your Windows 10 PC and all the apps and files on it. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Enable passwordless sign-in and two-factor authentication for your Microsoft account.

• Sign up for the OneDrive ransomware protection program .

• Use an encrypted password manager to protect your login information.

• There are also several security enhancements that enterprise users and IT professionals will implement if they use Windows 10 on their networks.

As I’ve said several times, you can’t make Windows 10 imitate Windows 11 in every way. But if you enable these extra layers of security and take the time to apply custom themes and UI mods, it will be easy to fool yourself into thinking it’s the real thing.

Fake Windows 11 is a good option for those of us who can’t upgrade yet, but don’t feel left out. Windows 11 is still going through a lot of growing pains , so Windows 10 is a great place to be while its successor figures itself out.

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