How to Make Windows 10 Look Like Windows 95

You can’t turn Windows 10 into Windows 95, but you can get surprisingly close. Set a solid teal desktop background (Settings > Personalization > Background > Solid color), turn off transparency and animations, then use free, open-source apps to replace the look of the Start menu and taskbar: Open-Shell can give you a classic Start menu, and RetroBar can make the taskbar look like Windows 95. Add a classic font and sounds for the finishing touch.

Below are the built-in changes first, then the optional apps. Everything here can be undone.

Step 1: Set the classic teal background

1. Right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.
2. Under Background, choose Solid color.
3. Click Custom color (or Custom), click More, and enter the hex value 008080. Click Done.

Step 2: Turn off modern effects

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and turn off Transparency effects.
2. Choose Light mode for a brighter, flatter look.
3. Press Windows key + R, type sysdm.cpl, and go to Advanced > Performance Settings. Choose Adjust for best performance, then re-check Smooth edges of screen fonts so text stays readable. This removes animations and shadows.

Step 3: Tidy up the taskbar

• Right-click the taskbar and uncheck Show Task View button, News and interests (if shown), and set Search to Hidden.
• Go to Taskbar settings and set Combine taskbar buttons to Never, so buttons show app names like Windows 95.
• Turn on Use small taskbar buttons for a thinner taskbar.

Step 4 (optional): Get a Windows 95-style taskbar with RetroBar

RetroBar is a free, open-source app that replaces the look of the Windows 10 taskbar with classic themes, including Windows 95.

1. Download RetroBar from its official GitHub page.
2. Run it. Right-click the new taskbar and open Properties.
3. Choose the Windows 95-98 theme and turn on options like Show clock and Show Start button.

To go back, right-click RetroBar and choose Exit, then uninstall it.

Step 5 (optional): Get a classic Start menu with Open-Shell

1. Download Open-Shell from its official GitHub page and install it (you can skip the Classic Explorer and Classic IE components).
2. In Open-Shell Menu Settings, on the Start Menu Style tab, choose Classic style.
3. On the Skin tab, pick a classic skin.

Open-Shell can also replace the Start button image with a custom one, which you can make yourself or download from a trusted source.

Step 6: Finishing touches

• Sounds: Right-click the speaker icon, choose Sounds, and pick a simple scheme, or turn sounds off for a quieter, classic feel.
• Cursor: In Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse pointer, choose the white pointer with a black outline.
• Icons: Right-click a desktop shortcut, choose Properties > Change Icon, and browse C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll for older-style icons built into Windows.

Things to know

• Download customization tools only from their official pages. Fake versions sometimes include malware.
• Apps that change the Start menu or taskbar can break after major Windows updates. Update them, or remove them if something stops working.
• Windows 10 no longer gets regular security updates from Microsoft, so consider doing this on Windows 11, where RetroBar and Open-Shell also work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring back the Windows Classic theme?

Not in Windows 10. Microsoft removed it after Windows 7. The steps above approximate it.

Will this slow down my PC?

No. Turning off effects can make it feel slightly faster.

How do I undo everything?

Exit and uninstall RetroBar and Open-Shell, set a picture background, and choose Let Windows choose what’s best in Performance Settings.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He started on a university help desk, spent years as the IT person for small businesses, and has been writing tech guides full time since 2020. Each guide is checked on a device he owns, and re-checked when a menu moves. More about Kermit.