Windows 10 is slowly on its way out, as Microsoft has announced it'll stop issuing free software updates after Oct. 14, 2025. At the same time, there are plenty of reasons why you might be hesitant to upgrade to Windows 11 or might not be able to upgrade at all. Luckily, there's a middle ground: giving your Windows 10 PC a fresh coat of paint that makes it look a lot like a brand new Windows 11 computer.

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

Before we move forward, note that you can still upgrade your unsupported PC to Windows 11 pretty easily, but that is not an option for everyone because it won't run as well as Windows 10 does on low-end hardware. At the same time, after the October 2025 end of support deadline, Microsoft has said it will double the price of Windows 10 updates once a year. So while this aesthetic overhaul will help in the meantime, the clock is ticking on getting a new computer.

With that out of the way, here's how you can go about crafting a near-perfect Windows 11 look for your Windows 10 PC.

Step 1: Create a restore point

Before starting, make a new system restore point. Don’t skip this step!

We’ll be changing several important settings, so having a recent restore point ensures you can safely revert to your current configuration with all your files intact in case something goes wrong. It’ll also help revert your changes if you end up not liking the custom desktop look later on.

Credit: Brendan Hesse

1. Search for Restore using the Windows task bar.

2. Select Create a Restore Point from the search results to open the System Properties menu.

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

4. With system protection turned on, highlight the drive from the list, then select Create.

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

6. Wait for the backup process to finish.

If you end up needing to use the restore point, go back to the System Properties menu using the steps above, then click System Restore and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Make Windows 10 look like Windows 11

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

To do this, you’ll need to install a custom, third-party desktop theme and icon set based on Windows 11, which takes a lot more work than simply installing the 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 OS’s new interface first-hand without installing anything. That said, if you want a fuller experience (and can’t install the beta), a custom theme is your best option.

Credit: Vin Star (via YouTube)

Before we can apply the custom theme, however, you need to install several third-party apps the theme requires to run.

There’s a lot to install, but don’t feel too overwhelmed; full installation instructions for each app or file are available on each of the download pages listed below, and all of these apps 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 your system files.

• OldNewExplorer: Changes the look and feel of the Windows explorer menus.

• StartisBack ($4.99; free trial available): Adds a better start menu based on Windows 7’s. The full version is a $4.99 one-time fee, but the trial version can be used indefinitely (albeit with limited features). You only need the free trial to use the custom Windows 11 theme.

• Stardock Curtain mod: Rounds out folder windows on Windows 10, like they are on Windows 11.

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

Once the prerequisite apps are installed on your PC, it’s time to make it look like it’s running Windows 11. For this, we’ll be using niivu’s Windows 11 for Windows 10 theme (it just requires a free DeviantArt account). Niivu’s installation instructions are available here, but here’s the simplified version:

1. First, you need to figure out which version of Windows you’re on. Press Windows key + R.

2. Type “winver” and press enter.

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

4. Download niivu’s theme from the link above.

5. Unzip the download file.

6. In the unzipped folder, open the folder that matches your Windows version.

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

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

9. Select “Personalize.”

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

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

• Install niivu’s Windows 11 custom icons for Windows 10 (requires the 7TSP app).

• niivu also recommends installing xoblite for enhanced right-click menu functionality, but this isn’t required.

Again, these are optional mods, but they’ll make Windows 10 look and act even more like Windows 11.

Step 3: Upgrade your Windows 10 security options to match Windows 11’s (sort of)

The upshot of Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements is that it’s a much more secure operating system—at least on paper. The combo TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and SecureBoot requirements should help keep Windows 11 devices safe from malware, ransomware, and remote take-overs.

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

Enabling your TPM or SecureBoot will add extra security to your PC at the hardware level, but Windows 10 will often disable them by default. We’ve already covered how to check for and enable your PC’s TPM (if you have one), so let’s talk about SecureBoot—besides, it’s more likely your PC will support this feature.

How to enable Secure Boot

SecureBoot prevents apps from installing if the code is not properly verified, and will prevent processes from taking over your device during startup, so it’s definitely a worthwhile feature if it’s available to you.

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

1. Search for System information in the Task Bar, then select it from the search results.

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

3. If Secure Boot is set to Off, then it’s disabled. If it says Unsupported, well, it’s not available for your PC, or your BIOS Mode is set to BIOS.

Credit: Brendan Hesse

In either case, it’s possible to enable UEFI and Secure Boot from your startup BIOS menu. Doing so will differ based on your motherboard and its firmware, but a quick Google search should point you in the right direction.

However, a word of caution: Only change your PC’s BIOS settings if you’re absolutely certain you know what you’re doing. And even if you do, it’s always possible changing to UEFI or enabling Secure Boot could cause major issues. If it works, you won’t run into any issues. But if it doesn’t, you’ll need to resort to some drastic measures to reset your motherboard and regain access to your PC. This includes popping open your PC and temporarily removing the motherboard’s battery. And if you screw this up, you’ll end up with an unusable PC.

Other security features you should turn on

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

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

• Enroll in OneDrive ransomware prevention.

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

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

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

Faking Windows 11 is nice option for those of us who can’t upgrade just yet—but don’t feel left out. Windows 11 is still going through plenty of growing pains, so Windows 10 is a perfectly fine place to be while its successor figures itself out.

Like it or not, Windows 11 is here to stay. If you want to continue using Microsoft's operating system, you're going to be forced to embrace it sooner or later. Starting Oct. 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop free software and security updates for Windows 10, and while you have the option to pay for updates, it's probably better and cheaper to just upgrade to Windows 11. But if you are among those who recently updated to Windows 11 and are facing significant issues, you can still roll back to Windows 10.

Back up your PC first

I always recommend backing up your data to avoid losing important information during updates, or in this case, a downgrade or a rollback to an older version. Lifehacker has covered several methods for backing up your Windows PC here, but the best way is to just copy everything you want to save over to an external hard drive. You will still have to reconfigure a fair few things and log into your favorite apps all over again, but it's much better than having to scramble to restore lost data.

How to go back to Windows 10 from Windows 11’s settings menu

This should be your first option when returning to Windows 10, but it only appears for the first 10 days after you upgrade to Windows 11. If it's been longer, or if you updated to Windows 11 via a clean install, then you won't be able to use this method. This is the easiest way to go back to Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings > System > Recovery.

2. Scroll to Recovery Options > Previous Version of Windows, and select Go back if it’s available. If it’s not, skip down to the other methods listed below. 

3. You’ll be asked to provide a reason for uninstalling Windows 11, and then asked if you want to check for updates instead of uninstalling Windows 11. Click No, thanks to continue with the rollback.

4. Follow the remaining on-screen prompts, then select Go back to earlier build to finally start the process.

5. Let the rollback process complete. This may take a while, but once it’s done, you’ll be safely back on Windows 10 with your files intact.

How to uninstall Windows 11 and reinstall Windows 10

Outside of the above method, reinstalling Windows 10 requires some form of physical installation media. For most people, this means creating their own installation media with a USB drive. You’ll need to download the Windows 10 installation media creation tool (available here) and put it on a a blank disc or a USB thumb drive with at least 8GB of space. Run the program, then follow the on-screen instructions to create your installation media and run the Windows 10 installation process. This will take a while, and you will have to ensure that your PC boots off the USB stick, which you can do by going into your computer's BIOS settings and changing the boot order. It may sound a bit intimidating, but if you look up the steps involved for your computer (the steps vary depending on the components in your PC), you will find that it's a simple process. After the installation is done, you’ll also have to install Windows updates, reinstall your apps, and restore your backup files, so set aside a solid chunk of time before you update.

The other alternative is to directly download the Windows 10 ISO file and create a bootable USB disk with Rufus, an excellent free tool. If you go to Microsoft's Windows 10 download page from your PC, you will only see an option to download the Windows Media Creation tool. If you'd rather download the Windows 10 ISO directly, you can either open this page from a non-Windows computer, or make your browser pretend that it's a non-Windows computer. On Chrome, Chromium-based browsers, or Firefox on your PC, open the Windows 10 download page and then press Ctrl-Shift-I, followed by Ctrl-Shift-M. At the top of the page and below the address bar, you'll see a button called Responsive. Click this, select any device from the list, and reload the page. Hit Esc and close all the developer toolbars and console windows active in the tab. You will now see the good old Windows 10 ISO download screen. Download it, and use Rufus to create a bootable disk. You can use that to proceed with a clean install of Windows 10 on your PC. Good luck!

Microsoft has officially announced that it's ending support for Android apps on Windows 11, but you don't have to be deterred by that. If you have been using the official method and installing Android apps from the Amazon app store, you can continue to do so till March 5, 2025. You can also, however, prepare yourself for the future and switch to an Android emulator right away. There are lots of good Android emulators for Windows 11 now and you can use any of these to run Android apps on your PC. These days, Android emulators are far more resource-efficient than they used to be and most of these emulators should run well even on relatively low-end PCs.

Bluestacks

Bluestacks by now.gg has been around for a long time, and has improved a lot over the years. This emulator lets you download and install apps from Google Play, which is a big plus, and many of its best features are gaming-focused. So if you want to play your favorite Android games with a keyboard and a mouse, Bluestacks is a good choice—it lets you create macros and scripts to map your favorite actions to keyboard shortcuts, which saves you time while gaming.

Also, it lets you quickly change your device profile to run apps exclusive to certain devices. Some games, such as PUBG Mobile, are best run in the developer’s own emulators, but most other apps and games work well with Bluestacks.

Bliss OS

In case you don't want to install an Android emulator on your PC, you can try Bliss OS—it has an option that lets you boot it off a pen drive. You're also free to install and use it on your PC if you wish. The freedom of installation options and stability are highlights of this emulator.

GameLoop

Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, owns GameLoop, and as its name suggests, its focus is on game play. Because Tencent published PUBG Mobile and a host of other mobile games, the focus of GameLoop is to give you the best possible experience while playing those games. It features an anti-cheat system, too, which is good if you are looking to avoid hackers in your games.

NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer is also targeted largely at people who want to game, and if you are having issues with Bluestacks or GameLoop, give NoxPlayer a shot. It has the features you need for gaming—support for keyboard and mouse, recording macros, and the ability to run multiple games at once.

You can try Windows 11's way of running Android apps (while it lasts)

If emulators aren't cutting it for you, then you can try the official Windows method to install Android apps until it works. Be aware that this method will stop working after March 5, 2025, so enjoy it while it lasts. For this, you'll have to install Windows Subsystem For Android from the Windows Store. Once that's done, you can follow our guide to installing Android Device Bridge (ADB) on your Windows 11 PC. When that's done, you should install MicroG, an open-source app that lets you run Android apps that require Google Play Services. With those prerequisites out of the way, let’s get those apps sideloaded. It may look complicated at first glance, but it’s pretty quick to pull off once you know the process.

1. To start, open the Windows Subsystem for Android from the Windows 11 Start menu under the All Apps section.

2. In the Windows Subsystem for Android setting window, find and turn on Developer Mode.

3. Open the Files window at the top of the settings menu to open Android on your PC.

4. Back in the settings menu, scroll down and click Refresh next to the IP Address option (it’s right beneath the Developer mode toggle). Once the IP Address appears, click Copy.

5. Next, open Windows Terminal as an admin. Go to Start Menu > All Apps. Hover your mouse cursor over Windows Terminal then select More > Run as administrator.

6. In the Windows Terminal window, type the command adb connect (IP address) using the IP address from steps 4 and 5. It should look like adb connect 1234.5.6.7

7. Press Enter to run the command. If everything worked, you should see connected to [IP address]. We can now sideload APK files saved on your computer to run on Windows Subsystem for Android.

8. Back in the Windows Terminal window, type the command adb install followed by the folder pathway and filename in quotation marks. For example, the full command may look like adb install C:\com.whatsapp_2.21.21.15-212115005_minAPI16(x86_64)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com

9. If everything is correct, you’ll see Performing Streamed Install in Windows Terminal once the installation is started, and Success once it’s complete.

And that’s it. The app is now installed on your PC. Like other Android apps, you can run sideloaded apps from the Windows 11 Start Menu. They will be listed under “all apps.” Double-click to run the app and it will open in its own app window.