You Won’t Believe How Easy it is to Transform Windows 8 into Windows XP with Just a Few Simple Steps!

With the release of Windows 8, many users were left feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with the new look and feel of the operating system. Many even decided to stick with Windows XP, a popular and familiar operating system that had been around for over a decade.

Well, what if I told you that you could easily transform your Windows 8 operating system into a Windows XP lookalike with just a few simple steps?

Yes, it’s true! And it’s all thanks to a third-party application called “Classic Shell.” This program allows you to customize your Windows 8 operating system by adding a classic Start menu, Taskbar, and even the classic Windows XP skin.

So, how do you use Classic Shell to transform your Windows 8 into a Windows XP replica?

STEP 1: Download Classic Shell

The first step is to download and install the Classic Shell program. This program is available for free on the Classic Shell website, and it’s compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 8.

STEP 2: Install Classic Shell

Once you’ve downloaded the Classic Shell program, double-click on the setup file to begin the installation process. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

STEP 3: Customize Your Settings

After installing Classic Shell, you’ll be prompted to customize your settings, which include options for the Start menu, Taskbar, and other user interface components.

You can choose to customize your settings as much or as little as you like. For example, if you want your Windows 8 operating system to look just like Windows XP, you can choose the “Windows XP” skin under the “Start Menu Style” option.

STEP 4: Enjoy Your New Windows XP Lookalike!

Once you’ve customized your settings, click “Apply” to save your changes. You’ll then be able to enjoy your new Windows XP lookalike operating system!

In conclusion, with the help of the Classic Shell program, you can easily transform your Windows 8 operating system into a Windows XP lookalike with just a few simple steps. This will help you feel more comfortable and familiar with your operating system, and allow you to enjoy the classic look and feel of Windows XP without having to sacrifice the functionality and features of Windows 8.

Windows XP is long gone as Microsoft withdrew its support. But most of us Windows users are still in love with it and are missing the blues and greens of Windows XP. So if you are one of them, here is how you can make Windows 8 look like Windows XP.

Note: Since we are going to meddle with the system files, this article is not intended for beginners. Don’t forget to have a good backup of your files before proceeding.

1. Get Back the Classic Start Menu

The first thing to do in the process is to swap the Windows 8 start screen with the regular start menu. While there are many start menu replacement apps, the one I recommend is Classic Shell as it is much more easier to use. You can install it like any other Windows software. Once installed, launch the application.

Classic Shell offers different kinds of start menus. Since we are going to mimic Windows XP, select the radio button “Classic with two columns.”

The default start menu icon supplied by the Classic Shell doesn’t resemble the Windows XP start menu button, so download the start menu images from here. Select the check box “Replace start button,” select the radio button “Custom,” click on the button “Pick Image” and select the image you just downloaded. Also, don’t forget to change the taskbar settings to use small icons in the taskbar.

Note: If you have any difficulties download the classic Windows XP start button, right click on this link and select “save as” from the context menu.

2. Patch Windows Theme Files

By default, Windows doesn’t give you much room to play with Windows themes, so we need to patch it before applying the actual Windows XP theme. To do that, download and install UXThemePatcher.

What this software does is patch the Windows theme engine files so that you can use any of the third party themes. Once the installation of UXThemePatcher is completed, restart your system so that the changes you just made will take effect.

3. Install Windows XP Theme

Just like the start menus, there are many Windows XP themes. But Royal VS is the one that you can get as close as possible with minimal effort. Download Royal VS, and once you have, unzip and install the application. While you are installing, the installer itself provides the necessary steps and you can safely ignore them. If you want to have slightly rounded windows corners, then try installing Glass8.

Note: If you are installing Glass8, then uncheck the check box “Install glass shiny atlas resource” while you are installing. Otherwise, the Windows XP theme may not work properly.

Once the installation is completed, right-click on the desktop, select “Personalization” and select the theme “Royale 8.1 Update 1.”

That’s all there is to do. You can now enjoy the good old Windows XP style in Windows 8/8.1.

Hopefully that helps, and do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences on this Windows XP theme for Windows 8.

Vamsi is a tech and WordPress geek who enjoys writing how-to guides and messing with his computer and software in general. When not writing for MTE, he writes for he shares tips, tricks, and lifehacks on his own blog Stugon.

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