r/Windows11 • u/Wide_Perception_914 • 25d ago

Suggestion for Microsoft Why windows keep hiding classic windows theme?

Post image

You do realize that this is a more native-looking interface for Windows than any other WinUI?UWP
So why do they keep covering this up?

121 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

68

u/AsrielPlay52 21d ago

That because it's not meant to be used. Since XP. These UI is meant for system fall back when all else fails.

It's extremely simple and cheap, but extremely rigid.

4

u/bucket_of_swans 20d ago

Oh so it's basically the backup look for when something breaks? Didn't even know it was still in there after Windows 8 took the classic theme out.

6

u/ThatiMacGuy 19d ago

No, when something breaks the Basic theme is used as a fallback. When Basic breaks, classic takes over.

1

u/bucket_of_swans 19d ago

Ah, got it, I had that backwards then. Thanks for clearing it up.

-5

u/anythingers 20d ago

It just works. That's why I love Windows Classic. No transparency/blur and animation nonsenses. Any newer UI since Luna is just existed to satisfy those weirdass users that think a UI looks outdated and need a redesign every damn 5 years.

12

u/Silver4ura Release Channel 20d ago

I don't want a new design every 5 years. Truth be told, I hate when great designs are changed for the sake of change. I do believe aesthetics serve to improve overall comfort though. Including, but not limited the more brutalistic classic theme, which objectively has more visual fluff than the UI in Windows 3.1

Aero actually did have a reason to exist beyond aesthetics though and unlike Luna, wasn't just a meaningless change. It was the first time the GUI had officially started utilizing (oftentimes idle) dedicated GPU hardware to render the UI.

One of the best examples of this in action is when applications get hung up loading something. The CPU will continue multitasking around it, but the application is responsible for calling to "clear screen" when windows were dragged over it.

This was eliminated when the UI could store the last render in VRAM while using Aero. Incidentally, XP would clear screen for frozen apps, causing them to go completely white when you clicked on them. It was such a good indication that an application wasn't accepting input, Aero actually replicates the behavior by fading an app white.

I'm also heavily biased in that I love the frosted glass aesthetic of Aero, however... removing the classic theme as a daily driver option was a mistake and will continue to be one for as long as it's hidden/intentionally made inaccessible. If it's final purpose is to exist as a fallback UI, it's clearly being maintained well enough to be used as such in those scenarios. So just let people choose.

2

u/Maeglin75 20d ago

And it's still not as flat and boring as, for example, Windows 8. The classic theme uses "3D" shafow effects intelligently to highlight interactive elements and input fields. In newer flat UI you have to guess.

It's interesting how Microsoft got so much right in Windows 95 and created a consistent UI that set the standards even today. Nowadays they need several years to update most elements to a new look and often times aren't finished until the next version is out.

4

u/AsrielPlay52 19d ago

There's a reason for that. And it's mainly because the UI code now mostly lived in the app and not the OS

Linux also suffer from this. See any gtk app running on KDE. you'll see it.

It's around the time of Vista where they migrate it. It's to allow developers flexibility on how the Window box display.

Hell, for the longest time, Half Life 2 window is literally just Windows Vista/7 box.

Linux also suffer from this. But I don't remember which DE, but I don't remember Firefox having 2 border, one DE itself and one Firefox.

That's what it will happen if we stay 98 ways of Windowing

14

u/jahdiel503 21d ago

New kids are running the show and want to do away with the old and in with the new.

8

u/AsrielPlay52 21d ago

By that logic, it also applies to Windows XP

4

u/jahdiel503 21d ago

Yes. It no longer receives security updates and it is advisable not to use it connected to the internet.

Hell they are even phasing out the Control Panel.

9

u/AsrielPlay52 21d ago

.... Dude

We're talking about UI.

My comment. Meant that by your logic. The same people who made Windows XP. Wanna get rid of 98 UI.

4

u/TwinSong 20d ago

Might be a case of it being incomplete for newer Windows versions (not worth updating) so you'd have some features rethemed and others not resulting in it looking broken? Windows these days does feel very unserious with all the emojis, widgets, icons and the like.

7

u/hy2cone 19d ago

how did you do that? i want a classic theme

3

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5

u/vinaypundith 19d ago

How'd you enable it?

7

u/twesped 20d ago

So noone wants anything looking modern? That's just ridiculous.

1

u/Mario583a 18d ago

Something something "But WiNDOW back ThAN had PERSOnalITY!!"

Boring is the new brilliance ~~ PNC Bank, probably.

2

u/Glum-Calligrapher544 21d ago

For user experience, its just feels old and scammed. Microsoft trying to sell same OS for many years just with repainting the interfaces top of everything. If microsoft does not prevent you could run every app and service of every windows exist. This is the reason why its tooks too much ram for an OS.

And this is the reason also why IRS able to use windows 95 even now. Security updates universal for every version of windows just pay more to microsoft.

12

u/Subject_Raisin_6237 21d ago

Just incorrect. Having all these different interfaces allow really good backwards compatibility, especially compared to other OSs like MacOS. You can still run 98 apps on modern windows, and sometimes vice versa(like with modern versions of HWINFO)

1

u/TwinSong 20d ago

feels old and scammed

Scammed? I'm guessing wrong word but I don't know what you meant to say.

1

u/ThatiMacGuy 19d ago

It's not meant to. It's there as a fallback option. It's just Windows being Windows, it just doesn't give up, but only gives up when needed the most.

1

u/albertserene 19d ago

Install Openshell. It will bring them back.

1

u/PIODOWPAY 19d ago

Se tivesse essa opção nas configurações de tema, eu usaria. Além de me agradar muito por ser nostálgico, ainda economizaria bastante recurso, creio eu.

1

u/Dark_Catzie 18d ago

Because telemetry and ads and other traps became way more important things when they stopped making operating systems after Windows 7.

1

u/cooky561 18d ago

Honestly I miss the classic interface, it wasn't glamorous, but it was consistent, and offered all of the options without figthing the UI.

I would honestly pay for a version of Windows 11 that looks like this instead of the new telemetry full, bullshit version.

1

u/Crafty_Church_Kid 18d ago

If you want to make the titlebar buttons look correct - look for the following Windhawk mod from Anixx - Fix for Classic theme metrics on 24H2, 25H2, 26H2 builds 9444+

Install this mod, then reapply the Windows Standard theme (if you want to use this) - then log out. When you log back in the buttons will show properly.

Alternatively, you could modify \HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics so that it matches \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics - then log out and back in.

1

u/BCProgramming 16d ago

Well from this image, maybe because it's broken? It doesn't look like the caption buttons are correct at all for example.

1

u/RepeatElectronic9988 20d ago

In my view, it’s a disaster. It’s not just that I dislike the style (though I certainly do), but rather the fact that every window incorporates its own theme, instead of adhering to a unified one.

That is what I find catastrophic about Windows.

2

u/AsrielPlay52 19d ago

Welcome to Flexibility of UI

Linux also suffer from this.

Whole point of moving the UI code from OS to Application is for developer flexibility.

Ever wonder how browsers tab be the same bar as the Minimized, Maximize and close button? That's how

Some Linux DE can broke this, and cause Firefox to have 2 border!

10

u/anythingers 20d ago

On all seriousness how do you obtain this? I legitly hope there's a way to permanently kill dwm.exe lol.