Windows 11 has a distinct visual style: a centered taskbar, rounded window corners, and a refreshed icon set that looks noticeably different from Windows 10. If your PC does not meet Windows 11 hardware requirements, you can recreate most of these visual changes on Windows 10 using free third-party tools without upgrading. If you are unsure whether your device qualifies for an upgrade, check our guide on testing your PC for Windows 11 compatibility before deciding.
This guide covers four steps: creating a restore point for safety, applying a Windows 11 theme using SecureUxTheme, swapping icons with a DeviantArt pack, and centering the taskbar with TaskbarX. Each step uses free tools and the full process takes around 20 to 30 minutes. Before installing theme-patching tools, make sure you have Windows Security properly configured, since third-party theme tools modify protected system files.
Quick Answer
Create a restore point first: search “Create a restore point” in Start, click Create. Then download and install SecureUxTheme from GitHub, download a Windows 11 theme from DeviantArt, extract it, copy the theme files to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes, reopen SecureUxTheme, select the theme, and click Patch and Apply. For icons, download the Windows 11 icon pack from DeviantArt, rename the files by removing “.remove”, and patch with 7TSP. For the taskbar, download TaskbarX, extract it, run TaskbarX Configurator, and click Apply to center taskbar icons.
Create a Restore Point
Creating a restore point before making visual changes to Windows protects you if something goes wrong. If the theme or icon patch causes issues, you can roll back to this point without reinstalling Windows.
Step 1: Open Create a Restore Point
Search “Create a restore point” in the Windows Start menu and open the utility:
Step 2: Create the Restore Point
In the System Properties window, click the Create button to start a new restore point:
Step 3: Name the Restore Point
Enter a descriptive name for the restore point, then click Create to confirm:
Change the Windows 10 Theme to Windows 11
Windows does not allow unsigned third-party themes by default. SecureUxTheme patches the system to enable custom themes, after which you can apply a Windows 11-style theme downloaded from DeviantArt.
Step 1: Download SecureUxTheme
SecureUxTheme patches the Windows theme engine to allow unsigned themes. Download it from its official GitHub releases page:
Step 2: Install SecureUxTheme
Navigate to your Downloads folder, launch the SecureUxTheme installer, and click Install. The system reboots automatically once installation is complete:
Step 3: Download the Windows 11 Theme
DeviantArt hosts a large library of free Windows themes. Download a Windows 11 theme for Windows 10 from the DeviantArt website:
Once the download completes, extract the zip file to access the theme files:
Step 4: Apply the Theme
Open the extracted folder, navigate to the Windows 10-11 subfolder, and copy all the theme files:
Paste the copied files into C:\Windows\Resources\Themes:
Re-open SecureUxTheme, select the Windows 11 theme from the list, and click Patch and Apply:
Your system theme will update to the Windows 11 style after this step.
Change the System Icons
The theme change updates window chrome and colors but not the system icons. Replacing icons requires a separate patcher (7TSP) and an icon pack from DeviantArt.
Step 1: Download the Icon Pack and Tool
Download the Windows 11 icon theme from DeviantArt. The same site also provides 7TSP, the patcher tool needed to apply custom icons to Windows:
Step 2: Rename the Files
After extracting the downloaded file, open the icon pack folder and rename each file by removing the “.remove” extension from the filename:
Step 3: Patch the Icons
Open 7TSP, click Add a Custom Pack, and select the file from the 7TSP Themes folder. Then click Start Patching to apply the Windows 11 icons. Reboot your system when patching is complete:
Center the Taskbar Icons
Windows 11 positions taskbar icons in the center by default, while Windows 10 aligns them to the left. TaskbarX is a portable tool that centers taskbar icons on Windows 10 without requiring installation.
Step 1: Download TaskbarX
Download TaskbarX from its GitHub page:
Step 2: Extract the Files
Right-click the downloaded file and select Extract to unpack the TaskbarX folder:
Step 3: Run TaskbarX Configurator
TaskbarX does not require installation. Open the extracted folder and launch the TaskbarX Configurator application:
Click Apply with the default settings to center the taskbar icons. The taskbar updates immediately to the centered layout used in Windows 11:
Note that the Windows 10 search bar stays left-aligned since there is no supported method to reposition it. After completing these four steps, your Windows 10 desktop will closely match the visual style of Windows 11. If you also want the Windows 11-style lock screen Spotlight images and notice they stop refreshing, see our guide on fixing Windows Spotlight on the lock screen.