Solved Classic Theme on Windows 8

Kelderic

New Member
Messages
6
Is there a way to get the Classic Theme on Windows 8? I have 7 right now, and I'm considering upgrading for the desktop enhancements.
 
Classic Shell will replace the start menu. It doesn't have anything to do with Windows themes as far as I know. I rechecked their website after you posted that link to confirm.
 
That's what I found when I Googled the issue. All it is is a current theme turned gray. The thing I like about the Classic Theme is that it's very 3D, using light and dark lines to achieve this. Does anyone know how there might be a registry hack or something to change back?
 
That's what I found when I Googled the issue. All it is is a current theme turned gray. The thing I like about the Classic Theme is that it's very 3D, using light and dark lines to achieve this. Does anyone know how there might be a registry hack or something to change back?
As far as anyone knows, this isn't possible. The Windows Classic theme got cut out as literally no one other than a very few were actually using that.

Seems interesting though, I've never heard of anyone saying that the Classic theme looks better than newer ones...
 
Seems interesting though, I've never heard of anyone saying that the Classic theme looks better than newer ones...

Rare I realize. I like realism though. Neither the Vista/7 glassy gradient-heavy themes, nor the flat 8 themes are as realistic looking as Classic. On the other hand, there's no real necessity to upgrading, 7 is as good as 8 in most ways.
 
The Vista/7/8CP Aero Glass theme with the blur and transparency was the best looking of all the OSes.

MANY of us, especially those with very powerful machines, want it back.

When I come back here after using my Win 7 machine, I feel like crying....it's just SO BLAND.

Wenda.
 
Boys and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen, Google is your friend. . .Just Google/Bing Windows 8 Themes or Skins, and you will be awarded a great many GUI changes. The Skinning community is starting to go strong with all new GUI themes. Stardock is going to be coming out with a new version of WindowBlinds sometime in the near future, thus another way to change the GUI.

Mr. Robot, there are skins and themes out there that will allow you to change win 8 into Win 7, Vista, XP, or any or flavor you may be looking for.

Always remember if you wait, someone will come out with something you may want to improve your Windows 8 experience. . .:thumbsup:
 
The Vista/7/8CP Aero Glass theme with the blur and transparency was the best looking of all the OSes.

MANY of us, especially those with very powerful machines, want it back.

When I come back here after using my Win 7 machine, I feel like crying....it's just SO BLAND.

Wenda.

That's why i dual-booted windows 8 with windows 7 at some times.
The UI of windows 8 is just too darn flat, missed the RP version of Transparency.
 
Boys and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen, Google is your friend. . .Just Google/Bing Windows 8 Themes or Skins, and you will be awarded a great many GUI changes. The Skinning community is starting to go strong with all new GUI themes. Stardock is going to be coming out with a new version of WindowBlinds sometime in the near future, thus another way to change the GUI.

Mr. Robot, there are skins and themes out there that will allow you to change win 8 into Win 7, Vista, XP, or any or flavor you may be looking for.

Always remember if you wait, someone will come out with something you may want to improve your Windows 8 experience. . .:thumbsup:

I have googled, several times. The Classic Theme, as far I can tell from Google, doesn't exist for Windows 8. Hence asking here.


You can see that on google on some places:

Tech Blog :: Download Windows Classic Theme For Windows 8

That should be the classic theme.

Should be. Did you look at it? It doesn't look anything like the Classic Theme. They took a flat current theme and made it gray.
 
You can see that on google on some places:

Tech Blog :: Download Windows Classic Theme For Windows 8

That should be the classic theme.

Should be. Did you look at it? It doesn't look anything like the Classic Theme. They took a flat current theme and made it gray.

Yes I looked at it. It's the only way to get classic look on Win8.

True. The original classic theme doesn't exist anymore on Win8. Therefore they try to replicate it through AeroLite / HighContrast combinations provided by Win8.

Hope this explains it.
 
The Vista/7/8CP Aero Glass theme with the blur and transparency was the best looking of all the OSes.

MANY of us, especially those with very powerful machines, want it back.

When I come back here after using my Win 7 machine, I feel like crying....it's just SO BLAND.

Wenda.

That's why i dual-booted windows 8 with windows 7 at some times.
The UI of windows 8 is just too darn flat, missed the RP version of Transparency.
Smart move. I did not even bother to double boot it. I stuck it into a virtual partition - and now it is gathering dust there. M$ will have to make a LOT of changes before I will be taking the dust off. Getting the Aero back is just one of them. Getting rid of this Mickey Mouse start screen is another one.
 
The Vista/7/8CP Aero Glass theme with the blur and transparency was the best looking of all the OSes.

MANY of us, especially those with very powerful machines, want it back.

When I come back here after using my Win 7 machine, I feel like crying....it's just SO BLAND.

Wenda.

That's why i dual-booted windows 8 with windows 7 at some times.
The UI of windows 8 is just too darn flat, missed the RP version of Transparency.
Smart move. I did not even bother to double boot it. I stuck it into a virtual partition - and now it is gathering dust there. M$ will have to make a LOT of changes before I will be taking the dust off. Getting the Aero back is just one of them. Getting rid of this Mickey Mouse start screen is another one.

Aero Glass on Windows 8 was a miracle! Currently i'm using the Release Preview theme combined with DWMLoader v0.2 by BigMuscle. I get the transparency WITH BLUR! It looks beautiful!

For the Start Screen, they better not remove it, just add the option to choose Start Menu or Start Screen or Both.
 
There is a genuine design flaw if a UI aspect that literally accounts of less than 10 percent of the total user interface is what is being missed/ the aspect of the UI that people are so focused on. The window chrome IS NOT WINDOWS. The content within the windows is what gives the name to Windows. Windows isn't called Chrome or Windows Chrome or Glass or something like that. That is just odd.

Since the RTM of Windows 8, I've noticed my personal habits doesn't include looking at the window chrome so much on the Desktop. It's not distracting, I'm actually more focused on the window contents. It's strange how that happen I must say. When I use Windows 7, it's just so weird. Everything is reflective, everything glows when you hover over it, it's uber rounded like a Fisher-Price toy, and I find myself just oogling at the window chrome, it's actually the first thing I look at when I use it. That is a design flaw I believe, if the UI is distracting, that isn't a great UI model.
 
You can see that on google on some places:

Tech Blog :: Download Windows Classic Theme For Windows 8

That should be the classic theme.

Should be. Did you look at it? It doesn't look anything like the Classic Theme. They took a flat current theme and made it gray.

Yes I looked at it. It's the only way to get classic look on Win8.

True. The original classic theme doesn't exist anymore on Win8. Therefore they try to replicate it through AeroLite / HighContrast combinations provided by Win8.

Hope this explains it.

There is really nothing to explain. It isn't the Classic Theme. It really doesn't look anything like it save for the gray color.

Unfortunately the answer so far is, you can't get the Classic Theme on Windows 8. I'm marking it as solved, since we have an answer, even if it's not the one I hoped for. I appreciate the helpful answers though!
 
Is there a way to get the Classic Theme on Windows 8? I have 7 right now, and I'm considering upgrading for the desktop enhancements.

Seems as Classic Theme still exists, just Hidden... hopefully some hack group will take it on and make a patch so it can be turned on easily.

http://mcakins.com/2013/04/12/windows-8-glitch-causes-windows-95-ui-to-appear

// DannyCage

Looks messy...
I've never had that issue on any of my machines.

It must be a fallback if the current running Aero(s) fail due to graphic errors or wrongly modified/patched system UI files.

Notice that in the video there Task Manager cannot be started. Task Manager is a core program and the lack of it says there's a problem.

If you stop the DWM you will get another look, resembling the Basic theme from Vista and 7.

Even if you get the classic theme running it's not recommended to use it because of graphic performance.
For example, that is if classic behaves the same way high contrast does, some programs will have issues with it:
-> on high contrast themes some graphic programs (like Cinema 4D) that make use of acceleration (perhaps OpenGL/DX9-10) do not display properly.

Just trying to point out that Aero boosts something up (graphic performance, UI related) and some programs make use of that (standard). Without the boost, the programs in question will most likely show some glitches.
 
Back
Top