Retro makeover
Make Windows 11 look like Windows 10
This guide is on a RetroBar site, but for Windows 10 RetroBar is usually not the best tool. Windows 10's taskbar was Windows' own, and two programs can bring that back on Windows 11. RetroBar has a community Windows 10 theme that suits people who prefer a separate, removable taskbar.
On this page 4 sections
Short answer
How do I make Windows 11 look like Windows 10?
For the real Windows 10 taskbar and Start menu, use ExplorerPatcher (free, open source) or StartAllBack (paid, $4.99). Without changing Windows itself, RetroBar with the community Windows 10 Dark theme gives a Windows 10-style dark taskbar with text buttons, which we tested.
The options
| ExplorerPatcher | StartAllBack | RetroBar + Windows 10 Dark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taskbar | Windows 10's own | Windows 10 style | A RetroBar theme in Windows 10's dark style |
| Start menu | Windows 11's by default; Windows 10's once turned on (tested) | Windows 10 style | Windows 11's (or Open-Shell) |
| File Explorer | Not in its main feature list | Ribbon or command bar | Unchanged |
| Changes Windows | Yes, installs into Explorer | Yes | No: separate program, Windows' taskbar hidden |
| Cost | Free | $4.99 per PC | Free |
| Tested by us | Yes (results) | Yes, its styles (results) | Yes |
StartAllBack facts from its official page, checked 30 October 2026; ExplorerPatcher and StartAllBack installed and photographed by us on 31 October 2026. More in alternatives.
ExplorerPatcher, as we saw it
Its setup ran without a window and restarted Explorer with the Windows 10 taskbar. The Start menu stayed Windows 11's until we turned on its Windows 10 Start menu; then the tiled Windows 10 menu appeared. Its release notes warn that newer Windows Insider builds removed parts of that menu, so it may not last. Full results, including uninstalling it: RetroBar vs ExplorerPatcher.
The RetroBar way
The community theme Windows 10 Dark by Isaiah Billingsley draws a dark, flat taskbar with a Windows 10-style Start button and an accent bar under the active window. It loaded without errors on all three of our test machines.
Windows 10 Dark
by Isaiah Billingsley (ibillingsley), tweak by Matthias von Faber (mvf) · ibillingsley/RetroBar-Themes · Apache-2.0
- Looks like
- Windows 10, dark
- Based on
- Its own design
- Tested version
e9467c4(2025-04-03)
Install: Download the repository and copy its Themes and Resources folders into %LOCALAPPDATA%\RetroBar, or next to RetroBar.exe (as its README says). Then pick the theme in RetroBar's Properties.
We tested the version in the fork mvf/RetroBar-Themes, which shows Windows' blue accent bar (#0078D4) only under the active window and makes it a lighter grey. The original in ibillingsley/RetroBar-Themes draws a grey-blue bar (#8A9DB6) under every button.
Its sibling, Flat Dark, is a slimmer 24-pixel version; see the community gallery.
Which should you choose?
- You want Windows 10 back, as it was: ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack.
- You want a Windows 10-like taskbar but prefer not to patch Windows, or you also like switching to older looks: RetroBar with Windows 10 Dark, and any of RetroBar's 19 built-in themes another day.
Keep going
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us at hello@retrobar.dev and we will fix it.