Windows Legacy Themes
I recently spent several hours recreating Windows 95 on Windows 11 using Open-Shell, ExplorerPatcher, registry edits, custom icon packs, and classic wallpapers.
While doing it, I realized how much work goes into recreating older versions of Windows. That got me thinking:
What if Windows had official "Legacy Themes"?
Rather than changing the OS itself, these themes would simply reskin Windows while keeping the latest kernel, security, drivers, and modern features.
Possible themes could include:
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows 2000
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
- Windows 7
- Windows 10
One idea I especially like is allowing developers to optionally include theme-specific icons for their apps. For example, if someone selected the Windows 95 theme, apps like Steam, Discord, Chrome, VS Code, or Minecraft could display Windows 95-style icons if the developer chose to provide them. Otherwise, Windows would simply use the normal icon.
I liked the idea enough that I submitted it to Microsoft's Feedback Portal.
Would you use this? If so, what version of Windows would you use?