Microsoft’s decision to mix and mash the classic Windows 7 desktop with the brand new Windows Phone-like Metro-style UI of Windows 8 has been controversial since we first saw it. In our tests, we ...

Not everyone likes the fresh look of Windows 11. If you miss the familiar interface of Windows 10, you can bring back the ...

I think the last time I played a Windows game—as in, a Microsoft game that comes baked into the Windows operating system—was back in Windows 95. Ah, FreeCell. That’s not to say that Microsoft’s games ...

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. is a senior editor and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Microsoft has published some Win32-based Classic Windows desktop apps, such as WordPad, XPS ...

This powerful free/donationware utility adds the features back to Windows 8 and 8.1 that Microsoft should never have taken out. Classic Shell isn’t a me-too Windows 8 fixer. This free utility’s first ...

From its centered task bar to its revamped Start and Quick Settings menus, the recently released Windows 11 includes some of the most obvious changes to the venerable operating system since Windows 8 ...

Windows 10 marks the return of the Start Menu. Microsoft did away with this classic Windows feature with the launch of Windows 8, when the company introduced a Start Screen that covers your entire ...

Can you Force a Classic Start Menu in Windows now? This setting affects the presentation of the Start menu. The classic Start menu in Windows 2000 Professional allows users to begin common tasks, ...

Microsoft not only spared its classic Paint app from oblivion: it is now breathing new life into it as an app for Windows 11. The updated Paint app for Windows 11 includes refreshed "Edit Color" and ...