# Win 7 - does it support the classic look? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764 "2010-07-23T20:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/1 "2010-07-23T20:25:15Z")
Win XP - has options to support the classic windows look. Under Control Panel - there’s – Category View or Classic Taskbar Properties - there is an option for start menu or classic start menu Does Win 7 still support this? Can an XP user use Win 7 without learning a lot of new features? My dad is 81 and he wants to upgrade from Win 2000. XP and 2000 look about the same (in classic view) and the interface is almost the same. I may just upgrade him to XP. I have a spare OEM license. My dads memory is slipping. There’s no way I’d try to teach him an a new OS. Win 7 is only viable if I can make it look the same as what he already uses. I built him a new pc in 2006. It has a Supermicro motherboard, PCI Express Graphics, 512 Meg memory and I think a 100 Gig hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/2 "2010-07-23T20:44:05Z")
Sure: Control Panel \> Appearance and Personalization \> Personalization Under “Basic and High Contrast Themes”, select “Windows Classic”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/3 "2010-07-23T20:49:14Z")
in XP the Theme and start menu are different settings. I do set the Theme in display properties to classic view. Then under taskbar properties I set classic start menu. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/4 "2010-07-23T21:00:24Z")
In addition to selecting the Classic Theme, you may want to add a ‘Quick Launch’ sub-toolbar to the Toolbar - [directions here](http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html). This is if your dad would not be comfortable w/ Toolbar Pining ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/5 "2010-07-23T21:18:17Z")
I’ll sign up for the sevenforum and start reading. I knew there would be a price to pay for not learning Vista. I never installed it on any pc in our office. XP was so close to perfection. It’s a shame to change. Guess it’s time to learn and keep up with the new stuff. \ Then I can help my dad upgrade. thanks ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/6 "2010-07-23T23:19:25Z")
Boy I’d say. Strong colors. Whites that look like they just came off the line on a spring day. Menus you swear were chiseled from stone by Michelangelo himself. Then there is the confidence and sassy attitude. It is a classic look indeed. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/7 "2010-07-24T13:48:31Z")
Huh. [This website](http://www.pcmech.com/article/get-the-classic-theme-in-windows-7/)says you have to download a separate theme, as did all the others I clicked on. (I was only looking to see what the minor differences were, since I remember there were some.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/8 "2010-07-24T17:36:58Z")
I’ve checked around and Win 7 doesn’t have the classic start menu anymore. The classic theme only sets up the desktop. This article reviews several add in start menus. I plan to try the free one that he recommends. Best of all Sourceforge just updated Classic Shell a few days ago. I read the release notes and they’ve steadily improved it in the past few months. I ordered Win 7 Professional from [Newegg.com](http://Newegg.com) this morning. I guess there’s no turning back now. [http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/12/15/looking-for-the-best-windows-7-classic-start-menu/](http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/12/15/looking-for-the-best-windows-7-classic-start-menu/) ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-7-does-it-support-the-classic-look/547764/9 "2010-07-26T09:48:47Z")
If the machine only has 512mb RAM, you might need to upgrade this to run Windows 7.