UPDATE: Tutorial updated to match latest Windows 8 RTM UI.
Finally, the wait is over. After getting so many requests to post a tutorial to transform Windows 7 into Windows 8, today we are happy to announce it. This is the 4th tutorial of our "Transform Windows" series. You can take a look at other 3 tutorials using following links:
- Transform Windows XP into Windows Vista without using Customization Pack
- Transform Windows XP into Windows 7 without using Customization Pack
- Transform Windows Vista into Windows 7 without using Customization Pack
Although we have posted a few 3rd party transformation packs in past which help you in making Windows 7 look-like Windows 8 like Windows 8 UX Pack and Windows 8 Transformation Pack but this tutorial has been created for people who love to do the task manually and want to use selected things to convert Windows 7 into Windows 8 so that they can have an idea what they are going to do with their system.
NOTE: Please create a Restore point using "System Restore" before applying anything mentioned in this tutorial so that you can restore your system back to default if you don't like the changes.
After following this tutorial, you'll get the same Windows 8 look in your Windows 7. Following is a list of things which are going to change after following this tutorial:
- Windows Theme or Visual Style
- Boot Screen
- Login Screen or Welcome Screen
- Start ORB or Start Button
- Icons, Sounds and Cursors
- Ribbon UI in Windows Explorer
- Start Screen with Live Tiles
- Charms Bar
- Wallpapers
- Windows 8 Metro Task Manager
- User Picture Tile in Taskbar
- Aero Auto-Colorization Feature
- Centered Titlebar text, icon and Up Button in Windows Explorer
- Extras
So without wasting time, lets start the tutorial:
Windows Theme or Visual Style
Windows 8 features a clean and minimal theme which doesn't come with Aero glass transparency and blur effect. You can get a look-like interface in Windows 7 using following themes:
Download your desired theme using following topics:
- Download Windows 8 RTM Theme for Windows 7
- Download Windows 8 Release Preview (RC) Theme for Windows 7
- Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Beta) Theme for Windows 7
- Download Windows 8 "Aero Lite" Theme for Windows 7
- Download Windows 8 "Aero Lite with Glass" Theme for Windows 7
You can also check out many other Windows 8 Metro UI inspired themes for Windows 7 in our exclusive Themes and Wallpapers section.
Boot Screen
Windows 8 comes with a new clean and minimal boot screen which looks like following:
You can get a similar boot screen in Windows 7 using following article:
Download Windows 8 RTM Boot Screen for Windows 7
Login Screen or Welcome Screen
Windows 8 login screen looks very simple and doesn't provide any eye candy effects as shown in following screenshot:
To get Windows 8 login screen in Windows 7, check out following articles:
Download Windows 8 RTM Login Screen for Windows 7
Download Windows 8 Blue Login Screen for Windows 7
To get the date and time on login screen, check following topic:
Download Windows 8 Metro Logon Clock Screensaver
You can also check following awesome Windows 8 concept login screen for Windows 7:
Download Windows 8 Concept Login Screen "Gloosh" for Windows 7
Start ORB or Start Button
Although Microsoft has completely removed Start Menu and Start button from Windows 8 but Windows 7 users can replace existing Start ORB with a nice looking Windows 8 style Start button as shown in following screenshot:
You can get this Start button in Windows 7 using following tutorial:
Get New Windows 8 Start ORB (Start Button) in Windows 7
Icons, Sounds and Cursors
Windows 8 icons are almost similar to Windows 7. You can get new Windows 8 sounds and cursors from following topic:
Download Windows 8 Sounds and Cursors for Windows 7
Ribbon UI in Windows Explorer
Windows 8 also features Office 2010 Ribbon UI in Windows Explorer. You can get the Ribbon UI in Windows 7 Explorer using following articles:
- Get Windows 8 Look-Like Ribbon UI in Windows XP, Vista and 7 Explorer using Styler Skin
- BExplorer (Better Explorer): Windows 8 Look-Like Explorer with Ribbon UI for Windows 7
- STDU Explorer: Get Windows 8 Style Explorer with Ribbon UI in Windows XP, Vista and 7
Start Screen with Live Tiles
Microsoft has featured a new Start Screen in Windows 8 which looks similar to Windows Phone 7 home screen. It basically shows live tiles of the installed programs in Windows 8.
You can get this new Start Screen in Windows 7 using following articles:
- Get Windows 8 Start Screen in Windows XP, Vista and 7 Using "Omnimo" Rainmeter Skin Suite
- Mosaic: Get Windows 8 Style Live Tiles with Metro UI on Windows XP, Vista and 7 Desktop
Charms Bar
Windows 8 also comes with a new Charms Bar which is a black sidebar panel which shows some useful shortcuts like Search, Share, Start, Devices and Settings when you move your mouse cursor to right-side of screen.
You can get this new Charms Bar in Windows 7 using following articles:
- Download RocketDock Skin to Get Windows 8 Charms Bar in Windows XP, Vista, 7
- Get Windows 8 Charms Bar in Windows XP, Vista and 7
- How to Get Windows 8 Metro Style Start Menu (Charms Bar) with Clock in Windows 7?
- Win8Menu: Get Windows 8 Look-Like Tablet UI with Sidebar Panel (Charms Bar) in Windows 7
Wallpapers
You can download some cool Windows 8 wallpapers using following links:
Windows 8 Metro Task Manager
Windows 8 comes with new modern and advanced Task Manager which opens in a small window and shows the running programs list.
You can get a similar Metro Task Manager in Windows 7 using following topic:
Get Windows 8 Look-Like Metro Task Manager in Windows XP, Vista and 7
User Picture Tile in Taskbar
Initial Windows 8 testing builds featured new user picture tile in Taskbar notification area. It was added because of the integrated Windows Live services in Windows 8 shell.
If you want, you can get it in Windows 7 using following topics:
- UserTile: Free Utility to Get Windows 8 User Picture Tile (Avatar) in Windows 7 Taskbar
- Get Windows 8 Look-Like User Picture Tile (Avatar) in Notification Area of Windows 7
Aero Auto-Colorization Feature
One of the most interesting feature of Windows 8 is "Aero Auto-Colorization" which is the ability to automatically configure the color of Aero elements, like the Start Menu, Windows Explorer windows, and the taskbar based on the desktop wallpaper.
You can get the same effect in Windows 7 using following free tools:
- Aura: Get Windows 8 Aero Auto-Colorization Feature in Windows Vista and 7
- Aero Color Show: Free Tool to Get Windows 8 Aero Auto-Colorization Feature in Windows 7
Centered Titlebar text, icon and Up Button in Windows Explorer
Windows 8 Explorer comes with good old "Up" button in toolbar. The Explorer window also shows titlebar text along with icon in center.
Windows 8 Shows Centered Titlebar Text, Icon and New Up Button in Explorer
You can get the same in Windows 7 using following tutorial:
How to Get Windows 8 "Up" Button and Titlebar Text in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer?
Extras
Following are some software and skins which will provide Windows 8 Metro UI feeling in Windows 7. You should definitely have a look at them:
- 8 Start: Windows 8 Start Screen Like "Metro Style Homepage" for Mozilla Firefox, IE, Chrome and Opera
- EIGHT: Windows 8 Start Screen Like "Metro Style Homepage" for Mozilla Firefox, IE, Chrome and Opera
- Metro UI: Download Windows 8 Metro Style Inspired Theme for Yahoo! Messenger
- Download Awesome "HTC Home" and "Metro Home" Desktop Widgets for Windows Vista and 7
- MetroViewer: Simple Image Viewer for Windows with Metro UI
- MetroBackUp: Free Utility with Metro UI to Keep Directories in Sync
- Download Free Windows 8 (vNext) Skin for RocketDock
- Download Free Windows 8 Metro Theme for WinRAR Archiver
- Download Awesome Metro UI Inspired Themes for Steam
- Download Windows 8 Metro UI Inspired Desktop Sidebar for Windows Vista and 7
- Download Awesome Windows 8 Metro Theme for KMPlayer
That's all for now. After following all above mentioned steps, you'll get Windows 8 look-n-feel in Windows 7.
Posted by: Vishal Gupta | Categories: Themes & Wallpapers, Windows 7
Aryaman
Good work! VG thnx for sharing such a good article
sandeep sharma
vlc media player 2.0.0 released
SCBright
I wish to never transform my beautiful 7 into an ugly 8, perhaps to a 9 or 10...
lol
For those who want to do it, this is a very complete guide.
VG
^^ lol and thanks. :)
SomebodySomebodyButU
You forgot to add the new Windows 8 Consumer Preview icons but great article :)
Tushar
love the theme "Windows 8 RTM Theme for Windows 7", but it doesn't has transparency for explorer... What to do...?????
VG
^^ It doesnt provide transparency because Windows 8 also doesnt contain transparency.
Rajaranga
Hi, This is really interesting that we can transform Windows 7 into a Windows 8 look and feel.
However, I would like to know if this can be reverted back to Windows 7 without any issues if I do not like the features of Windows 8. Please comment.
Thanks.
VG
^^ Yes. All changes can be reverted back to default.
Akki
which software can be shown my all employ pc one by one to my pc and pause them pc that time i am cecjing them pc one by one
dani_ryder2008
Nice tutorial Vishal! Although I have encountered a problem when trying to change the boot screen.
This is the error I receive when I try to update it : i37.tinypic.com/2viihe1.png
VG
^^ This problem occurs when you are using Windows 7 along with Windows 8. Are you using a dual boot system?
dani_ryder2008
No. I don't use a dual boot system.
VG
^^ So you are using only Windows 7 in your system? If yes, did you replace any DLL file in past to customize Windows UI?
dani_ryder2008
Yup Windows 7. Only DLL replaced is ExplorerFrame from the above theme.
ritika ranthay
hi
i recently brought Microsoft office. and if i tranform my windows 7 into 8. would i m gonna losse that too? cus i just paid $100 buck.
john paul
hey man it will work also in windows xp???
Help Please :)
VG
^^ Please check following:
http://www.askvg.com/transform-windows-xp-into-windows-8-using-windows-8-developer-preview-kit/
@ritika ranthay
No. Customizing Windows UI will not cause any problem with Office or other software.
@dani_ryder2008
No idea but you can try to restore default system files.
glugglug
Serious question: Why the heck would anyone WANT to do this?
Vikrant
Hey if I download this pack will my system be formatted. I cannot lose my data so please answer me. Its very important.
VG
^^ Its not a pack. Everything is done manually. Its absolutely safe to apply.
leon
this look great
Vidit Agrawal
Thank you VG!
I've already fooled 3 of my friends into thinking that I use Windows 8 and not Windows 7.
Can we get transparency after applying Windows 8 RTM theme? Just like the Windows 8 Metro Theme for Vista.
VG
^^ Since Windows 8 RTM doesnt provide Aero glass transparency, thats why the theme doesnt have transparency. But the other listed themes come with transparency. So give them a try.
Vidit Agrawal
Thanks for the reply! I tried Windows 8 "Aero Lite with Glass" Theme for Windows 7 and liked it very much.
I have an issue. When I was typing this comment, many of the time when I pressed the Space Bar, the screen scrolled a bit upward. The same just happened in the first comment too. How to fix it?