How to download, install and remove themes from Windows Store
The Windows 10 Creators Update ships with options to install desktop themes for the operating system from the built-in Windows Store.
Microsoft introduced basic theme customization options when it released the Windows 7 operating system. These options allowed you to set custom backgrounds, colors, sounds and less than a handful of other customization options.
This made it easy for anyone to change some display features of the operating system, but was far from the customization options that full themes brought to the table.
The very same system, albeit with some minor improvements, is still active in Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.
Download themes from Windows Store
Starting with the Creators Update, Windows 10 users may download themes from Windows Store.
Themes that Microsoft made were previously available on the Microsoft website for download. This changes with the release of the Creators Update, as themes are offered on the Store now.
Unfortunately though, Microsoft decided to hide the themes category on the store. If you open the Windows Store on a system that runs the Creators Update, you won't find themes listed there.
The only option for now to access the themes category is to visit it from the Settings application.
- Right-click on the Windows desktop and select Personalize from the menu. This opens the Personalization category of the Settings application.
- Switch to themes on the left side when it opens.
- Locate the "apply a theme" section on the page that opens, and click on the "get more themes in the Store" link there. This opens the Windows Themes section on Windows Store.
The Windows Themes section on Windows Store lists themes with thumbnails, names and user ratings. There is no option to download and install a theme directly from the overview page.
Click on a theme that you are interested in to open its Windows Store page. Additional information, a description, more screenshots, compatibility information, or the author, are listed on the page.
Click on the "get" button near the top to start the installation process. Please note that Windows 10 won't switch to the new theme by default.
You need to click on launch, or open the themes section of the Settings application again, to apply the newly downloaded theme.
A click on the theme there makes it the system's theme. You can switch to other themes listed there, for instance to go back to the default theme if you don't like the newly downloaded theme that much.
Removing Windows 10 themes
So how do you uninstall Windows 10 themes that you have downloaded this way? You have two options for that actually.
First, you may delete any theme that is not used right now with a right-click on that theme and the selection of delete from the context menu that opens. Delete uninstalls the theme from the computer.
The second option that you have is to remove the theme using the application uninstallation menu instead.
Open the Settings application using Windows-I, and switch to Apps > Apps & Features. You can browse the alphabetically sorted list of installed apps and programs, use the search, or sort by installation date to find the installed theme.
Simply select it afterwards, and then the uninstall button to delete it from the system. There is also a move option in case you run low on disk space and want to move all installed themes to another drive or partition of the computer.
Now You: do you run default themes, create your own, or install third-party themes?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277