Make Ubuntu Look Like Windows: Easy Tips

To make Ubuntu look like Windows, you install a theme pack that mimics the Windows taskbar, start menu, and icons, then adjust a few settings. This guide covers the most effective and safe methods, from full transformation packages to manual tweaks, so you can get a familiar interface without breaking your system.

Why You Might Want This Look

Ubuntu’s default GNOME desktop is clean and modern, but it feels very different from Windows. If you are switching from Windows 10 or 11, the lack of a traditional taskbar, a start menu that opens full-screen, and the different window controls (close button on the left) can slow you down. Making Ubuntu look like Windows is not about pretending—it is about reducing the learning curve so you can focus on your work, not on finding the minimize button. It also helps in shared environments or when you are helping a less technical family member transition to Linux.

Two Main Approaches: Theme Packs vs. Manual Setup

There are two ways to achieve the Windows look: use a pre-built theme pack, or manually install individual components. The theme pack route is faster and more consistent, but it may include older or less maintained pieces. The manual route gives you full control and is more stable, but requires more steps and understanding of what each piece does. For most users, a theme pack like Windows-10-11 or Windows-11 from GNOME-Look.org is the best starting point. These packs usually include a GTK theme, a shell theme, an icon set, and a cursor theme, all designed to work together.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before You Start

Before changing anything, you need to install a few tools. First, install GNOME Tweaks (often called “Tweaks”) from the Ubuntu Software Center. This tool lets you change themes, icons, and fonts. You also need to install GNOME Shell Extensions to enable user themes and to add a taskbar. The essential extensions are:

User Themes – allows you to apply a shell theme (the top bar and overview).
Dash to Panel – converts the dock into a Windows-style taskbar with running apps and a start button.
ArcMenu or Application Menu – replaces the Activities button with a start-menu-like launcher.

To install extensions, you can either use the Firefox browser add-on from extensions.gnome.org (which requires the GNOME Shell integration package) or use the Extension Manager app from the Software Center, which is simpler and more reliable.

Step-by-Step: Applying a Windows Theme Pack

Here is the most straightforward method using a theme pack from GNOME-Look.org. The exact file names may vary, but the process is the same.

Download a theme pack – Go to GNOME-Look.org and search for “Windows 11” or “Windows 10”. Download a pack that includes a GTK theme, a GNOME Shell theme, and an icon theme. Most packs are zip files.
Extract the files – Right-click the zip and choose “Extract Here”. You will see folders like Windows-11-Dark, Windows-11-Light, and an Icons folder.
Copy the theme folders – Open your file manager and press Ctrl+H to show hidden files. Navigate to .themes (create it if it doesn’t exist) and copy the theme folders there. Do the same for icons into .icons.
Apply the theme in Tweaks – Open Tweaks, go to the “Appearance” section, and set “Applications” and “Shell” to the downloaded theme. Set “Icons” to the Windows icon set.
Enable Dash to Panel – Open the Extension Manager, find “Dash to Panel”, and enable it. Then go to its settings (the gear icon) and disable the “Show Applications Button” if you want to use ArcMenu instead.
Install ArcMenu – In the Extension Manager, search for “ArcMenu”, enable it, and in its settings choose a layout that resembles Windows (e.g., “Windows 11” layout).
Move the window controls – In Tweaks, go to “Window Titlebars” and change “Placement” to “Right”. This puts the minimize, maximize, and close buttons on the right side like Windows.

After these steps, you will have a taskbar at the bottom, a start button on the left, and a familiar layout. You may need to log out and back in for the shell theme to fully apply.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Many users run into issues after applying themes. Here are the most frequent ones and their fixes:

Shell theme not applying – This almost always means the “User Themes” extension is not enabled. Install it and make sure it is on.
Taskbar disappears after reboot – Some extensions are not compatible with the exact GNOME version. Check the Extension Manager for warnings and try updating the extension or switching to a similar one.
Icons not changing – You may have copied the icon folder to the wrong location. Ensure it is in ~/.icons and that the folder name matches what you select in Tweaks.
Window buttons still on left – The setting in Tweaks only affects the active theme. If you are using a custom GTK theme, it may override this. You can force it by running this command in a terminal: gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout 'appmenu:minimize,maximize,close'
Fonts look blurry or small – Windows uses different font rendering. You can install the “Microsoft Core Fonts” package (via sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer) and set the default font in Tweaks to “Segoe UI” if you have it, or “Cantarell” which is close enough.

Alternatives to Full Theme Packs

If you do not want to install a heavy theme pack, you can achieve a Windows-like feel with lighter changes. For example, just installing Dash to Panel and moving the window buttons to the right gives you the most functional similarity. You can also use a different desktop environment like KDE Plasma or Xfce, which are more customizable out of the box. KDE has a built-in “Windows” layout preset that mimics the taskbar and start menu with just a few clicks. This is often more stable than piling extensions onto GNOME, and it is a good option if you want a long-term solution.

Safety and Stability Considerations

Changing themes and installing extensions is generally safe, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Always download themes from reputable sources like GNOME-Look.org, and read the comments to see if others have reported issues. Extensions are the most common cause of GNOME crashes, so install them one at a time and test. If your desktop becomes unresponsive, you can usually recover by pressing Alt+F2 and typing r to restart the shell. If that fails, log out and back in. In the worst case, you can disable all extensions by holding Shift while clicking the power icon in the top right and selecting “Restart”. This boots into a safe mode with extensions disabled. None of these changes will harm your files or system data; they only affect the graphical interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this break my Ubuntu installation? No. Theme packs and extensions only change the look and feel. They do not touch system files. If something goes wrong, you can reset the theme to default in Tweaks or uninstall the extensions.

Can I get the Windows Start Menu exactly? Not exactly, because Windows and GNOME are different systems. ArcMenu and similar extensions mimic the layout, but they cannot replicate every feature like live tiles or the search integration. You get a functional start menu with app categories and search, which is enough for most users.

Do I need to reinstall after a system update? Usually no. Themes and extensions are stored in your home folder, so they survive updates. However, after a major Ubuntu release upgrade (e.g., from 22.04 to 24.04), the GNOME version changes, and some extensions may stop working until they are updated.

Is it better to use a different Linux distribution? If you want a Windows-like experience out of the box, distributions like Linux Mint (Cinnamon edition) or Zorin OS are designed to feel familiar. They include a Windows-like taskbar and start menu by default. But if you already have Ubuntu installed, the steps above are quick and free.

How do I revert to the default Ubuntu look? In Tweaks, set all themes back to “Default” (or “Adwaita”), disable the extensions you installed, and move the window buttons back to the left. You can also remove the .themes and .icons folders you created, though that is optional.

Will this slow down my computer? No. Themes are just images and CSS-like styles; they have negligible performance impact. Extensions run in the background, but they are lightweight. If you notice a slowdown, it is more likely due to a poorly coded extension, so try disabling one at a time to find the culprit.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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