Windows 10: Reimagined

Windows 10 was released three years ago and the operating system has since been lauded for its stability and mature aesthetics. No doubt we’ve gotten familiar to the Windows interface and Windows 10 is now ubiquitous. But the versatility of the operating systems makes it possible for you to customize, tweak, hack and patch your system to your heart’s content. While some of these software come with their own warning and caution notes, they’re pretty safe to use if you know what you’re doing. Considering that, if you’re willing to experiment, here are a few ways to completely change the way your operating system looks.

Dock

If you want something more akin to the task management system of the Mac operating sys­tem, consider getting a dock. There are many kinds of docks out there; some of more popular ones being RocketDock, ObjectDock and XWin­dows. All of these will enable you to hide the taskbar while also acting as a complete replace­ment for it. They do this by offering pin-able applications and window management. Large flashing icons on your screen always look good, and these docks never disappoint in that regard, as they offer a plethora of animations and styles to choose from. These docks are also optimized for Windows 10 and will work wonderfully with your operating system.

Themes

Theming your Windows will completely change its look and feel. From custom frames to color themes, there are applications like WindowsBlinds and UXStyle that go above and beyond what the native Windows 10 theme engine is capable of. WindowsBlinds, while easier to use, is a paid application, and unless you’re willing to obtain the software through some dubious means, UXStyle should suffice.

UXStyle patches some very important system files and it’s usually safe, simple, and free. Tread carefully, however, and follow instructions well when installing and patching your system files. A backup is always a good idea. However, once you have installed UXStyle, you’ll find an ocean of themes for it on the internet. Constantly supported by the internet community, there are way more themes for UXStyle than for WindowsBlinds.

Icons

Changing your icons is a very subtle way of adding some flavor to your Windows experi­ence. You can either choose to change icons individually through the native icon changer option within the properties menu, or if you want something more compressive, consider applications like IconPackager.

IconPackager lets you edit icons on a more systemic level while also providing options to change icons for all kinds of files and folders that Windows won’t natively let you tweak. There are plenty of icons for IconPackager and you’re bound a find a few that appeal to your style. While IconPackager is a paid app, the Windows native icon editor is built-in. So hunt around the internet for some cool icons and get customizing.

Animations

When it comes to animations, the default Windows animations are subdued and simple. If you want more flair, applications like Win­dowFX and Nimi Visuals help you add a little more kick to Windows animations. With a host of animations for close, minimize, maximize and Windows native apps, these applications will help your computer look darn good