Skip to main content

Puget Systems offers to give their Windows 8 systems a Windows 7-like look and feel

Windows 8.1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Custom PC builder Puget Systems is apparently well aware of the fact that many people have yet to warm up to Windows 8. With that in mind, Puget offers its customers the option to tweak Windows 8 and make it function and feel like its more popular cousin, Windows 7.

Puget systems offers something called Windows 8 Makeover: Emulate Windows 7 to re-skin Windows 8.  With Windows 8 Makeover: Emulate Windows 7, Windows 8 boots directly to the desktop mode,  a start button is added, and the OS uses desktop apps by default when possible. At its core, this tool consists of an existing app called Classic Shell.

Perhaps best of all, the service is free for anyone who buys a PC with Windows 8 installed, should they choose to check off the box asking Puget to load their rig with Windows 8 Makeover. It’s worth noting that, with a little bit of technical know how, users can definitely tap into most of these tricks on their own rigs. On top of that, you can also configure your Puget Systems PC with Windows 7, should you prefer the real thing.

Of course, there’s more than one way to tweak Windows 8. Feel free to check out our guide on how to make Windows 8 look and feel more like Windows 7.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Epstein
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael is a New York-based tech and culture reporter, and a graduate of Northwestwern University’s Medill School of…
This popular photo-editing app will no longer work on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
Windows 7 wallpaper full version.

Popular photo-editing app Paint.Net is dropping support for Windows 7, and Windows 8.1. The app will be limited to 64-bit on Windows 10 and Windows 11 heading into the future, the developer announced recently.

According to Rick Brewster, the developer of the app, Paint.Net v4.3.x will be the last release that works on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or on any 32-bit or x86 version of Windows. This is because it has become more difficult and time-consuming to support these older versions of Windows.

Read more
We just got a preview of what Android apps on Windows 11 will look like
A photo of the TikTok app running on a Windows 11 laptop

The ability to easily run smartphone/tablet apps on PCs and laptops is something that many users have been longing for, and it seems that Microsoft may be working on implementing just that. Screenshots showcasing Android apps being run on Windows 11 have surfaced, giving insight into what this feature may look like.

Although Microsoft has previously stated that Windows 11 will support Android apps, the operating system launched without that feature. It's likely that Microsoft is still piloting it and only allowing a select circle of users to try it out via the Dev channel of the Windows Insider Program. However, even upon completion, this is likely not going to be released as a mandatory part of a Windows Update. The leaked information suggests that Microsoft is instead planning to make it optional via the Microsoft Store.

Read more
HP’s Spectre x360 16 looks like best new Windows laptop 11 yet, with one caveat
The HP Spectre x360 16 on a white desk.

Windows 11 won't be available as an upgrade until 2022, leaving a few months of time for new laptops to take the limelight. HP just announced what might be one of the most compelling new options, the HP Spectre x360 16.

The Spectre x360 line already contains some of the most premium 2-in-1 convertible laptops you can buy, whether that's the portable Spectre x360 14 or the high-powered Spectre x360 15. A 16-inch model, though, is new to the mix -- and Windows 11 is far from the only intriguing new feature.

Read more