Does this work on Windows 11?

[BlohoJo]

Anyone try it? I might have to upgrade at least a few of my systems soon and I'm wondering if I can use this!

[philberthfz]

It "works" in regards to the fact that it can be applied, but there are issues, some of them more severe than others.

First, OldNewExplorer doesn't work on Windows 11. Technically, installing it did create a menu bar that does nothing and added the preview pane at the bottom of the window. The end result is that you're going to have to get used to the way Windows 11's file explorer looks because there isn't anything you can do about it.

Second: this theme does not alter the win32 color palettes, which means if you have apps that don't support theming (really old win32 apps) or, for you disable themeing with simpleclassic, etc. (why are you using a theme then?) it uses the default colors which is awful. This is only an issue if the theme engine is not running. Additionally, context menus have broken colors. At least they're readable.

Third, and most important: Windows 11 puts rounded corners on all windows. This does not make them square, which leads to the unfortunate effect of the close button literally poking up against the inside edge of the window.

Fourth: a recommendation. Retrobar. It's free, it replaces the taskbar with one that is themed, with options for all the pre-vista versions of Windows, and it pairs well with OpenShell.

Attached below is a screenshot showing how Windows 11 file explorer is busted, and how context menus look jank:

[philberthfz]

I suppose there is one upside to the fact that Windows 11 file explorer ignores all attempts at being themed: It is now no longer possible to Hot Dog Stand somebody completely.

[Caption for above image: Displayed on the left is the Windows 11 default file manager, showing more or less unmodified colors and remaining readable. On the right is the Windows 3.x era File Manager, in the garish color scheme known as Hot Dog Stand, a scarcely legible blend of mustard yellow and ketchup red.]

[OrthodoxWindows]

You have to use ExplorerPatcher, almost all the specific problems of Windows 11 are solved with this tool :

https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
https://winclassic.boards.net/thread/990/windows-classic-theme-on-1903
https://www.askvg.com/tip-enable-full-classic-file-explorer-in-windows-11/
https://www.askvg.com/tip-enable-colored-titlebar-in-windows-11-file-explorer/

[philberthfz]

You have to use ExplorerPatcher, almost all the specific problems of Windows 11 are solved with this tool

It is great that you are evangelizing on behalf of ExplorerPatcher. It does fix several of the more common issues that Windows 11 has.

It does not, however, fix any of the issues with attempting to run this theme, which was designed for Windows 10, on Windows 11. To be clear, ExplorerPatcher works wonderfully if you use actual classic mode (theme engine disabled / no theme). When trying to use a custom theme, such as the one we are discussing now, it is woefully inadequate.

Windows 11 changes a lot of things which break compatibility with this theme, and ExplorerPatcher is not some panacea that makes everything work the way it's intended.

As is, this theme is broken on Windows 11. I would advise anybody looking to use this theme to not upgrade to Windows 11, and anybody on Windows 11 should not use this theme.

[OrthodoxWindows]

@philberthfz
All the problems you describe are solved with ExplorerPatcher. It's entirely possible that there are other issues, but they're probably not the ones you're describing. What problems does the style have in Windows 11 that ExplorerPatcher doesn't fix ?

[OrthodoxWindows]

More generally, this has been the problem with Microsoft's modifications for some time: more and more elements have to be modified for good support of custom visual styles, because UWP/Fluent elements do not support take into account the visual style, which is based on Win32. But that's also what you have to do to get the real classic theme. And inevitably, this calls into question the main purpose of this theme; it comes from a time when applying a custom visual style was easier than applying the true classic theme. The boundary between the two risks continuing to shrink.
So much so that some tips from the WinClassic forum community can be used for custom visual styles, even the most "modern" ones (like @niivu's styles).