I’ve been using Windows my entire life. It did what I needed it to do. It was functional, reliable, and most importantly, it ran all the software I wanted and needed. However, being functional isn’t necessarily inspiring. While Windows does have a pretty good interface, I’d grown so used to it that it started to feel boring.
Then I began seeing all kinds of social media posts of Linux users ricing their desktop environments, and I felt pretty jealous. They could change their interface whenever they wanted, completely transforming their setup on a whim. It looked amazing. The problem was that the Windows interface isn’t nearly as configurable as many Linux distributions.
Just when I thought Windows customization was out of reach, I started experimenting with Rainmeter on my laptop. That’s when I saw the potential. Even with my limited experience in Windows ricing, I decided to try it on my desktop setup, and it turned out even better than I expected.
What my desktop looks now
Simpler with better functionality
Since I’ve already done a full dashboard setup for my laptop, I didn’t want to do it again here on my desktop PC. What I wanted was something more minimalistic, easy on the eyes, and free of distractions.
The overall aesthetic now looks flat and simple. It uses a cohesive icon pack that replaces all the generic Windows icons with modern, polished alternatives that actually look like they belong together.
My taskbar transformed from a thick bar at the bottom into something sleek and refined that blends perfectly with my wallpaper. I’ve hidden all the software that used to clutter my desktop and carefully selected a few key apps to keep in my taskbar. I also added custom folders directly to it for my games, productivity apps, and gallery, making everything I need instantly accessible.
The Start menu became clean and organized instead of the cluttered mess I was used to. I chose a dark mode variant with a macOS-inspired aesthetic from the DELTA theme pack I found online, though I kept enough of Windows’ character for it to still feel familiar.
The system status bars now display my CPU, GPU, RAM, and memory usage through a beautiful overlay design that doesn’t get in the way. My Recycle Bin now looks minimalistic and only appears when I hover my cursor near its icon.
Each window now has a border, rounder corners, and macOS-style minimize, resize, and close buttons, as well as a custom mouse cursor and loading icon. I also managed to bring back the Windows 10 context menu, which I’ve always preferred.
Beyond the visuals, my setup now works smarter. I disabled web search in the Windows search bar to keep things focused. I integrated AutoHotkey v2 scripts that give me a quick app launcher, instant folder access, volume control, and even auto mouse centering for my workflow. Since building my own desktop dashboard with Rainmeter, I’ve also decided to use it in this setup. Rainmeter handles my system status bars, Cybersearch bars for quick queries, and even a hover-activated recycle bin that keeps my desktop clean.
All the essential Windows features that should be on by default are now properly enabled and working together. Everything flows seamlessly now. Where I used to fumble through menus and searches, I now have instant access to what I need.
It wasn’t as straightforward as I thought
So many guides, so many tools
Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions required
Since I was a newbie when it came to ricing Windows’ desktop environment, I decided to use a theme pack I found online. This pack was DELTA for Windows 11 by niivu. It’s a premium pack that’s now available for free. I liked it because it provided a ton of icons, a clean macOS-inspired theme, and even configuration files for Windhawk and other tools.
Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions required
However, Windows normally blocks third-party themes for security reasons. That meant I had to patch the system files first using UltraUXThemePatcher before enabling it like any other native Windows theme.
Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions required
Once the theme was set, I installed Windhawk and added mods such as Windows 11 Start Menu Styler, Windows 11 Taskbar Styler, and Taskbar Height and Icon Size to create that sleek taskbar and clean Start menu.
I also installed Mica For Everyone for rounded window edges, tacky-borders for window borders, and StartAllBack to restore the classic Windows 10 context menu.
Credit: Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions
Although DELTA for Windows 11 changed a lot of system icons, buttons, and layouts, I still had to manually replace each icon on my taskbar to match the theme. I followed an online guide to get it done properly. This probably took me the longest to set up.
There was also no direct way of adding folders to the taskbar, so I basically had to create shortcuts, set the target path to the explorer.exe app along with the folder address, change the icon, then pin it on the taskbar.
Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions required
Once that was finished, I installed Rainmeter and loaded a few skins. Lines 2.0 displays my CPU, GPU, RAM, and memory usage. Just A Bin replaces the Recycle Bin with a minimalistic version that shows how many files and how much data it contains. CyberSearch adds quick search bars for Google and Perplexity. I had to tweak Just A Bin to appear at 0% opacity when hovering over it, and manually configure CyberSearch to include a custom Perplexity search bar.
Screenshot by Jayric Maning –no attributions required
To add even more functionality, I paired everything with AutoHotkey v2, which runs my favorite automation scripts on Windows 11. I also enabled various Windows features that should have been on by default, such as Storage Sense, clipboard history, and disabling web search in the Windows search bar.
I thought I could finish ricing Windows 11 for a minimalistic setup in just an afternoon, but it ended up taking a day and a half of on-and-off work. Most of that time went into reading guides, testing tools, and tweaking settings. Even with a simple setup, I learned a lot, and I’m happy with how it turned out.
Now that I’ve customized Windows to fit my style, I can’t imagine going back to the default look. It’s not that Windows 11 is bad; it’s actually great out of the box. But once you realize how much freedom and flexibility you can get with the right tools, the default setup starts to feel unfinished.
You’re staring at it every day, make it yours
Customizing Windows showed me how much time I actually spend looking at my desktop. If I’m going to use it for hours every day, it might as well look and feel the way I want. The time I spent setting it up was worth it because everything now feels more personal and efficient. If customization seems overwhelming, start small and build from there. Once you experience how much better a setup can look and function, it’s hard to go back to the plain, stock version of Windows.
Rainmeter logo – Tashreef Shareef
OS
Windows
Developer
Rainmeter
Rainmeter is a free desktop customization tool for Windows that lets you display customizable skins, widgets, and system information right on your desktop. From clocks and weather updates to system monitors, Rainmeter helps you create a personalized and visually appealing workspace.
