A short and simple tutorial for Linux and Windows fans alike

Oct 3, 2012 07:43 GMT  ·  By

Users sometime make a switch from a Windows 7 operating system to Ubuntu and they want things to remain familiar. In this short tutorial, we will show you how to make Ubuntu 12.04 resemble Windows 7.

First of all, you must download a GTK 3.x Theme called Win2-7 Remix and the appropriate GNOME Icon Theme that will fit, with the same name, Win2-7 Remix.

The installation of themes in Ubuntu is not as simple people would want it to be, by it's gotten a lot easier in time.

Download the two packages and unpack them. One folder will be named “Win2-7” and the other one will be “Win2-7_icons”.

Go to your Home directory and hit CRL+H. It will show a lot of hidden folders and files. Find one named “.themes” and copy the Win2-7 Remix theme in it. Do the same with the folder .icons and copy the appropriate icon package there.

If for any reason you can't copy the files into the hidden folders, it means you must first open a nautilus window with root access. Open a terminal and write the following command.

gksudo nautilus

Navigate to the same folders and create them if they don't exist.

Following this seemingly complicated procedure, you will have to install GNOME Tweak Tool, which in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is called Advanced Settings. Click on the link below to install it though Ubuntu Software Center.

Install GNOME Tweak Tool

Open Unity and search for Advanced Settings. Once inside search for the Theme options. As shown below, switch the Icon Theme, GTK+ Theme, and the Window Theme to “Win2-7”. Close and the program and enjoy a Windows 7 look-alike theme.

Review image

To change back to the default look of Ubuntu 12.04, right click on the desktop and select Ambiance as theme. This procedure can be applied to any theme installed in Ubuntu 12.04.

Photo Gallery (5 Images)

Ubuntu 12.04 with Windows 7 background
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