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How to Remove a Theme on Windows 11 (Change or Delete it)
Get rid of the excess themes via Personalization settings
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 6, 2023
updated onOctober 6, 2023
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Key notes
Themes play an integral part for users who wish to modify the Windows experience. It may change the desktop background, animations, lock screen, mouse cursor, sounds, and icons, amongst others. But what if you want to remove a theme in Windows 11?
It’s just as easy, and there are a handful of options available, both for the current user profile and across the system, i.e., all users. Besides, you can even delete custom themes in Windows 11 if they no longer serve the purpose.
How do I find my current theme?
PressWindows+Ito open theSettingsapp > go toPersonalizationfrom the navigation pane > click onThemes> the current theme will be listed on the right.
How do I remove/delete themes on Windows 11?
1. Via Themes settings
If theDeleteoption is greyed out while removing themes in Windows 11, it’s either currently set as the theme or is the default one provided by Microsoft. In the case of the former, simply change the active theme and then proceed with the removal.
2. From the Control Panel
You can’t delete the Windows 11 default theme via theControl Panelor even the built-in theme.
Also, while the Control Panel had a dedicatedPersonalizationsection with the list of themes earlier, things have changed, and users are forced to useSettings. But with the shell, you can still access it.
3. Through File Explorer
In File Explorer, where thetheme backgrounds are stored, the ones that were manually created, including the light theme andHigh Contrast theme, are listed as files while any that are included in the default OS installation or weredownloaded from Microsoft Storeare listed under folders.
We recommend you change the theme’s path instead of deleting it. Once moved to a different folder, the theme will not be listed in the Control Panel or Settings.
Deleting the file/folder will remove the theme in Windows 11 for the active user. Besides, if you want to delete the theme for all users, use the following path for the themes folder and clear them:C:\Windows\Resources\Themes
4. Uninstall the app (for themes downloaded from Microsoft Store)
How do I change my Windows 11 theme to default?
PressWindows+Ito openSettings> go toPersonalization> click onThemeson the right > select the theme you want to use in Windows 11.
If the built-in ones don’t do the job, you can alwaysinstall third-party themes in Windows.
Now that you know how to change and remove themes in Windows 11, we have created a list of thebest free themes and skinsfor the iteration that are a must-have.
Remember, having too many themes can trigger problems and lead tothemes changing automatically. This can, in most cases, be fixed by rebuilding the cache.
For any queries or to share your favourite Windows 11 theme, drop a comment below.
More about the topics:desktop background,Windows 11
Kazim Ali Alvi
Windows Hardware Expert
Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He’s specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.
Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He’s also one of our experts in Networking & Security.
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Kazim Ali Alvi
Windows Hardware Expert
Kazim is specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.
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