Make windows modern and beautiful in 6 secret steps!

You don’t need a Mac or Linux to enjoy a clean, modern desktop. With just a few powerful (but underrated) tools, you can turn your basic Windows setup into a stunning and highly functional workspace.

These are the 6 secret steps that make up the core of our modern aesthetic setup — and we’re skipping the fluff. No bloated software. No unnecessary rainmeter skins. Just a sleek, functional desktop that actually improves how you work.

Let’s get started.

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🔹 Step 1: Add a Functional & Stylish Top Bar with YASB Reborn

The first step is to install a modern, macOS-inspired top bar using YASB Reborn. This bar displays helpful system info like battery status, internet speed, and weather—all in a clean, minimal style.

Why it’s great:

  • Customizable design (themes, icons, layout)
  • Includes shutdown/restart controls
  • Minimal resource usage (~25MB RAM, ~0.3% CPU)

Before installing, you’ll need to install a specific font. Once that’s done, install YASB from its official GitHub page. After setup, enable Autostart and apply the Glade theme for a refined look.

📌 Pro Tip: To personalize the weather display, manually set your city in the config file. Just search for “location” and update it to something like "New York".

🔹 Step 2: Apply a Custom Windows Theme

One of the most noticeable upgrades comes from using a custom third-party Windows theme.

You’ll use SecureUXTheme to safely patch your system and apply themes like Night Owl.

What it changes:

  • Window control buttons
  • Border radius
  • Color palette (modern bluish tones)
  • Even the mouse cursor (including animation!)

Before applying the theme, we strongly recommend creating a System Restore Point. This ensures you can easily revert back if anything doesn’t work correctly.

Performance impact:

Basically none. The theme replaces default Windows assets and runs natively.

🔹 Step 3: Upgrade Your Wallpaper (It Matters!)

No modern setup is complete without the right wallpaper. We used Wallpaper Engine, available on Steam for a few dollars. It’s worth every cent.

Why Wallpaper Engine?

  • Access to thousands of community-made animated wallpapers
  • Excellent performance optimization
  • Option to pause when apps go fullscreen (great for gaming or battery life)

Our chosen wallpaper was a retro-inspired static city design, which perfectly complements the other UI elements.

💡 Want a free alternative? Try Lively Wallpaper, though it’s slightly less intuitive.

🔹 Step 4: Redesign the Taskbar, Start Menu & Notification Panel with Windhawk

Windhawk is a hidden gem that allows you to mod core Windows UI elements without replacing system files.

What you can change:

  • Start Menu (we used the Rosepin style)
  • Taskbar (custom code gives it a dock-like look)
  • Notification center (translucent and modern)

Installation:

Download Windhawk and apply the following mods:

  • Start Menu Styler
  • Taskbar Styler
  • Notification Styler

To apply a truly custom look, you’ll need to paste in prewritten code into the “Advanced” section of each mod. You can get the code files here (linked in our video/blog).

Performance:

It uses under 10MB RAM and less than 1% CPU. That’s incredibly efficient for such visual changes.

🔹 Step 5: Add a Minimal Clock Widget with Rainmeter

To add a finishing touch, we used Rainmeter to place a small, sleek clock on the desktop. The widget of choice: Clockbit.

Why it works:

  • Matches your wallpaper and top bar
  • Extremely customizable (font, size, position)
  • Adds subtle movement without being distracting

📌 Setup Tip: After installing Rainmeter and the widget, go to the folder → open the .ini file → click “Load” to activate the skin.

Performance:

  • 0.2% CPU usage
  • ~180MB RAM

🔹 Step 6: Match the Style in Your Apps (Bonus)

To complete the experience, you can theme your everyday apps:

  • Chrome: Use a modern color theme like Catppuccin
  • VS Code: Under “Color Theme,” choose one that matches your desktop aesthetic (we used a soft bluish one)

These final tweaks extend your aesthetic into your workflow — so it’s not just about looking good, but also feeling good to use.

✅ The Final Result

Let’s recap what we’ve achieved:

  • ✅ A clean and functional status bar
  • ✅ Fully redesigned Start Menu, Taskbar & Notifications
  • ✅ A stylish animated wallpaper
  • ✅ A matching custom Windows theme
  • ✅ Sleek desktop widgets with Rainmeter
  • ✅ Consistent app design across the board

💬 Let us know which tool surprised you the most, and if you’re ready to build this entire setup step-by-step, check out the full video on our channel!

👉 Do you want community support? Then join our Discord.

📺 Want to see the full process in action? Watch the video!

View Here

Donwloads

Windhawk custom code

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Disclaimer for Source Code / Tutorials

The code examples and tutorials are provided for educational purposes only. Use at your own risk. I do not accept any liability for damages resulting from the use of this code.

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