Want some suggestion to customize Ubuntu like Windows

[The-Antonio]

I want some better tools through which I can convert a Ubuntu desktop to look like Windows. I am quiet addicted to Windows environment. My friend added Ubuntu on my system. We installed that to learn many new things.

But the existing interface is far more confusing. Is there a way by which I can convert this completely to Windows.

[Happy_To_Help]

You have to do major changes for that. You cannot just make it looks like Windows. There are some themes, but they are not worth. If you go on online, you can check for Vista themes for Ubuntu. You can install that and then check back. It might help you to some extent.

[Alexxx]

If you need a simple interface, then why don't you try Linux Mint. This operating system comes with two different desktop. Which is Mate and Cinnamon. Get Mate edition and install it. It comes with traditional menu on the left side and has simple interface. There are some basic themes that you can go for. I found Linux Mint Mate as one of the most simple operating system compared to other editions. There are not extra graphics and stuff which make the operating system bulky. I will not recommend you to use Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. The reason is that is more different. Ubuntu is a bright operating system.

It provides you all features packed together with better security support. If we compare Windows and Ubuntu, then there is lot more difference. And the same is applicable for customization also. You might not have major changes in that, but still from performance point of view this is far more better. I love to work on the same.

[$Shalik$]

To add a Windows theme you have to do a number of stuff. You will need to add icon pack, windows menu theme pack and other stuff. Gnome is quiet different. I can find better Ubuntu to Mac converter, but no valid Windows theme.

[Lhamu]

There is a Windows 7 theme pack for Ubuntu. You have to download that and install it on your system. To make any major changes you have to first setup the classic desktop. This is quiet recommended. Just search for Win2-7. I hope you can locate that in Software Manager. If not then you have to download that manually from any other third party website. Compared to Windows, it is much easier to add a Mac transformation pack.

I do not know how this works, but I had installed this and it worked quiet well. First collect the pack and then extract the same. There is file called as GUIInstall.sh. You have to run this in terminal and done. If you want to get rid of the same then this pack also comes with uninstall.sh script which removes all file instance of transformation packs.

[Avikshit Sinha]

You can do that with some basic step. First download a Windows theme package for Ubuntu. Then install it. Change the wallpaper to default Windows wallpaper and you are done. You can add custom menu bar theme and other stuff to make it look similar to Windows.

[Anirvinya]

You have to download some packs manually one by one to make your system look like Windows. This consist of fonts, border, icons etc. You have to search them one by one and then install it. I am also not able to locate a complete Windows pack for Ubuntu. I will recommend you to stick with existing one. I had upgraded by system to Linux Mint. This has a Mate desktop. Mate has minimum customization option available.

You cannot locate them under any circumstance. I had tried to locate some simple customization tools, but those didn't helped much. For adding Windows like interface you have to collect the Windows border pack, Windows icon pack and Windows Font pack. This all will make the system better and will work fine also. Somehow if you are not able to make right settings then your desktop settings will be affected to great extent. I am not sure about the way to restore it. Like Windows there is not system restore stuff available for Linux.

[Robert Beck]

That is the reason I do not really make changes to my desktop. Because if I do, it would affect the internal settings also. And restoring back to old settings in mac is quiet hectic. So better stick with what you have.

[Beckett]

Try to check in Software Manager. I am sure you can find something there. I work in bit different way. I had installed Virtualbox in my system. To test the customization stuff, it is much safer platform. In that I had installed different operating system. I am working on Ubuntu 12 right now. I had added a number of customization tools also. But still I am not able to get the right Windows interface.

I had tried to locate many support for it, but there is nothing listed. Ubuntu has nice interface and good icon setup. I tried to add borders and fonts, but it makes the desktop more buggy. It lags and somehow the popup menu still looks traditional. But on the one same hand if I install Mac transformation pack on that it worked more well. It adds a bar below on the screen with customized menu which quiet looks like mac.