Microsoft Silently Replaces Windows 95 Icons in Windows 10 with Modern Designs

Microsoft is working on a massive visual refresh for Windows 10, and according to people familiar with the matter, this overhaul is projected to go live as part of the 21H2 feature update due in the fall.

While the next Windows 10 feature update, known as version 21H1, is just around the corner, Microsoft needs a little bit more time to finalize the modern treatment for its operating system, so the fall update is likely to introduce changes that would completely modernize Windows 10 from one end to another.

One of the areas that Microsoft has been silently working on lately appears to be icons.

As spotted by WL, Microsoft has recently replaced the Windows 95 icons still part of Windows 10 with a set of modern designs that would finally leave behind the ancient operating system.

Users have been complaining for many years that parts of Windows 10 are still using designs dating back to the Windows 95 era, and icons that are packed into shell32.dll are the living proof in this regard.

New icons on the way

And as it turns out, the Redmond-based software giant has heard the message, so it’s now working on giving up on these old icons and replacing them with modern versions that look so much better.

All icons will get a refresh, including the floppy disk, it seems, all in an effort to make Windows 10 feel like a new operating system.

Codenamed Sun Valley, the visual refresh of Windows 10 will also include major changes for the Start menu and the flyouts currently bundled with the operating system.

A concept published earlier this week provides us with a closer look at the upcoming changes, envisioning floating flyouts and a Start menu that is no longer docked to the taskbar.