Windows 11 has spent years getting a modern visual makeover, but anyone who digs deep enough into Settings can still stumble across screens that look like they belong to a much older version of Windows.
That is finally starting to change.
Microsoft is continuing its effort to modernize the remaining legacy interfaces in Windows 11, and the company’s design leadership has confirmed that more of these older dialogs are on the way to a redesign.
The goal is bigger than simply adding rounded corners or a new color scheme. Microsoft is gradually rebuilding older parts of Windows using its newer interface technology, including WinUI 3, so that more of the operating system follows the same design language.
Windows 11 still has some surprisingly old dialogs
Windows 11 introduced a significant visual shift when it launched, with rounded corners, updated typography, new materials and the Fluent Design language.
Microsoft has continued expanding that look across Settings, File Explorer and other parts of the operating system.
But Windows is an enormous operating system with decades of history behind it.
That means some less frequently used tools still open interfaces that look dramatically different from the rest of Windows 11.
One example is the Voice packages dialog.
You can reach it through the speech-related settings when adding voices to Windows. Instead of looking like a modern Windows 11 Settings page, the separate window uses an older interface that stands out immediately.
And it isn’t just a matter of personal taste.
The visual difference becomes especially obvious when a modern Windows 11 Settings page opens an older dialog that doesn’t even follow the operating system’s familiar rounded-window design.
Microsoft’s design team has now confirmed that this particular interface is on the modernization list.
Microsoft says older Windows interfaces are being rewritten
Microsoft Partner Director of Design March Rogers has confirmed that the company is gradually working through older Windows interfaces.
That includes the Voice packages dialog.
The important part here is that Microsoft isn’t suggesting that the entire Windows interface will suddenly change overnight.
Instead, the company is working through a list of older dialogs and modernizing them progressively.
This approach makes sense because many of these windows aren’t just visual shells.
They can be connected to older system components, configuration settings and functionality that Windows has depended on for years.
Replacing the interface therefore requires more than simply changing the appearance.
Even Reset this PC is getting a makeover
Another familiar example is the Reset this PC experience.
The recovery interface still contains elements that feel much closer to the Windows 8 era than the current Windows 11 design.
It is one of those screens that most people don’t see every day, but when they do, the difference is difficult to miss.
Microsoft is also working on modernizing this experience.
That matters because Reset this PC is a particularly important part of Windows. Unlike a simple settings page, it is used when users are trying to recover, refresh or reinstall their operating system.
A modern redesign therefore needs to preserve the existing functionality while bringing the interface into line with the rest of Windows 11.
Microsoft isn’t just putting a new coat of paint on everything
One of the more interesting parts of Microsoft’s Windows 11 redesign strategy is that some interfaces are being rebuilt rather than simply reskinned.
Microsoft has previously confirmed that the File Explorer Properties dialog was rebuilt using WinUI 3.
That is significant because WinUI is designed to provide modern Windows applications and interfaces with consistent controls, layouts, materials and other elements of the current Windows design language.
Microsoft has also been moving other system experiences in the same direction.
The AutoPlay experience, for example, has been rebuilt with WinUI and now provides a design that is more consistent with the rest of Windows. Microsoft says the updated experience also supports dark mode and better responds to text scaling and display settings.
The modern Run dialog shows where Microsoft is heading
The new Run dialog is another good example of Microsoft’s approach.
The traditional Win + R experience has been around for decades, but Microsoft is now offering a modern version built using WinUI 3 and C#.
The redesigned version supports familiar Run functionality while adding a modern interface, dark mode, command history and quicker navigation to the user’s home directory.
Microsoft’s documentation also says the modern version has a reported median time-to-show of 94 milliseconds, compared with 103 milliseconds for the classic version.
For now, the modern Run experience is being introduced gradually through Windows Insider builds rather than replacing every installation immediately.
That illustrates an important part of Microsoft’s strategy: modernization doesn’t necessarily mean instantly deleting the old interface.
Why is Microsoft taking so long?
Windows isn’t a single application.
It is a collection of system components, frameworks and interfaces that have accumulated over many generations.
Some of the oldest dialogs are connected to functionality that Microsoft cannot simply remove without potentially breaking compatibility.
That’s one reason the company appears to be taking a gradual approach.
Microsoft has previously acknowledged that it is working through older dialogs and rewriting them in WinUI 3 rather than attempting one enormous redesign all at once.
There is also another challenge: WinUI itself needs to be reliable enough for the Windows shell.
Microsoft has been working on improving WinUI’s performance and integration with Windows, while simultaneously expanding its use across the operating system.
Windows 11 is becoming more consistent
The bigger story isn’t really about one Voice packages dialog.
It is about consistency.
A modern operating system feels much more polished when Settings, dialogs, system tools and recovery experiences behave as though they belong to the same product.
Windows 11 has already made considerable progress in that area.
Modern Settings pages sit alongside redesigned File Explorer components, newer system dialogs and updated applications.
But the remaining legacy windows can make the transition feel incomplete.
Microsoft’s latest comments suggest that those leftovers aren’t being forgotten.
More legacy Windows screens are coming up for a redesign
The exact list of future redesigns is still evolving, and Microsoft hasn’t provided a complete public schedule for when each legacy dialog will be replaced.
For users, that means there probably won’t be one Windows Update that suddenly makes every old screen disappear.
Instead, expect the modernization to arrive piece by piece through future Windows updates and Insider builds.
The direction is nevertheless clear: Microsoft wants more of Windows to use its modern design framework rather than continuing to rely on interfaces that were created for earlier generations of the operating system.
And that could eventually make Windows 11 feel much more like one cohesive operating system instead of a mixture of Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 and even older design eras.
The Windows 11 makeover is far from over
Windows 11’s visual redesign isn’t finished.
Microsoft is still working through the less-visible corners of the operating system, including dialogs that most people only encounter occasionally.
The Voice packages interface and Reset this PC are two examples of what remains.
The good news is that Microsoft isn’t simply ignoring these older screens. The company has confirmed that it is gradually modernizing them, with WinUI 3 playing an increasingly important role in the process.
For Windows users, the eventual result should be a much more consistent experience—one where opening an obscure system dialog doesn’t suddenly feel like you’ve traveled back several versions of Windows.
For the latest rollout updates and troubleshooting guides, follow our Windows 11 coverage as more details emerge.
