Top Windows 7 Features Removed in Windows 10

6 min. read

Updated on March 25, 2021

updated on March 25, 2021

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We’re almost nine years and many new Windows 10 operating systems far from the release of Windows 7. Nine years is a huge period in technology, and Windows is no different. In these nine years, Microsoft changed a lot of built-in features of Windows, and in this article, we’re going to present you the most notable ones.

Here are Windows 7 features that are no longer available in Windows 10

Desktop Gadgets

Probably the first thing you’re going to notice, besides user interface changes, when you turn on your computer for the first time after switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is that there are no Desktop gadgets available anymore. Actually, Microsoft didn’t remove this feature from Windows 10 only, as users of Windows 7 are also unable to download gadgets from the internet.

Microsoft stated that the main reason for this is a security vulnerability that gadgets bring. But probably the most popular and the most used desktop gadget, Sticky Notes, is still available, but as a stand alone app.

If you still want to bring Desktop Gadgets back to your OS, there are quite a few Desktop Gadgets packages that you can download on your machine. For more information on what each package brings and where to download it from, you can check out these guides:

Taskbar Transparency

It looks like Microsoft really likes to play with Windows taskbar and its transparency. Aero themes were available in Windows 7, but they was replaced with Metro UI in Windows 8. Also, in earlier builds of Windows 10 Technical Preview, you were able to adjust the transparency of the taskbar, but since the 9901 build, that option has been removed.

For now, you’re only able to set a solid color of the taskbar in Windows 10 Technical Preview. But, since we probably have a lot of builds to come in the future, there’s a chance that Microsoft will decide to bring this feature back. Also, Aero is one of the most voted features in Windows 10, and we’ll see if Microsoft is indeed ready to bring the transparency back to Windows 10.

From time to time, various bugs cause the Windows 10 taskbar to become transparent. If you want to make your taskbar permanently translucent, you can install TranslucentTB.

Libraries

Libraries aren’t completely removed from the system, but they’re just disabled by default. Many believe that the reason for that is Microsoft’s goal to increase the use of its OneDrive cloud integration. Disabling Libraries will fore users to save their files to OneDrive, instead of Libraries.

This is probably a part of Microsoft’s plan of uniting all the platforms with a single operating system. However, if you want to use Libraries, you can still turn them on, read about that in our article about Libraries.

Windows Media Center

Microsoft’s Windows Media Center was short living idea, as it was available only in Windows 7. It wasn’t completely removed from Windows 8, because users had an option of buying it. And it looks like it won’t make its return in Windows 10, because this feature isn’t available at all in Windows 10 Technical Preview builds and final Windows 10 versions.

But if you’re really missing this Windows feature, you could bring it back by performing a couple of tweaks, but it’s not recommended, because installing Windows Media Center on Windows 10 Technical Preview will prevent you from receiving future updates and builds.

The safest approach is to download a media player that’s fully supported by the OS. Here are some of the best such tools:

The Windows Experience Rating

The Windows Experience rating provides an overall mark of your computer’s performance, by running various tests in the background. Those tests rated your computers CPU, memory speed, graphic card and hard disk data transfer rate. It even has been removed in Windows 8, and we don’t see any sights of its return in Windows 10.

But Windows probably made the right move by removing this feature, because it wasn’t useful for anything in particular, and it also used some additional resources while performing experience tests.

DVD Playback

DVD playback feature isn’t available by default in Windows 10. This isn’t a major issue, and you can fix that simply by downloading any third-party multimedia application that supports DVD playback.

Basically, DVD playback still works, but if you want to use it, you’ll need to download a third-party application for it. We made a list of best DVD player software, so be sure to check it out if you need a DVD player for Windows 10.

Windows DVD Maker

Another feature that isn’t available anymore in Windows 10 is Windows DVD Maker. DVD discs are used less and less every day, therefore Microsoft decided to remove this application from Windows 10.

If you still want to create your own DVD presentations, be sure to check out our top picks for DVD authoring software.

Games

If you’re a fan of Minesweeper, Solitaire and other games, you’ll be sad to hear that they aren’t longer available by default in Windows 10.

However, you can download a proper replacement and many other games right from the Microsoft Store.

Ability to stop Windows Updates

Windows 10 brings many changes when it comes to Windows Updates. In Windows 7 you had the ability to turn off Windows Update completely or choose manually which updates you want to download.

In Windows 10 that’s not the case, and you’ll have to download all updates eventually. You can delay feature updates up to a year and improvement and security updates up to 30 days.

There are also some other features removed in Windows 10, like redesigned blue screen, improved parental control, or changed backup options. All in all Microsoft continued the evolution of Windows with constant improvements and changes of the system. Microsoft made a good decision with removing some features, and some features maybe should still be present in the Windows, it’s on you to give a judgement.

Despite Microsoft’s continuous efforts, almost 40% of all Windows users prefer to use Windows 7. The Redmond giant recently launched a new Windows 10 upgrade campaign hoping to convince Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10.

Now, if you want to install the latest Windows 10 OS version, first you need to install KB4457139. This update gets your PC ready for the upgrade process, helping you to install Windows 10 more smoothly.

In case you change your mind and you want to return to Windows 7 after upgrading to Windows 10, follow the instructions listed in this guide.

RELATED GUIDES TO CHECK OUT:

More about the topics: windows 10, windows 7

Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting. When he's not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.