A theme is a combination of the desktop background, lock screen background, colors, sounds, and mouse pointers.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing the theme for all or specific users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
You must be signed in as and administrator to enable or disable changing the theme.
Contents
- Option One: Enable or Disable Change Theme for All or Specific Users in Local Group Policy Editor
- Option Two: Enable or Disable Change Theme for All Users using REG file
EXAMPLE: Change theme disabled
The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
All editions can use Option Two to configure the same policy.
1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.
2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization
3 In the right pane of Personalization in the Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Prevent changing theme policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)
4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you want.
5 Enable Change Theme
This is the default setting.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured. (see screenshot below)
B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7.
6 Disable Change Theme
A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)
B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7.
7 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.
1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.
2 Enable Change Theme for All Users
This is the default setting
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Enable_change_theme_for_all_users.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoThemesTab"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoThemesTab"=-3 Disable Change Theme for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Disable_change_theme_for_all_users.reg
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoThemesTab"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoThemesTab"=dword:000000014 Save the REG file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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