This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing the theme for all or specific users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
A theme is a combination of the desktop background, lock screen background, colors, sounds, and mouse pointers.
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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