Reckoner screens tin be glaringly bright, specially in the dark. Effort reducing centre strain past using a nighttime Windows visual style and spider web browser theme. Yous tin even give every web folio you view a white-text-on-blackness-background look.

High-Contrast Themes

You tin choose from two types of dark themes for Windows vii: a loftier-contrast theme—which won't wait as pretty merely doesn't require whatsoever additional software, or a third-party dark theme, for which you demand to perform a piffling hack on Windows to install information technology.

Both Windows 7 and Windows 8 have several built-in High Contrast themes you can apply to get a nighttime desktop and applications. Right-click your desktop, select Personalize, and select one of the Loftier Contrast themes. Experience free to try each and see which you prefer.

Windows 7 high contrast

Dark Themes for Windows 7 and Windows eight.one

The high-contrast themes aren't ideal. They're designed for accessibility, not eye candy. They also don't utilise Aero, then they're not properly hardware accelerated and don't expect equally prissy.

However, Microsoft doesn't support third-party Windows 7 dark themes. Download the UltraUXThemePatcher installer, run information technology, and reboot your computer to patch your system.

The tool modifies the uxtheme.dll file in Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.one to load whatever theme you like—past default, it checks themes you lot endeavor to load and only loads them if they're signed by Microsoft.

Once the patch is applied, you can download theme files and drop them in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. They'll appear in the Personalization dialog.

Selected Dark Themes for Windows seven and Windows viii.1

Since you can choose from and so many different themes, here are a few samples.

Some of these dark themes as well come with icons and fonts—the screenshots below show how they look without the additional bits. Deport in heed that the themes won't look perfect in every plan, as many programs just assume you're using the Microsoft-provided default themes.

Nighttime Agility for Windows 7 focuses on providing a dark interface. Many dark themes for Windows vii provide a night toolbar and white content panes, but Dark Agility goes all the way. Compare information technology to the high-contrast theme above, and you'll run into simply why you'd want to use a third-party theme. Information technology's much slicker.

dark agility theme windows 7

Dark Pearl VS for Windows 7  incorporates more than greyness for additional dissimilarity. The content panes are no longer blindingly white, and then it's a nice compromise between an all-black or all-vivid theme, making information technology a neat dark theme for Windows 7.

dark pearl windows 7

Steam VS for Windows 7 uses night grays that match how Valve's Steam gaming service looks.

steam vs windows 7

Abisso 2014 for Windows viii.one is well-nigh as dark as you lot tin can get. Information technology'due south all black aside from the text and interface elements, which are white and blue to stand out. The contrast makes it a tidy dark theme for Windows eight.1.

abisso 2014 windows 7

Bank check out the visual styles for Windows 7 or visual styles for Windows 8 categories on deviantART to find more than themes.

Dark Browser Themes for Windows vii and 8.one

Y'all'll probably want to install a night browser skin, so your spider web browser fits in with your night Windows theme.

The themes hither are just suggestions—you'll find many more dark themes on your web browser'due south theme-download website.

Slinky Elegant for Chrome provides a overnice-looking, minimal dark theme that makes Chrome mesh with your new nighttime desktop.

slinky elegant theme chrome

Night Fox for Firefox gives you a dark Firefox logo in your toolbar every bit well as white, brightly colored buttons.

dark fox for firefox

Dark Theme Spider web Styles

User styles can go across theming your desktop and the applications running on it. Y'all can accept user styles give a single website—or even the entire web—a night await. These piece of work by applying a CSS style. You'll demand the Fashionable extension installed to utilize these scripts in Chrome, Firefox, or Opera.

Midnight Surfing Alternative is a user style that attempts to turn every web folio y'all see into a nighttime theme. Of form, it won't work perfectly on every site.

midnight surfing alternative for chrome

Dark Google Minimalist attempts to do the same affair, but only for Google. Information technology won't interfere with other websites.

Search userstyles.org for "Night" to find dark themes for other websites.

The Best Dark Themes for Windows seven and Windows 8.1

You've got a great list of dark themes for Windows 7 and 8.1! We hope these help reduce strain on your eyes and provide a more pleasant browsing experience; these dark themes are also helpful if you're just looking for a modify of pace.

Recently upgraded to Windows x? You have far more customization options as far as dark themes go. Give your eyes a break!