Windows 11 lets you change how your desktop looks using themes. Themes change your background picture, colors, sounds, and even your mouse cursor. There are many themes to choose from, including ones for different seasons and styles.

If you want to make sure people using your computer can’t change the desktop theme, this guide will show you two easy ways to do that.

What Are Desktop Themes?

Think of desktop themes as a package that changes several things on your screen at once:

• Background wallpaper
• Window colors
• Sounds
• Mouse pointer style

You can pick from preset themes or install new ones. But sometimes, especially on shared computers, you might want to stop others from switching the look around.

How to Stop Users from Changing Themes Using Local Group Policy Editor

This method is good if you have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. It uses a built-in tool called Local Group Policy Editor.

1. Click the Start button (the Windows icon on the taskbar).
2. Type Edit group policy in the search box and press Enter.
3. When the Local Group Policy Editor window opens, look at the left side.
4. Click the arrows to open folders in this order:
   
   
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization
   
5. On the right side, find the setting called Prevent changing theme and double-click it.
6. In the new window, select Enabled to stop users from changing themes.
7. Click OK to save.
8. Close the editor and restart your computer for the changes to work.

What do the options mean?

• Not Configured: Users can change themes (default setting).
• Enabled: Users cannot change or save themes.
• Disabled: Users can change themes (same as Not Configured).

How to Stop Users from Changing Themes Using Windows Registry (If Group Policy Editor isn’t available)

If your Windows 11 version doesn’t have the Group Policy Editor (like Windows Home), you can use this method. It involves editing the Windows Registry, so be careful and follow these steps exactly.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor:

• Press Windows key + R on your keyboard.
• Type regedit and press Enter.
• If asked by User Account Control, click Yes.

Step 2: Navigate to this folder:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

If the Explorer folder doesn’t exist:

• Right-click on the Policies folder.
• Choose New > Key.
• Name the new key Explorer.

Step 3: Create a new setting:

• Click on the Explorer folder.
• Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Name it NoThemesTab.
• Double-click on NoThemesTab and set its value to 1.
• Click OK.

Step 4: Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC.

What does the value mean?

• 1 = Prevent users from changing desktop themes.
• 0 = Allow users to change desktop themes.

Summary

• You can stop users from changing desktop themes in Windows 11.
• Use the Local Group Policy Editor if your Windows supports it.
• If not, use the Registry Editor method carefully.
• Always restart your computer after making these changes.

These steps help keep the look of your desktop the same for everyone using the computer.

Need more help? Check out this article on resetting Group Policy settings: Reset Group Policy Settings in Windows 11