State of the Windows: how many layers of UI inconsistencies are in Windows 10?

We've all heard this riddle: if you dig down deep enough in Windows 10, you'll find elements that date from Windows 3.x days. But is it actually true? In this article we'll discover just how many UI layers are in Windows and when they were first introduced.

This is just painful to read. It highlights just how messy, inconsistent, and jarring Windows has become, which is a damn shame, since during the days of the Classic' theme, Windows was actually quite consistent and predictable. It's pretty much been downhill since Microsoft introduced the Luna theme in Windows XP, and it's clear Windows 11 isn't fixing this issue either.

To dispel a common myth - this issue does not just affect what the various parts of Windows look like - it also affects how they act and behave. There are still scrollable areas in Windows 10 that do not register mouse wheel input, or cramped dialogs and windows that should be resizable but aren't, all because they were designed in the era of Windows 95 or even Windows 3.x. This is simply inexcusable, and the fact a massive company like Microsoft does not seem at all interested in addressing these issues, preferring to develop yet another five new application frameworks not even Microsoft will use, shows how little they actually care.