Microsoft is systematically updating legacy dialog boxes in Windows 11 to align with modern design standards. March Rogers, Director of Design Partnerships, confirmed that even rarely used interfaces, such as the speech pack settings, are included in the redesign roadmap.
The company is utilizing WinUI 3 to rewrite outdated elements. The strategy involves two approaches: either fully refactoring components using the new framework or, for higher-risk areas, adding support for dark mode to existing legacy windows to maintain system stability.
Recent updates include the File Properties dialog, which has been fully rebuilt. The new Run dialog, developed with C# and WinUI 3, demonstrated improved performance with a median startup time of 94 milliseconds, compared to 103 milliseconds for the legacy version.
Future updates will target the AutoPlay prompt, the Reset this PC interface, and the Windows 8-style input switcher on the login screen. Despite these efforts, Microsoft confirmed that the traditional Control Panel will remain part of the operating system.
