As for design, Microsoft recently rolled out dark mode to some of the legacy dialogs in Windows 11, starting with file operation dialogs.
March added that Microsoft has already redesigned the file copy dialog internally, and it’s also working on the common file dialog.
“The file copy dialog is already done, the common file dialog is on our list.”Microsoft hasn’t reworked these legacy dialogs in decades, so it will be interesting to watch how it plays out.
For example, the new Run dialog is being rewritten in WinUI, and you’d assume that it must be slower than the current Run dialog, but that’s not the case.
According to Microsoft, legacy Run median time-to-show is 103ms, while modern Run loads in just under 94ms.
Microsoft says it’s working on a major redesign of all existing legacy dialog boxes in Windows 11, and it’s going to be more than just a dark theme. Right now, Windows barely has modern (WinUI 3)-based pop-ups or dialogs, as most of the operating system falls back to the legacy side. This will change in the next big update.
Microsoft has repeatedly told us that it plans to fundamentally improve the operating system. When Microsoft says “fundamental improvements,” it refers to the areas that truly matter, including memory management, overall performance, a consistent design language, and more.
We’re already seeing performance improvements with features like Low Latency Profile and a more reliable explorer.exe.
As for design, Microsoft recently rolled out dark mode to some of the legacy dialogs in Windows 11, starting with file operation dialogs.
If you haven’t noticed it yet, try turning on dark mode if it’s disabled, and then perform file operations, such as moving all your files from one partition to another. The new file transfer with a dark background is immediately visible.
Similar dark mode improvements have rolled out across the operating system over the last few months, including file copy, delete, cut, and other file operations.
This is a step above having light-themed legacy dialogs in dark mode, but it’s far from being modern unless it’s replaced with a WinUI 3 counterpart.
A great example is Windows Run, which was developed decades ago and is now being redesigned using WinUI as an optional update.
It looks like Microsoft is planning to continue pursuing that path, if a new statement by a senior executive is anything to go by.
Microsoft teases major design update for Windows 11
As first spotted by Windows Latest on X, one user argued that modernizing the Run dialog is a great step, but Windows still has many older dialogs that need more than a fresh coat of paint.
One user pointed to examples like the common file open dialog, which is the dialog that shows up when you’re trying to browse a partition for files, folders, or a certain path.
Another user tagged several Microsoft Windows employees and asked for these older dialogs to be updated. Luckily, one of the executives responded to the question and promised that a major redesign effort is indeed underway.
March Rogers, who is Partner Director of Design at Microsoft, says the company is working through its list of older dialogs and rewriting them in WinUI.
March added that Microsoft has already redesigned the file copy dialog internally, and it’s also working on the common file dialog.
“We are working through our list of all older dialogs and rewriting them in WinUI 3,” March wrote in an X post. “The file copy dialog is already done, the common file dialog is on our list.”
Microsoft hasn’t reworked these legacy dialogs in decades, so it will be interesting to watch how it plays out.
But modern WinUI-based features are slower than legacy Win32 features, so will this rewrite hurt Windows 11’s performance?
If you haven’t been following Windows development closely, you might argue that WinUI will use more memory and undermine Microsoft’s efforts to make Windows 11 faster.
It’s a fair argument, as modern apps or redesigns are indeed slower, and one of the best examples is File Explorer. But is that still the case? File Explorer in Windows 11 25H2 with the May 2026 Update is much faster than the original modernization efforts, largely because WinUI has made significant progress.
For example, the new Run dialog is being rewritten in WinUI, and you’d assume that it must be slower than the current Run dialog, but that’s not the case. New Run is faster than the legacy version by a few milliseconds.
According to Microsoft, legacy Run median time-to-show is 103ms, while modern Run loads in just under 94ms. While it’s not a huge number on paper, it does tell you that the modern UI framework isn’t necessarily slow any longer, and if Microsoft rewrites legacy dialogs in WinUI, it wouldn’t really ruin Windows 11.
The implementation just needs to be done the right way, and based on my conversation with a couple of senior executives at Microsoft, it’s already happening.
Microsoft is slowly working with its partners, developers, and others to make these UI surfaces feel snappy.
Microsoft understands some of you love the legacy side of Windows, and it’s not going to ruin it for you
The original Windows Run dialog has been built with legacy UI/API (Win32), and it works well enough. We all have different use cases for Run. Some use it for what it’s designed to do: run a command or open a specific directory, while others use it to remove formatting from text.
Microsoft doesn’t want to ruin it, so it developed a modern version and made it entirely optional, which needs to be turned on from Advanced settings in the Settings app.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the other modern dialogs ship as optional features initially, and Microsoft takes all your feedback before shipping them as the default.
Do you think it is a good idea to rewrite legacy dialogs in WinUI? Let me know in the comments below.
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