Microsoft has dropped the good old desktop Calculator from Windows 10 in favor of the metro or modern Calculator app. As you know, the desktop Calculator in Windows 7 and Windows 8 sports a simple interface but is very powerful.
With the Calculator available in Windows 7 and Windows 8, we can not only perform basic calculations but we can switch to scientific, programmer or statistics mode for advanced calculations. In addition to that, allows unit conversion, and date calculation. Options to calculate fuel economy, lease, and mortgage payments are also available.
The new modern-style Calculator in Windows 10 although looks elegant, it looks to have designed especially for touch inputs. The current version of the modern Calculator in Windows 10 doesn’t include all the advanced modes present in the traditional Calculator program.
The other downside is that it can’t be launched from Run dialog box unlike the traditional Calculator program. As you know, the old Calculator program can be launched in Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 right from Run command box by simply typing Calc command.
Now if you aren’t impressed with the new Calculator app in Windows 10, you can download the old Windows 7-style Calculator for Windows 10. Our good friend at WinAero has ported the classic Calculator to Windows 10, meaning you can continue using your favorite Calculator program even in the latest version of Windows without any issues.
Method 1 to get old Calculator in Windows 10
To get the old Calculator in Windows 10:
Step 1: Visit this page and download the Calculator app zip file.
Step 2: Extract the downloaded zip file to get Old Calculator for Windows 10 installer.
Step 3: Double-click on the installer, select your language and then follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
That’s it!
Method 2 to get old Calculator in Windows 10
And if you prefer downloading a Calculator from Microsoft, you can download Microsoft Calculator Plus program.
Microsoft Calculator Plus although was released a decade ago, it is compatible with Windows 10 as well. Just like traditional Windows Calculator program we all are familiar with, it also includes standard, scientific and conversion modes. The default look of Calculator is not really usable but you can switch to the Classic view to make it look like the traditional Calculator program.
Visit the following page to download Microsoft Calculator Plus program for Windows 10.
Download Calculator Plus
Method 3 to get classic Calculator in Windows 10
If you’re not interested in downloading and installing the ported Calculator or the above mentioned Calculator Plus, you can search the web for third-party calculator programs. There are plenty of free Calculator programs out there for Windows.
JTSmith says
Just chiming in, in case future readers see the post by Captain Pugwash and assume they’ll face the same issue with the calculator window not moving; I’ve tried on several builds (v1803, 1809, 19H1 preview, & 20H1 preview), and, like Mick PoopyPants, the window moves just fine for me.
Just to reiterate, what WinAero did is take the old, original Windows calculator (calc.exe) file from a Windows 8.1 installation, along with its associated resources, and create an installer that cans be used to install it on Windows 10. Thus, they did not create a new calculator application, and consequently, they cannot update the application to accommodate DPI issues or repair any bugs, present or future. If any issues occur, that means they are inherent to the original Windows 8.1 calculator, too, and the only alternative would be to install a third-party application (or MS Calculator Plus).
That said, the WinAero port works perfectly for me at several resolutions, including 1080p and 1440p. It remembers screen location and other settings, like scientific mode and history on, upon subsequent openings. More than one instance can be opened, which is VERY helpful! The installer creates a Start menu entry. It can pinned to the Taskbar, and one can open it using the (WIN+R) Run dialog by typing calc and pressing enter.
HELPFUL NOTE: At first after installing the WinAero port, typing calc into the Start menu defaults to opening the “modern” Calculator app (Windows searches for “calc” and suggests the “modern” app at the top); WinAero’s “old” Calculator application is listed below that. HOWEVER, you can teach the Start menu to default to opening the old Calculator instead by typing calc, then manually clicking the icon for the old Calculator instead of the modern app. After doing this 2-4 times, Windows search will “learn” that when you type calc, you intend to open the old Calculator, and it will now appear at the top of the search results instead of the modern app. From that point forward, you can type calc into the Start menu, press Enter, and the old Calculator application will open, NOT the modern app. I hope that makes sense! :)
Mick PoopyPants says
Thank god for this. I uninstalled the Windows 10 spyware calculator. It kept opening up TCP port connections and even started running in the background on its own after the newest updates. Time to find something else, and I ended up here. Good old calc.exe
Thanks guys. I didn’t have any errors and it opened and moved around nicely. It is a bit small for my screen and for touch its probably not going to be very useful but touch works as well. So if there is one thing negative to say is to make it a little bigger or resizable.
All in all great app.
Captain Pugwash says
Problem with WinAero calculator is it pops up on your screen, but you can’t drag it anywhere. For me that makes it totally useless… I have loads of “stuff” on my desktop running at the same time. Maybe time to switch to Linux?
Fady says
Great tip ! Thanks.
Andreas Ringler says
Very good, thank you.
sf says
THanks a bunch!
James says
I know I am a little old fashioned but I found on the Win10 calc, the copy and paste is not consistent. In Win 7 the last number copied was what was pasted. In 10 it does that, but not all the time. This might not be a calc issue but it is with the calc I found the inconsistency.
PS says
Thank you so much for a wonderful solution. Really appreciate it. Worked without a hitch.
Mike says
Calculator was working fine for me until the latest major update of Windows 10. Now it shimmies when I bring it up & I cannot use the keyboard with it. It seems to work when I use the mouse but that is awkward & doesn’t allow me to make a correction if I happen to click on the wrong button. I’m using a desktop with no touch screen that was originally a Windows/XP machine upgraded to Windows 7 & then Windows 10. I have some other issues with Windows 10 where everything worked fine under Windows 7 but work only with difficulty under Windows 10.
Kim Iverson says
Been having trouble with the Store in Win 10 and none of the fixes have been working for me. Downside? I can’t get the calculator open for anything, not even by trying fixes in the durn command prompt and powershell. I’ve been hunting around for a simple calculator so I could work with my numbers every day (I’m a writer) and not have to worry about opening the mobile phone or a web page to calculate my numbers every day. Huge thank you for this post and the link. Works great.
HelRiv says
What on earth was wrong with the old calculator? And not only to mention many of the changes made like to the arrows, the delete button – I can go on forever. I had Windows 7 and the only reason I have Widows 10 is that I had to get a new computer – my old one died. I also dislike the new keyboard.
Jerry says
On my Logitech Keyboard, I have a calculator button, and when I press it up pops the calculator. On the Windows 7 calculator, I could start putting in numbers and immediately from the keyboard number pad and it would accept them. I find on Windows 10 most of the time, I have to go to the display part and click there 1st before I can start imputing data. My question is what do I need to do to windows 10 calculator to make it operate like windows 7; that is be able to start using it immediately without going to the display, clicking there 1st, then start using it with my keyboard keypad. I want it to default to “standard” automatically. I understand if you wanted to use another function you would have to click on that function 1st before imputing data; but most of the time I just want standard function. There should be a way to make whichever function you commonly use to be the default to save time. So how do we accomplish this.
Incidentally, it would be nice if the type here was a bold black to make it easy to read, this light grey, is hard to see.
Diane l Kennedy says
I just located your web site and bookmarked it. It is great for all types of information needed to make Windows 10 act the way you want it to. I hope that you can help me with something.
All my apps are missing from the left side of my screen. I can’t every get my calculator plus that I downloaded. I like not seeing them – desktop now like Windows 7, but I would like to find my programs without doing a search.
Evan says
Apparently you can do Calc in the run box TWICE and the second time it launches!?
Pat Salecki says
I too am extremely unhappy with windows 10 so far. I really feel like you have dumbed down all the applications to eliminate the need to actually know what to do yourself. That makes me unhappy. I know what to do and I don’t want to have to go through a wild goose hunt to find what I need in your new version. Searching my files was so much easie before and I do not like the new calculator. What was wrong with the old one, it was great. So many problems Microsoft, when will you get your act together??????
getrightone says
Microsoft Calculator Plus is not the same calculator I had on Windows 7. Method One zip file is the same.
Dumbdown_Win10 says
They really are dumbing down the features of Windows for DESKTOP users via making most of the basic yet important functions tied/dependent on Windows Store as an App. You can’t litellary run it if your decide to disable Windows Store/UAC. Please MS just make a pure DESKTOP OS for DESKTOP/LAPTOP users and for MOBILE/TABLET users exclusively!!!
carson63000 says
The removal of the calculator is reason enough for me to stay on Windows 8.1. Now someone is going to come up with a counter-reason to persuade me to upgrade.
Henry says
Thanks for the tip. I can’t imagine taking away features and thought the date and mortgage features were very useful. I will be going back to the Win7 calc.