Windows Forms and Aero don't mix well -- how do I make them look native?

Question

It's rather annoying: Windows Forms controls don't look or feel native; they don't glow/fade like they're supposed to.

For example, the top button is not native, but the bottom one is:

So how do I get this native look/feel in .NET? Is there a way to do it without using an external library?

I'd never seen anybody use the 'answer your own question' feature, until now. Glad someone is using it. — Kendall Frey, Jun 14 '12 at 16:34
@KendallFrey: I guess that means I can later say that I was using it before it was cool. :-) — user541686, Jun 14 '12 at 21:20

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 14 '12 at 16:23

Yes! Just set the FlatStyle property on your control to System, instead of Standard, which is the default.
It's not easy to notice, but it's that easy to fix!

Just be aware that this can subtly affect the control in some situations -- a simple search on FlatStyle.System should point you to the caveats.

Windows Forms and Aero don't mix well -- how do I make them look native?

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