Enable Transparent Icons registry tweak

Windows 7 registry scripts don't seem to work sometimes. That's why I always recommend you save the file in Notepad and save the encoding format as ANSI. That should eliminate the error message the error message, "Windows Registry Editor cannot import binary files"

I will try to provide an undo file with each script that I post however, a few will not remove the entry completely although it will not harm the computer in any way. I will also try to provide side effects that can happen when applying the tweaks.
Since most people are using Aero, there is no to change some options relating to Windows Text,colors, fonts, scrollbar width, etc

The most important one is the use of transparent icons. If you notice on your screen where an icon is on a dark or white background it is very difficult to read what the icon is.

This first registry hack eliminates that problem.

It can be fully tested by right-clicking on the desktop, choose personalize > Desktop background > Windows Desktop Backgrounds, choose select all shuffle every 10 seconds. You'll now notice a dark shadow if the icon is located on a white area of the background, making it very easy to read.

Copy and paste the following into Notepad, choose Save As... Make sure to select All Files and ANSI encoding and name it transparenticons.reg. You need to manually add the .reg to the end of the files.Name the undo file transparenticonsundo.reg.

Please NOTE: This forum wraps some lines. It should read CurrentVersion,, not Curre ntVersion.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000001

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000001
and here is the undo file although I don't know why anyone would want it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000
This was my own discovery. In later posts I'll be showing how to change the Windows Text color (I prefer blue) as well as other items related to any windowed program..Even if you switch to Windows Basic or Classic and modify these entries, they do not carry over when you re-enable the Windows 7 themes. So the registry is the only place these options can be modified.

Sorry,

Yes, I am running the 32-bit version, should have noted that.

Night Hawk said:

You must be referring to these items you check off or uncheck in the custom option.

Yes that is the option i was talking about, which is what this registry setting is for. Not anything to do with transparent icons.

Yes,

I now see that that works as well.

After my install the shadow was not enabled by default, so I ran Sysinternals Process Monitor and located that setting.

Strange that Microsoft states that these options are only available for Windows basic or an ease of Access theme..