Windows 7: How do I change the color of this taskbar

I hate how when I change the color of my themes, this taskbar...i guess thats what it is, is still the same color. How do I change the color of this?

Apply a third party theme...have to modify Windows system files, components, etc.

yeah i know how to change it with a third party theme, but how do I do it manually?

Ok, well how do I know you knew that? You didn't say anything about it your first post.

You do what I stated in the first place. Either use a third party theme, or modify Windows system files, components.

Look into "Resource Hacker" and search around for "Windows command bar color customize", or "Menu bar color change". There is no quick manual one-step way to do it, unless you find a program to do it for you.

Right click on any empty space of your desktop, and select "Personalize" . You will get this :


Click on the "Window Color" link, and you will get this :


Choose any color, adjust color intensity at your will, and save changes .

For more advanced color changing operations, you will need Ave's Windows7 Style Builder .

Umm, that doesn't change the command bar color.

This is the main reason that I don't use IE9. I know it sounds stupid and petty, but it just looks so lame to have my bookmarks bar a light blue, when the rest of my system is black. Why in the heck does Microsoft make this so hard to customize??

Am I missing something ? I guess so

If not, how I missed Command bar ans IE9 ?

Yeah, you are. The screenshot.

OP is mistakenly calling the command bar the taskbar. He has the command bar circled in the screenshot.

I figured it out. Thanks for all the help yall.

For anyone who is interested, this is how I did it...


Working with ResHack.

-Download and merge the Take Ownership.reg file into your registry. Download and
open Resource Hacker 3.5.2 Beta (download roughly half way down the page in a green box).
-GoTo C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero and r-click Aero.msstyles and then use the Take Ownership.
-Drag n drop Aero.msstyles into ResHack.
-Expand IMAGE and scroll down to #891 and then expand that
-Click on the "flower" and then r-click it and select Replace resource.
-Search and select your new image.
-Fill in Resource Type: IMAGE and Resource Name: 891 then click Replace.
-On the Menu bar select File and then Save.
-In the Aero theme folder you will now have your modified aero.msstyles and the original named aero_original.msstyles.
-Right click your Desktop and select Personalize.
-Select Windows 7. Once your new style has loaded the Command Module (which is its proper name) will have changed colour!