New
#1
Remove the "Focus Rectangle" from Icons
The Focus Rectangle has always been a part of Windows, ever since Windows 3.1. But in Windows 7 it seems it acts a bit differently, or the way it appears and disappears randomly is simply a bug; I won't make any certain statements. But here's the deal:
Whenever you change the desktop background or a theme in Windows 7, the Focus Rectangle becomes visible.
Now, I have found a few solutions or registry hacks to completely remove this (but only for XP), and as some people may actually use it, it's not recommended to completely remove it. So the answer is actually quite simple:
Restart the PC. On the next boot the Focus Rectangle will be gone and will not appear until you change the desktop background or the theme again.
Perhaps a simple Log Off can do the trick as well, I haven't tested, but I think it should work as well.
Yet, if you really want to risk it and try to remove it, you can use the Universal Focus Rectangle Remover I found on the Neowin Forums. Use administrator priviledges when running whatever is in the ZIP file (I do not wish to test this).
Installation:
1. Unpack the downloaded archive
2. Use x86 setup for 32bit systems; for 64bit systems, you need to use both files included in the archive.
3. Log off or restart the PC.
This fix works for both Windows 7 and Vista!
EDITED to add new link, courtesy of Bongo :)
Last edited by Gornot; 22 Aug 2013 at 08:59.