Remove shaded box around desktop icons, etc?

jetsetter883 · 27 May 2012

Been looking all over for a way to disable the obnoxious shaded boxes and rectangles that appear whenever I hover my mouse over desktop icons as well as file selections in Explorer. I know what file I'm about to click, it doesn't need to be highlighted for me. The option of de-selecting 'Show translucent selection rectangle' in System Properties > Advanced > Settings > Performance does not work unfortunately.

I don't recall this feature in XP and it's been annoying me ever since upgrading to 7.

Has anybody found a workaround for this? Hack? Patch? Registry setting?

C-11 · 27 May 2012

Welcome to Seven Forums.

To disable tooltips follow the steps given below.

1. Click on Start, click on Control Panel, click on Classic View, and click on Folder Options.
2. Click on the View tab, scroll down to the bottom, and uncheck Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items.
3. Click Apply, and then click OK.
4. You will no longer receive tooltips for folder and desktop items.

For more information follow the link.
Tooltips and Infotips

Disable ToolTips Windows 7 - Microsoft Answers

Also How to Enable/Disable folders size ToolTips in Windows-7 Explorer?

Bongo · 27 May 2012

I don't know of a way to turn it off but the images in the aero.msstyles can but edited making them transparent.
If you are using the default aero theme I can change that for you, using Windows Style Builder and post it here in a zip folder.
If you are using a custom theme you will need to ask the theme maker. It's not cool to change someone else work.
&
This will be a custom theme and you will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
Enabling Custom Themes - Windows 7
Or
Theme - How to Apply Custom Themes

Let me know.
Jerry

jetsetter883 · 27 May 2012

Thank you for replying Flatiron. Unfortunately the solution you provided only applies to 'pop up description'. These are somewhat as well, but I can live with them. The thing I am referring to is the box you see around desktop icons when you hover your mouse cursor over it. This is the thing I am trying to get rid of.

@Jerry - Thanks, I will look into that. At the moment I am not using any third party theme just a bunch of tweaks. So far I've been able to 'hack' most of the little annoyances so far but this one remains.

C-11 · 27 May 2012

I think I see what your talking about now.

In Windows 7, a transparent blue square appears around any icon if you move the mouse slowly across it or if you select it with one click. To remove this feature, right-click on your desktop, select "Personalize" and click "Window Color." Windows 7 is flexible enough that you can change colors or change the intensity of the colors to suit your needs. You can also change your theme from an Aero theme to a Windows Classic theme, removing the transparent effect and making your icons and desktop look like Windows 98.

I played around some with those settings and couldn't get it to disappear. Maybe you can.
I didn't try Windows Classic theme either, because I don't like it.

jetsetter883 · 27 May 2012

yup that's the box I'm talking about. I find it irritating.. The Windows Classic theme will get rid of it but that theme is almost too classic for my taste, if it was XP theme though i'd be all about it! Please let me know if you come across a solution for this though.

Bongo · 27 May 2012

jetsetter883 said:

yup that's the box I'm talking about. I find it irritating.. The Windows Classic theme will get rid of it but that theme is almost too classic for my taste, if it was XP theme though i'd be all about it! Please let me know if you come across a solution for this though.

That's what my post above will do if you do not find any other way.
Jerry

cyberserf2000 · 06 Dec 2012

Jerry,

I want to remove the blue box on hover. really annoying. I have windows 7 style builder. Can you tell me where I can find the setting to remove it? there are so many options to chose from.

Thanks!

Bongo · 06 Dec 2012

cyberserf2000 said:

Jerry,

I want to remove the blue box on hover. really annoying. I have windows 7 style builder. Can you tell me where I can find the setting to remove it? there are so many options to chose from.

Thanks!

That would be at
Explorer & Shell > Explorer > ListView > ListItem > Hot
You will need to edit the image.

Jerry

cyberserf2000 · 07 Dec 2012

well, after tons of time and frustration I finally got it to work. I didn't realize I need to edit within Style builder which brings up an external editor.

now I noticed that once the icon is actually clicked on the desktop then the blue box is still there.
any setting to change that?

also another question, under the Start menu and then "Programs" we have all our folders with applications installed. Is there any way to change the yellow folder icons for all the folders all at once instead of going through each one?

Thanks!