Inactive Selection colour in Windows Classic Theme

Hi All

I've just started to use Windows 7 and I have a whole set of problems with Windows 7 hopefully this forum can help me out, but we'll start with this one for today:


I'm using Windows classic theme for various reasons:
e.g. full path shows in title bar, active windows are easier to distinguish etc, i just prefer it.

But if I have two explorer windows open and select a file in one window, focus the other window and select a file BOTH windows have the selected files coloured the same way, i.e. dark blue

The unfocussed window should have it's selected files made grey.

How do I change this ?

mitchell65 said:

I have now set my system to Classic Theme and have replicated the problem! Have found this link:
Changing Display Settings, Background Image, Icons, and Screen Saver (Windows 7) | HP® Support
but cannot see how to change selected file highlight color in inactive window anywhere. I think the answer here is:
"This is Windows 7 not Windows XP. There are differences and this is one of them."
Interested to hear though why you might need to have two windows open at a time?

The reasons for having multiple explorer windows open are too many to mention! I can't believe that is a serious question? File management, copying files, comparing directories, moving files, drag and drop, multitaksing, working on more than one thing at once ?

As for 'that just being a difference' I realise it is a difference, but it's different from every other version of window notwithstanding vista as I havent used that.

The reason this was a problem for me was I had 12,000 files and I was copying block of 1000 files out of one directory into another. I was selecting the files with SHIFT and PGUP to get 1000 and drag over to other window. But I kept selecting the files in the wrong window as it's difficult to see which window is focussed/active as the selection is the same colour either way.

Regardless with Aero on - it doesn't have this problem, the highlight selection works as it should, so I still believe this is a bug and/or a setting needs to be changed somewhere.

Theres so many basic issues with win7 explorer I can't believe anyone actually tested it in a real world use case. Slowly working my way though them.

mitchell65 said:

Well that has put me firmly in my place hasn't it? I have a gven more thought to your problem but as my idea will probably be dismissed I will leave this thread to others who may wish to respond. I have just one small problem, I couldn't understand why, if you are located in the UK your local time is shown as 6.46 am whereas mine (and I know I am in the UK) is 1.46pm. I think you appear to be in the wrong timezone!

I welcome any input, but I was a bit shocked to hear some ask why I would use two explorer windows ? As if I could solve the problem by using only one.... At any time I can have up to around 10-20 explorer windows open, but maybe only working with 2 or 3 at once. This is fundamental part of the WIMP environment that has been the a main computer interface for the last 25 years.And not to put too finer point on it, the Operating system is called 'Windows' and not just 'Window'.

I am seriously considering using xplorer2 as a explorer alternative to get some work done.

Does anyone know how to get current path in the title bar of an aero window?

I do not know why my time is set the way it is, it is 14:22 here in UK (BST) currently.

thanks. I'll try free commander out