Color Control

Dear Forum Members,

Hope you're well. I've used computers since 1980. I just upgraded to Win 7 (Home Premium). I have a screen color control problem. It does not involve calibration. I'm not concerned about shades of color, but need to help to get onto the screen, my choice of basic display colors.

I use a black screen background with white text, in Word, Excel, Firefox, etc. This set-up minimizes eye strain: the only active (illuminated) pixels are those bearing information.

My color choice means that in the "Title" box above this window - by which I submit this post - I cannot see what I type. Even if I highlight what I've typed, I only see a black box. The letters are not visible. However, within this text-entry window, I get white text on a black background.

Further, within Win7, I cannot see document titles, when I list drive contents. However, the documents' parameters are visible: black on white (instead of white on black). How can I get a black background with white text, throughout Windows?

For example, under "Windows Color and Appearance", if I select White for "Window Text" for the "Active Window", I also get White for "Message Text" for item "Message Box". While I definitely want to keep "White" for the text in the "Active Window", I want to use another color for "Message Text" in the "Message Box". Is there a way to de-link the color choices for "Window Text" and "Message Text".

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.

Yours faithfully,

Topspook

Dear Brianzion,

Thank You for your reply. There is not any obvious way, to separate the parameters I described. Changing "Active Window - Window Text" changes "Message Box - Message Text". I used these terms, to convey that I had gotten to this color control area, but had found no way to separate these parameters.

I need a way to separate these two parameters. Without such a separation, I cannot have - at the same time - white letters on a black background, and readable menus and lists.

I cannot imagine, why the code-writers decided to connect these two parameters. I cannot see any other such connections. That is, all of the other colors can be controlled separately, that is, parameter-by-parameter.

Yours faithfully,

Topspook

Dear Brianzion,

Hope you're well and thank You, for your further reply. The problem with trying to use Google, is that "color-related" inquiries produce results related to the control of a color's shades or values, as distinct from controlling where a color appears.

I would not know what terms to use, to begin to search Microsoft's vast storehouse of knowledge. Software engineers might have a specific term to describe the solution I seek. Because I don't know how software engineers describe the problem, I don't know how to seek the solution.

If You can suggest the correct terms to use, I'll cheerfully try.

Yours faithfully,

Topspook

Dear Brianzion,

Thank You, for your reply. The tutorials have two entries that deal with color, neither of which addresses my question. One has to do with creating a color management shortcut. The only appears to deal with color intensity, etc.

Best Regards,

Topspook