Solved How to change background color of Folders in Windows 7

Download


Press the download button and Save rqColor.bat to your Downloads folder


Open a Command Prompt (standard user is ok)

Enter the following commands

Attach the resulting text file, HKCUcolor.txt, to a new post.
(use the paperclip icon on the posting menu to attach the file)

Thanks,

Bill
.

There was no text file ? Unless you wanted me to take a picture of the c-prompt after I entered it ? I did open it but it just auto opened the c-prompt then closed.

Hmm, I checked the batch file on the post above and there should be a HKCUcolor.txt file in your downloads.

Instead of trying to find out what happened, just run these commands in a c-prompt

Grab a screen shot after the each command and post the screen shots

Have it now thanks.

Ok, it looks as though the values in the default subkey for both keys are incorrect (note the commas)
All sub keys under Desktop\Colors also have commas, should be spaces, not commas
regedit and modify the
Default subkey - delete the value


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors
InfoWindow 27 169 228
Window 27 169 228



Look at Callender's screen shots in post# 15 - it should be

Slartybart said:

Ok, it looks as though the values in the default subkey for both keys are incorrect (note the commas)
All sub keys under Desktop\Colors also have commas, should be spaces, not commas

27 169 228​

regedit and modify the
Default subkey - delete the value


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors
InfoWindow 27 169 228
Window 27 169 228



Look at Callender's screen shots in post# 15 - it should be

Default (value not set)​

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
[B](Default)    REG_SZ    27,169,228[/B]
InfoWindow    REG_SZ    27 169 228
Window    REG_SZ    27 169 228



HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors
[B](Default)    REG_SZ    27,169,228[/B]
InfoWindow    REG_SZ    27,169,228
Window    REG_SZ    27,169,228

Click to expand...

Ok thanks that is done.

I missed the values with commas the first time on these subkeys

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors
WindowFrame 205,30,201
Scrollbar 27,169,228

regedit and modify the value on
WindowFrame 205 30 201
Scrollbar 27 169 228

spaces, not commas

Run the rqColor.bat file again and attach the new HKCUcolor.txt file

I built a table that shows what the last HKCUcolor.txt file had in it (fixes applied in the test). Some are very light or white - if you scroll over the description, (object column) you can read the lighter colors.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

Note that you have different values set in the two keys for some sub-keys (WindowFrame for example).

Here is the new file. I did notice that I was missing the "Background" first one in the list ?

I took a quick look and all of the values look like they are the correct syntax (3 numbers - no commas)

Background is only in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
??? missing the "Background" first one in the list ???
Background was there - I built the table from your HKCUcolor.txt file in post # 24

If you meant there isn't one in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors key, that's different than missing.
There is no background subkey for this key, only the other key.

Please try not to over think this, always refer back to Callender's post for the definitive list.

What do you see now as far as colors? Post a screen shot of the window

It is Interesting that some of the windows are changed but the one I really want wont change and that is the computer window.

It might be a good idea to

• backup your registry
  ,
• export HKCU\Control Panel\Colors
  and
• export HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors

I'm not sure if I understand; ... but the one I really want wont change and that is the computer window.

Your images show Libraries (white background) and the registry editor (blue background - was blue the color you set?)

Do you mean the Desktop background? All other windows sit on the desktop.

I think Callender has a better handle on the color registry keys.

Here's a good color code reference, it uses periods to delineate R.G.B.

In this exercise, the registry keys use spaces to delineate R G B

I meant the "Libraries" sorry about that one.

Ok, Libraries it is then, thanks.

Libraries are a different beast, they're not really folders. There is an xml file that defines them. I'll look to see if there is a way to define color in the xml, or a way to get color changes to be applied to Libraries.

Now we're getting to the core issue.

---

I found another registry key that defines color
and modified rqColor.bat to query that key as well

you can run the query by hand
or download and run the new rqColor.bat

Download


The download might be appended with a numeric - rqColor (1).bat - to avoid that, rename or delete the existing rqColor.bat file before downloading the new one.

the WindowsMetrics key might affect Libraries, I don't know. Post the results of the query (either a screen shot of the "by hand query" or a new HKCUcolor.txt file produced by the new rqColor.bat.

---

There's also another way to change colors through Windows Control Panel > Display > Change Colors
You have to start with a Basic or High Contrast > Windows Classic theme.

This method is preferred over registry editing for two reasons
1) You don't run the risk of corrupting the registry
2) You can preview the colors selected (albeit a small color box)

It will take some additional customization to set the desktop background image, sounds, screen saver, etc. - but that's why it's called customization

See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/282-window-color-appearance-change.html
Scroll down to OPTION TWO, step 7 describes color changes

The tutorial explicitly states that this will only work if you select the Windows Classic theme as the base.

Post any progress or questions. Thanks.

Themes

Hi Slatybart and Damando25. Looks like you've been working hard!

Damando25 - you backed up your original settings as shown in this post?

Well hopefully you did. Anyway after some messing about on my machine it seems that those color settings will only take effect for the Libraries window if you choose to use the Windows 7 Basic or Classic Themes.

You can save your current theme and test this for yourself.

Here I've applied the Landscapes theme:

The left pane color choice is over-ridden by the Landscape theme regardless of the registry settings.



The same goes for the Libraries pane. I've used a color picker to show actual color applied by use of the Landscapes theme.

Well done...

Slartybart said:

Ok, Libraries it is then, thanks.

Libraries are a different beast, they're not really folders. There is an xml file that defines them. I'll look to see if there is a way to define color in the xml, or a way to get color changes to be applied to Libraries.

Now we're getting to the core issue.

---

Click to expand...

Callender said:

The left pane color choice is over-ridden by the Landscape theme regardless of the registry settings.

The same goes for the Libraries pane. I've used a color picker to show actual color applied by use of the Landscapes theme.

Click to expand...

Nice work Callender and thanks for providing real world testing.

Then you're saying that the customized colors do not affect the left pane, or the landscape theme overrides. I think I'm confused by Landscape.

You could have chosen a brighter color in your color picker example - fuchsia (#ff0080 | 255 0 128) perhaps -
:roflmao:

Libraries Color

Slartybart said:

Then you're saying that the customized colors do not affect the left pane, or the landscape theme overrides. I think I'm confused by Landscape.

You could have chosen a brighter color in your color picker example - fuchsia (#ff0080 | 255 0 128) perhaps -
:roflmao:

Click to expand...

Well as far as I can work out if I use Basic or Classic themes then colors for both the left pane and the Libraries pane along with Explorer window are defined by the settings applied in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors

However choosing another theme results in those color settings being ignored for left pane and libraries.

Explorer window seems to follow the color set in the registry regardless of the theme. I only tested Landscape!

When using Landscape the Libraries pane color remained set to 252 252 252 - even though it wasn't the choice defined by me in the registry. I checked at the time and 252 252 252 didn't appear anywhere in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors

This is really buggy to me but I am glad it is finally working the way I need it. I had changed it when "Callender" said to do so before but it did not change and I was logging off all the time and nothing happened Now I accidentally rebooted and everything changed to the color I picked. I am So happy but also believe it should have changed just by logging off too.

Here is proof. Thanks again to both of you for being so patient with me.

Great

Glad to hear that it's sorted. Slatybart did most of the work so credit to him!

Logging off/ on works for me but that wasn't tested using different themes.