Enable Transparent Icons registry tweak

[reghakr]

Windows 7 registry scripts don't seem to work sometimes. That's why I always recommend you save the file in Notepad and save the encoding format as ANSI. That should eliminate the error message the error message, "Windows Registry Editor cannot import binary files"

I will try to provide an undo file with each script that I post however, a few will not remove the entry completely although it will not harm the computer in any way. I will also try to provide side effects that can happen when applying the tweaks.
Since most people are using Aero, there is no to change some options relating to Windows Text,colors, fonts, scrollbar width, etc

The most important one is the use of transparent icons. If you notice on your screen where an icon is on a dark or white background it is very difficult to read what the icon is.

This first registry hack eliminates that problem.

It can be fully tested by right-clicking on the desktop, choose personalize > Desktop background > Windows Desktop Backgrounds, choose select all shuffle every 10 seconds. You'll now notice a dark shadow if the icon is located on a white area of the background, making it very easy to read.

Copy and paste the following into Notepad, choose Save As... Make sure to select All Files and ANSI encoding and name it transparenticons.reg. You need to manually add the .reg to the end of the files.Name the undo file transparenticonsundo.reg.

Please NOTE: This forum wraps some lines. It should read CurrentVersion,, not Curre ntVersion.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000001

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000001
and here is the undo file although I don't know why anyone would want it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000
This was my own discovery. In later posts I'll be showing how to change the Windows Text color (I prefer blue) as well as other items related to any windowed program..Even if you switch to Windows Basic or Classic and modify these entries, they do not carry over when you re-enable the Windows 7 themes. So the registry is the only place these options can be modified.

 

[Night Hawk]

I trust you are running the 32bit RC there since the 64bit asks: "64bit Dword, 32bit DWord" when using the edit option to create the new value.

 

[reghakr]

Sorry,

Yes, I am running the 32-bit version, should have noted that.

 

[Night Hawk]

Here I ran into that snag right off as would several others also running the 64bit 7. But I should be able to try both out one at a time without fuss to see which one works better for that. This is a good one for those running the 32bit however.

 

[YupYup]

Ummm that is not for transparent icons, it is the "drop shadows on icon labels" setting that is in the performance options.

 

[Night Hawk]

You must be referring to these items you check off or uncheck in the custom option.

 

[YupYup]

You must be referring to these items you check off or uncheck in the custom option.

Yes that is the option i was talking about, which is what this registry setting is for. Not anything to do with transparent icons.

 

[Night Hawk]

Another method for cleaning shadows under icons or desktop shortcuts would be changing the individual colors for 3D objects and other settings in the advanced section when going into the personalization. You can change quite a bit there by simply selecting that or one of the other items and proceed to the color chart.

 

[reghakr]

Yes,

I now see that that works as well.

After my install the shadow was not enabled by default, so I ran Sysinternals Process Monitor and located that setting.

Strange that Microsoft states that these options are only available for Windows basic or an ease of Access theme..

 

[Night Hawk]

The Basic is the most limited other then the starter edition you won't be seeing too much with 7 except for tablet application, netbooks there. For desktops and laptops, notebooks you will be seeing the Home Premium and Pro editions being promoted at this time with the preorder discounts.

Back in XP the advanced settings for 3D objects, desktop, shadows was a little more distinguished since there wasn't any Aero themes to start with. With Vista and of course 7 you have to take an extra step or two to find the settings seen there.

The one thing no longer seen however was the separate effects menu. The image here shows how the effects menu looked in XP taken now from the XP mode.

 

[reghakr]

Most all items work under the Windows Color and Appearance in Windows 7, but you can't change the color of the Borders due to the Glass effects, nor the gradient titles.

One additional item in Windows 7 is the ability to change the Windows text from black to any other color.

I hope I'm not wrong on this, but I don't think it was an available feature you could change. I'm sick and tired of the plain old black.

 

[Night Hawk]

You used to be able to select a different color for the shadows if I'm not mistaken. That was seen in XP and Vista despite the new Aero themes and transparency being a customization of the background effect. But Vista still saw the Classic theme as well as the newer Vista theme there. 7 saw the elimination of the Classic now seeing the Aero Basic instead.

 

[d12Orlando]

How did you get "transparent icons" for a text shadow option? Got me excited there for a second. Is it possible to make your icons transparent?

 

[Night Hawk]

There's a thread on how to edit the system registry for this seen at http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/15811-enable-transparent-icons-registry-tweak.html

I know how to get full transparency for the Aero thems as well. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/14121-transparency-enable-full-clear-glass-transparency.html

 

[YupYup]

How did you get "transparent icons" for a text shadow option? Got me excited there for a second. Is it possible to make your icons transparent?

There is no tweak that i am aware of but you can use custom transparent icons.

There's a thread on how to edit the system registry for this seen at http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/15811-enable-transparent-icons-registry-tweak.html

I know how to get full transparency for the Aero thems as well. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/14121-transparency-enable-full-clear-glass-transparency.html

You linked to thread your answering in, and my whole point about this thread was that the title is completely misleading as it has nothing to do with transparent icons. In my opinion the title should be changed.

 

[Night Hawk]

There is no tweak that i am aware of but you can use custom transparent icons.


You linked to thread your answering in, and my whole point about this thread was that the title is completely misleading as it has nothing to do with transparent icons. In my opinion the title should be changed.

The only guide seen for transparency is the Aero theme transparency tutorial. So even a simple search through the forum comes full circle to see if someone has a method.

Creation of a customized icon with the glass effect would seem to be the one method for seeing transparent icons. For that however you would need Photo Shop or another image customization program with the transparency option included.

 

[reghakr]

d12Orlando,

Sorry for the delayed response.

Transparent was simply a bad choice of words. It's the shadow feature that allows the icons to be more visible in light or white backgrounds.

 

[Night Hawk]

That's one of the items you'll find in the system>advanced>performance settings where you choose the "let Windows manage best appearance, best performance, or custom options which allows you to pick and choose which ones will be checked off or left unchecked. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1908-visual-effects-settings-change.html