Solved Background box around selected icons makes it hard to drag and place

[lokiju]

Hello,

First post!

I am using 2 PCs right now, xp and win7, and can't believe that my Win7 machine won't let me drag/move my icons (desktop and windows explorer) around without having a blue box around them, which makes it VERY difficult to figure out where they are going to land in the folders. On the desktop, whichever icon I have selected also gets the blue box around it, but the placement drops right where I want it to. But in folders, where the icons seem to be more 3D, I can't get them to drop where I have them placed, almost like they are falling from a different aerial view.

I did find a way to get rid of all this, by unchecking "use visual styles of windows" (last item in list)...but that has huge issue by making EVERYTHING look horrible on the system, heh.

Is there any way to only get rid of this selected icon blue box in windows explorer so I can drag and place icons easier within folders (another pet peeve...I had to force windows 7 to let me NOT auto-arrange files in folders).

Thanks for any help!

 

[Bongo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums
Would you please post a screenshot of what you are asking about.
Jerry
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista - Vista Forums

 

[lokiju]

View attachment 199518

In the first image I am dragging the file to another location within the same folder. Notice the blue box around the folder I have selected? This doesn't happen to me in WinXP.

In the second image I am trying to place the folder back down in the right spot, but it's a very hard task since, unlike when you drop an icon on the desktop, in the folders it doesn't drop where you think it will.

Edit: I really hate auto-arrange, and want to be able to drag and drop icons easier as I can with WinXP. Please tell me I can fix this without unchecking "use visual styles of windows" in performance controls and losing ALL visual awesomeness?

 

[Bongo]

In the first image I see what you're talking about I am going to have to go and ask someone on another forum about this. I will get back to you on this one as soon as possible.

As for what's going on in the second image I'm sorry to say I don't know much about how Windows places its folders look at this tutorial and see if it will help http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3952-file-folder-arrangement-group-sort-arrange.html
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

I messed the second screeny up, here's a better view, showing the folder down below, and me trying to place it back up top, but because of the blue box around the folder, it takes a few placements to get it right as it doesn't just drop right where it shows. I don't know if this is because, by default, Windows 7 doesn't accept user arrangement of files without a registry edit?

 

[Bongo]

By editing a image in the aero.msstyle I was able to remove the blue box.


I can change that for you, using Windows Style Builder and post it here in a zip folder.
&
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.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter
All I would need from you would be a name to call the custom theme.
Let me know.
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

Wow, thanks Jerry! I suppose a good name would be "boxless icons?"

 

[Bongo]

I am going to have lunch I'll be back in less than an hour with the finished theme.
Jerry

 

[Bongo]

Here you go download and extract the zip folder to your desktop then put both the 1 boxless icons folder and 1 boxless icons.theme file in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes


It should show up in Personalization as boxless icons in the Install Themes area.


Let me know if it works for you.
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

Thanks for the theme Jerry. It's an improvement, but the selected icon/folder still has the box around it accept with what you changed in that the box now disappears only while dragging the icon around. The box comes back once the item is dropped and it my main target with the mouse.

The main issue is that icon/folder is still hard to place where I want...I just noticed that the icon/folder gets bigger when you pic it up to drag it...which is mainly what makes it awkward to place back down in the correct spot. This doesn't happen as I drag folders in winXP.

I love Windows 7 but this is frustrating, lol!

Edit: I found a thread which I think it related?

http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...icon-when-drag-drop-files-new-location-2.html

It mentions what I have discovered...moving desktop items doesn't cause an issue (I still get the blue border around the selected item, but it doesn't get bigger and can be placed down with precision), only in folders. I think it's an aero issue that can't be resolved unless I use classic mode. That sucks.

 

[Bongo]

I just noticed that the icon/folder gets bigger when you pic it up to drag it...which is mainly what makes it awkward to place back down in the correct spot. This doesn't happen as I drag folders in winXP.

This is a window seven thing where it gets bigger when you drag it.

I can also remove the blue box from around the icon to I thought you were talking about just dragging blue box, there is hot, selected, selected non-focus, and hot selected images there would you like them all removed or would you still like it to show up when you hover over a folder or file only.
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

I personally find that, just coming from winXP, the blue highlight box shouldn't be anywhere in existence!

I just wish Microsoft would include MORE options in future windows, not less...the large folder on drag is a silly thing to make permanent.

 

[Bongo]

I can remove the blue highlight from the start menu, Windows Explorer navigation pane, and the drop-down menus also if you would like.
Let me know
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

Man, I feel like I'm taking all your time! Apologies! I overstated my last post. What I meant was that I dislike the highlight around any explorer folder icons as I almost never use a list, preferring medium icons. I actually love the highlight in start menu, Windows Explorer navigation pane, and the drop-down menus.

 

[Bongo]

Give this one a try, it will show up in personalization as boxless icons.2
Let me know how it goes.
Jerry

 

[lokiju]

Thanks my friend, rep for you!

 

[Bongo]

You're Welcome and thanks for the Rep
Jerry