Windows Explorer customization

[Usjes]

Hi,

I've just started using Win7 and would like to apply customizations similar to what I use in XP. Specifically:
1. I change my display settings in XP such that the window colour is changed from the default 'white' to 'gray'. => Most window backgrounds such as a microsoft word page or windows explorer background which would be white by default display as grey instead. I have found a similar setting in themes in Win7, however this seems to take effect for all programs EXCEPT window explorer. Why is this ? How do I fix it so that I can alter the background of a windows explorer window in Win7?
2. In XP, if I set the Explorer Bar in Windows Explorer to 'Folders', the explorer left hand pane shows the folders hierarchy and it TRACKS the Address Bar, ie if I type the address C:\Users\data then the explorer bar will show the folders down to the C:\Users\data folder. In Win7 I just see 'Favourites', 'Libraries','Computer' etc. I can MANUALLY click down from 'Computer' to any folder and the Address Bar will track as I open folders but the tracking doesn't work the other way around. So is there any way I can get XP-like behaviour ?

Thanks,

Usjes

 

[Lykho]

regarding 1.
I don't know how you managed to do it for programs, but I know how to do it for windows in Windows Explorer:
right-click on the desktop, click 'personalize'
at the bottom of the menu, click the second icon--'window color'
under the 'item' menu select 'window' - and then select the color you want
click 'apply', and, if your version of Windows is like mine, you won't see the change apply immediately after it asks you to 'please wait' and fades to grayscale (which you will with most of the changes made to items on that list), but if you click into or out of a subfolder, you'll see that the background has indeed changed.

 

[Lykho]

regarding 2.
in Windows Explorer go to 'tools' and then 'folder options'
at the bottom of that 'general' tab it should say 'Navagation pane' and have two tick boxes -- tick those and see if you get the behavior you want.

is this what you're talking about?

 

[Usjes]

Thanks for your replies Lykho, your suggestion solves item 2. however I still cant get the Windows Explorer background colour to display as anything other than white. The method you suggest is what I was already using. From the 'Item' dropdown I have select 'Application Background' and 'Window' and set the colour to gray for both of them, I think it is probably the 'Application backgound' which applies to other programs like Word etc. but none of the items seems to change the Windows explorer background for me.

Usjes.

 

[Greg S]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91330-folder-background-change.html

Is this something of interest?

 

[Usjes]

Thanks for the suggestion Greg S, that is the type of effect I am trying to achieve but I really dont want to have to install a 3rd party program to do it. For reference the attached jpg shows what I am trying to achieve. On the right is a MS Word doc whose background has been successfully set to grey whereas the Windows Explorer background on the left remains stubbornly white.
Lhyko, can you confirm that you have managed to change the background which appears white in the attached jpg to some other colour?

Thanks

Usjes.

 

[Lykho]

Lhyko, can you confirm that you have managed to change the background which appears white in the attached jpg to some other colour?

yes. following the method I outlined earlier it works fine for me (I'm using the 'classic' theme on the Home Premium 32bit version, so for all I know there could be some problem doing it on the version or theme you have--note the "colors selected here apply only..." message in the screenshot)

 

[deepakumar]

regarding 1.
I don't know how you managed to do it for programs, but I know how to do it for windows in Windows Explorer:
right-click on the desktop, click 'personalize'
at the bottom of the menu, click the second icon--'window color'
under the 'item' menu select 'window' - and then select the color you want
click 'apply', and, if your version of Windows is like mine, you won't see the change apply immediately after it asks you to 'please wait' and fades to grayscale (which you will with most of the changes made to items on that list), but if you click into or out of a subfolder, you'll see that the background has indeed changed.

Lykho this doesn't seem to work with normal "Window color style" except "Windows Classic" as i tried on mine Windows but it had no effect with normal windows color style except classic...i want to know is there a way to do this without any 3rd party apps because then it slow down explorer & there always a black background flashing while opening explorer or any window...i've tried 3-4 apps including "FOLDER BACKGROUND CHANGER by Kishen Bagaria" all does the same...the changes i made following the step here as mentioned by Lykho takes effect in all other pop-up windows,MS Word but not in explorer...

 

[IownAmoneyPit]

Hello Usjes if you are interested in using a Windows Classic theme so you can change the background color of explorer I have reproduced 16 of the old XP classic themes Here (Post #313).
PS: Follow the simple installation instructions and the theme should change after a few seconds. After that you can modify the chosen theme to your liking windows and will save it as an unsaved theme, right click on it, save as theme and give it a name