G
Gawron
Ok, I don't mean how to change color on things in windows XP in general, I
know how to do that. But the options are kind of limited.
I have also applied another visual style, but that's not directly relevant.
I've always been kind of annoyed by the fact that the sorted column
background color in windows explorer seems kind of preset. Seems to me like
it is just a higher value (midway to white?) than the chosen windows
background color (in display properties - appearance - advanced - item:
windows). Thus, if I want a black background (and I do!), the sorted column
in windows explorer gets gray. I'd prefer black. Or actually, that it was
userdefined.
By accident, or luck as it may be, I found a windows explorer replacement
that is fully color customizable (called XYplorer). And more advanced. But a
little quirky too, and therefore I also use the regular windows explorer at
times. Anyway it can be found here: http://www.xyplorer.com/ (Unfortunately
not free anymore...I have a free for personal use version)
(Another great thing is that it will look into the "system volume
information" folder. I managed to delete (on purpose) previous restore
points and reclaimed some GB of much needed space with it!)
But I digress..
For the interested, I have a little workaround here, but it's far from
perfect!
The workaround is simply to set a background picture of whatever color, in
the folder. I don't know the optimal size for this, as it will be tiled,
maybe 1x1 pixels is fine. I just arbitrarily made a 50x50 pix black image.
(.bmp or .jpg, I guess .bmp is fastest)
The thing is, windows XP doesn't have an inbuilt easy way of setting these
folder background pictures... I know I did it in windows98, so why not XP? I
don't get MS logic here. Luckily it still supports it, though more
cumbersome. More about that here:
http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/wv_main.html#background
And Background Wizard simplifies things considerably:
http://www.geocities.com/phtm77/
So there you have it!
As stated, the workaround isn't exactly flawless, there's still special
folders you can't put images in the background... CD/DVD-ROM folders,
recycle bin (impractible at best)... Or folders accessed via network, unless
u do some trick to it. (%systemroot% environment variable in the desktop.ini
file works for both computers for instance, but cumbersome..also, the
desktop.ini files need to be everywhere..)
Hm, I was sure I had plenty more examples, but they elude me for the
moment..
Just seems I have to live with those "desktop.ini"'s in the folders.(Hate to
have "hidden files")
I'd appreciate any better suggestions, or solutions preferably! My guess
would be a hack of some kind. Maybe the registry, but I have really no idea
where color settings are stored. If indeed this partucular color is a
setting and not a built-in funcion of windows.
know how to do that. But the options are kind of limited.
I have also applied another visual style, but that's not directly relevant.
I've always been kind of annoyed by the fact that the sorted column
background color in windows explorer seems kind of preset. Seems to me like
it is just a higher value (midway to white?) than the chosen windows
background color (in display properties - appearance - advanced - item:
windows). Thus, if I want a black background (and I do!), the sorted column
in windows explorer gets gray. I'd prefer black. Or actually, that it was
userdefined.
By accident, or luck as it may be, I found a windows explorer replacement
that is fully color customizable (called XYplorer). And more advanced. But a
little quirky too, and therefore I also use the regular windows explorer at
times. Anyway it can be found here: http://www.xyplorer.com/ (Unfortunately
not free anymore...I have a free for personal use version)
(Another great thing is that it will look into the "system volume
information" folder. I managed to delete (on purpose) previous restore
points and reclaimed some GB of much needed space with it!)
But I digress..
For the interested, I have a little workaround here, but it's far from
perfect!
The workaround is simply to set a background picture of whatever color, in
the folder. I don't know the optimal size for this, as it will be tiled,
maybe 1x1 pixels is fine. I just arbitrarily made a 50x50 pix black image.
(.bmp or .jpg, I guess .bmp is fastest)
The thing is, windows XP doesn't have an inbuilt easy way of setting these
folder background pictures... I know I did it in windows98, so why not XP? I
don't get MS logic here. Luckily it still supports it, though more
cumbersome. More about that here:
http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/wv_main.html#background
And Background Wizard simplifies things considerably:
http://www.geocities.com/phtm77/
So there you have it!
As stated, the workaround isn't exactly flawless, there's still special
folders you can't put images in the background... CD/DVD-ROM folders,
recycle bin (impractible at best)... Or folders accessed via network, unless
u do some trick to it. (%systemroot% environment variable in the desktop.ini
file works for both computers for instance, but cumbersome..also, the
desktop.ini files need to be everywhere..)
Hm, I was sure I had plenty more examples, but they elude me for the
moment..
Just seems I have to live with those "desktop.ini"'s in the folders.(Hate to
have "hidden files")
I'd appreciate any better suggestions, or solutions preferably! My guess
would be a hack of some kind. Maybe the registry, but I have really no idea
where color settings are stored. If indeed this partucular color is a
setting and not a built-in funcion of windows.