Taskbar Color and Icon Size

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Two questions, now that I've got VIsta installed and I'm getting the hang of
it:

1. Is there any way to change the taskbar color if you're not using Aero? My
graphics card doesn't support it and the dark grey is not my favorite color.

2. Is there a way to make the desktop icons smaller?

Thanks,

Kathleen
 
1. No.

2. Right click on the desktop, View, select Classic icons for smaller
icons. You can also click on the desktop, hold Ctrl, then use your mouse
scrollwheel to increase/decrease icon size.
 
There are ways to change the taskbar if you're not using Aero, but they
involve 3rd party, and I'd encourage you to try them because you might be
please with the results. Aero Glass is not near as spectacular as the hype,
and the Direct X 10 manifestations in Vista are far more interesting--things
like this:

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/articles/447226.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/kamvedbrat/archive/2006/02/22/537624.aspx

I suggest you try sampling these--you can try much of the first three
free--and the fourth is free:

www.themexp.org

Stardocks
www.windowblinds.net

www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/

TGTSoft
www.tgtsoft.com/prod_sxp.php

www.tgtsoft.com/download.php

UXTheme Patch For Windows

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/Universal-Vista-Inspirat-Brico-Pack.shtml

www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/UXTheme-Patch-For-Windows-XP-SP2-Final.shtml

Also have a look at Control Panel>Personalization and Apperances>Window
Color and Appearance>Open Classic Appearance Properties>Advanced Button and
checkout the results of what you can do with the pulldown in various
categories. The ones that have color also have a wide array of colors.

You won't get at the taskbar there, (the third parties I gave you have
infinite taskbar textures, styles, and colors, but you will get a some
style mods within windows including the font that you type in the address
bar, the caption button size, the icon font, the size of menus and their
fonts, and the thickness of active and inactive windows and their font
styles.

You really ought to try Style XP and the Stardocks offerings to see how much
you can change the style over what MSFT gives you as default.

Good luck,

CH
 
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