How to change Window Color and Appearance

Fri, 06/20/2008 - 22:09 — George

One of the graphical changes in Windows Vista is the fact that, if Aero is enabled, the titlebars and borders of each window are translucent. By default, all your windows will have a light blue color. However, it can be changed at any time so that it fits your taste. In this article I will show you how to do it.

The first step is to right-click on your desktop and click on 'Personalize'.

Windows Color and Appearance

Then click on 'Window Color and Appearance'.

Windows Color and Appearance

In this window you can change the color of the windows, start menu and taskbar. If you don't like the available options, you can click on 'Show color mixer' to create your custom colors.

Windows Color and Appearance

A small roll-out menu will reveal three options: hue, saturation and brightness. If you move the sliders right or left you will see the color of the windows and taskbar changing.

Windows Color and Appearance

However there is a slight 'problem' that might annoy you: unless you pick out a very bright color, the color of the taskbar and all maximized windows will continue to have a shade of black. Unless you change the theme of your desktop, that shade of black will always remain.

After you have decided the color that you prefer, click on the OK button and the new color will be applied.

POSSIBLE PROBLEM: Many users reported that, after they click on 'Window Color and Appearance', they see a window like the one below.

Windows Color and Appearance

If this applies to you, then choose Windows Aero in the Color scheme list, click on OK and restart the procedure described above. You will now find all the menus and options described above.

NOTE: Windows Aero is not included in Windows Vista Home Basic. If you have this version, you won't be able to enable Aero and use it. You must upgrade to at least Windows Vista Home Premium.

Comments

Mon, 12/22/2008 - 20:55 — zainab (not verified)

hi can someone help me i

hi can someone help me i can't find the scheme colour mixer and i don't have windows vista standard , so i can't switch it into that can someone plz help me with that

Thu, 01/01/2009 - 05:27 — Hylian (not verified)

Help, this isn't working..

I did the steps, and it still doesnt help. When I switch it to Windows Aero It does, but then when I click Windows Colors and Appearance again it says it's on Windows Vista Basic. And I just want to get to the color mixer!!
I dunno what happened to, I've done this before and it worked just fine, I shut down my laptop today and when it turned back on it was in 'default' mode or something. The color I had it set to became the original solid light blue. Which makes me wanna gag. I want my old color, clear teal! >_>

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 00:59 — Anonymous (not verified)

No Vista Standard in list.

There is no option to apply Windows Vista Standart, only Windows vista basic and Windows standard. Windows Standard looks like the windows on windows ME. I have Vista Home Premium, but would my Vid card mess with it? I have an ATI Radion 9200 chipset and I am wondering if that is the cause.

Tue, 01/06/2009 - 03:43 — xNominaex (not verified)

Well...

Well, with mines, I 'USED' to have Windows Aero.

But for some reason now, it changed, like all it does is shows:

"Color Scheme:
Windows Vista Basic
_____________
_____________
_____________"

and so on.

Yeah there used to be Windows Aero before Windows Vista Basic but now it's gone.

I wander if you can help me.

Wed, 01/07/2009 - 21:44 — Anonymous (not verified)

Different window

When i go to personalize and then window color and appearance i get the same window as the screenshot and it doesnt show windows aero or window vista standard it has window standard

Thu, 01/29/2009 - 21:53 — wozza37 (not verified)

Windows Aero - got it back!

I had the Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager disabled, once i re-enabled it, Windows Aero re-appeared.

I went to Start > Run > services.msc

looked for "Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager", right click, properties

Go to startup type and then select "automatic" and click start if its not already running

Then go to your desktop, right click, personalize and then Windows Color and Appearance

This should bring up the correct window

Hope this helps

Tue, 02/24/2009 - 13:52 — Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks

I have a video game that isn't compatible with some of the vista color schemes, and it changes it to the second menu shown when I go to change it back after playing. I tried this and realized it was set to automatic, so I clicked reset device, and then set the theme to aero in the second window shown and it got back to normal for me.

Fri, 06/26/2009 - 19:31 — Ender (not verified)

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