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, 04/13/2009 - 17:14 — Anonymous (not verified)

help

hi! i'm the same one who asked for help regarding aero.. i forgot to tell you that i changed my window color once before but it changed back.. what happened? thanks..

Sat, 04/18/2009 - 17:19 — Anonymous (not verified)

fixed yay

omfgosh i closed everthing and then i restarted and then i got transparency and then i went 2 apperance settings and i get colors yay!!!! thank u soooooooooooooooo much!

Thu, 05/28/2009 - 22:50 — jrod (not verified)

Aero

I know this will sound absurd, but I have Windows Vista Home Basic and I used to have the Aero colors, even though I never had the Aero option on my color scheme. I say used to because, as of yesterday, it is gone. I can't find it anymore. I used to have on Window Color and Appearance the options like Graphite, Blue, Teal, etc...but now I only have the same choices of Basic.
Funnier, though, is that a long time ago I had the same problem and I started messing around in Windows an I got it back...but now it seems that it's really gone.
If anybody has an idea or a similar problem, my email is ralizeiro@gmail.com

Thanks

Thu, 07/16/2009 - 09:56 — Anonymous (not verified)

color changes

I had color changes after an update install from windows and do not have the options listed.

Thu, 07/16/2009 - 05:24 — matthew meisling (not verified)

very helpful

thanks for the help i couldnt figure out of to get the old looking appearance off of the color settings

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 15:50 — Umang (not verified)

see the Display settings window instead of the color settings

Hi,
when i go to control panel -> appearance and customization -> personalization, instead of the window colour and appearance settings, the display settings window pops up instead.

I cant change the windows colour settings or select windows aero because the wrong window pops up!

pls help...

Fri, 08/07/2009 - 13:34 — ubE (not verified)

FIXED!!!!

thank you soo much for this solution...
it helped me a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mon, 08/24/2009 - 00:43 — love bear (not verified)

CAN SOMBODY PLEASE HELP ME

i right-clicked on my desktop and clicked on 'personalize'. then i clicked on 'windows color and apperence'. then i changed the color scheme to 'windows aero' and clicked 'ok' but it didnt work. i didnt find 'windows vista standered' in the color scheme either. does anyone know how to fix this?

Mon, 09/07/2009 - 19:50 — Anonymous (not verified)

I used to be able to change

I used to be able to change the appearance like in the first option, but it changed today to the second one, and i don't have aero, can it be changed back, why does this happen?

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