How to change Vista Explorer Selected & hovered colors?


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In Vista Basic (or Aero?), seems no control over EXPLORER selected item & hovered colors (see screen).  Both pale blue - hovered almost invisible.

 

I'd like to change Explorer background to more pale, pastel - easier on my eyes.  (Already turned down briteness & changed backgrd to off wht).  Not sure it's possible.

Nothing I've found in internet searches indicated it was possible to change background color of Explorer in Vista. 

 

I don't see that any setting, using Vista Basic (or Aero) style theme, allows changing Explorer background.  You can change its font (picks it up from another object).  Can change the desktop background, which I look at a fraction of the time spent in Explorer.

 

If make backgrd even PALE PASTELS:  Lt. tan, antique wht, green, blue - wouldn't see Selected or Hovered items at all.

 

I don't mind doing registry tweaks.  Rather not use a 3rd party "Vista theme," if possible.  Odd - changing "selected items" colors in Appearance Settings > Advanced has no effect on Explorer, using Vista Basic or Aero.

 

Using Vista Basic & Advanced settings, irritates the crap out of me.  Select a color for say, application backgrounds, then Windows changes some other object's color (to hideous) - that I'd ALREADY chosen.  So, I change it back & then it may / may not change ANOTHER color.  Weird crap.

Thanks.

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If you are going to use Vista Basic as your theme, you'd probably be better off using Windows Classic. Neither of them use the Desktop Window Manager to display content, so by switching to Windows Classic, you would provide yourself with more options for appearance customization.

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Except Window Classic (or Standard) are butt ugly.  Might as well go back to Windows 3.1 GUI. :D

 

I believe (not sure) versions other than Vista - may - allow changing Explorer's background & hover / selected colors.  It's odd Explorer will let you change its font (based on "font for icons", no less).  What a bunch of DA's that built the Vista (& earlier versions) colors & fonts settings GUI.  It's also very odd you can change the background of OTHER Windows apps, but not Explorer.

 

I guess if it's that unbearable, I can just use an Explorer replacement that has colors adjustment options.  Lots of 'em.  I tried one recently - Multi Commander - that looks pretty promising.  Lot of users on Gizmo's - techsupportalert.com liked it.

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Except Window Classic (or Standard) are butt ugly.  Might as well go back to Windows 3.1 GUI. :D

 

I believe (not sure) versions other than Vista - may - allow changing Explorer's background & hover / selected colors.  It's odd Explorer will let you change its font (based on "font for icons", no less).  What a bunch of DA's that built the Vista (& earlier versions) colors & fonts settings GUI.  It's also very odd you can change the background of OTHER Windows apps, but not Explorer.

 

I guess if it's that unbearable, I can just use an Explorer replacement that has colors adjustment options.  Lots of 'em.  I tried one recently - Multi Commander - that looks pretty promising.  Lot of users on Gizmo's - techsupportalert.com liked it.

Certainly. Windows Classic is the most customizable theme, though.

Have you seen http://vistastylebuilder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1312.0 ? Although his 'issue' was a bit different from yours, you may be able to change the appropriate color(s) by doing something similar to what is mentioned in that topic.

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Thanks for link, but not THAT desperate to change explorer.  If I understood, the stylebuilder is commercial AND ONE MORE app, that I don't need to fool w/ its bugs, incompatibilities, etc.  Was looking for a simple way - maybe there is none.

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