Desktop Icons, Changing Color of Text and Background
jaugu...@verizon.net
Does anyone know how to change the color of the Desktop icons text, which
includes the background color of the text?
Thank You in Advance, John
PS, Remove "ine" from my email address
Lostgallifreyan
news:oek9u6972idmmgh2c...@4ax.com:
> Does anyone know how to change the color of the Desktop icons text,
> which includes the background color of the text?
>
Google for www.pobox.com/~jayguerette/transparent.
The original link is dead so you'll have to hunt for a copy.
98 Guy
> Does anyone know how to change the color of the Desktop icons
> text, which includes the background color of the text?
See this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140752
Although for some strange reason, the font color is not adjustable when
I try to change the Display-Properties, Appearance settings for the
"Icon" item. I can change the font and font size.
The above microsoft kb article says this about "font color":
===============
NOTE: If you click Window in the Item box, and then modify the font
color for that item, the automatic font color that is available in many
programs is also modified.
===============
I think that's referring to the color of text that's displayed within a
window.
To change the background color behind the text that's printed under the
desktop icons, right-click somewhere on the desktop, select properties,
select the Appearance tab, and in the "Item" dropdown list, select
"Desktop". The "Color" selector should be active, and that's where you
change the text background color.
This is really the desktop color that you're changing.
You should be able to change the icon text color by selecting "Icon" in
the item drop-down list, but for me the Color control selector is greyed
out (but I can change the font and font-size).
You might want to look at this:
http://12ghosts-setcolor.download-418-19598.programsbase.com/
===========
Great tool to set the icon colors suitable to your wallpaper image.
Change the desktop icon's text color and the desktop icon text's
background color, even to transparent! Now with Windows XP shadow
support. A handy tool, with a functionality not possible before in
Windows
===========
But it appears to be $30.
> Thank You in Advance, John
>
> PS, Remove "ine" from my email address
When you give information about your e-mail address, I'm not sure if you
mean to say that you are expecting a reply via e-mail and that you will
NOT be watching the usenet thread you started for responses.
In general, I don't think that people will want to sent you a response
via e-mail, and they may not post a reply here if they think you're
expecting an e-mail reply.
I think it's best to just NOT give any information about your e-mail
address or hint in any way that you can (or that you want to) receive
responses via e-mail.
98 Guy
> Google for www.pobox.com/~jayguerette/transparent.
> The original link is dead so you'll have to hunt for a copy.
Archive.org has many archives of that page, but they're all essentially
of the same copy or image, which seems to date to late 1998.
About the only thing he has that can be downloaded is version 4.2 or
"Transparent42.zip" which "will turn your Windows 9x or NT desktop icon
text backgrounds transparent; allowing your wallpaper to show through".
You can download that here:
What he says about icon text and background color is this:
=================
What's Next?
Version 5: (??-??-99) Will allow you to interactively set the icon text
color to any color you want! I will probably include the ability to turn
off the shortcut icon arrow overlay. I'm also working on some sort of
installer. Check back for this version!
=================
There does not seem to be a version 5. He mentions that his life got
hectic and complicated and he intended to come back and do this, but I
can't find any evidence this was actually done.
=================
Where the heck is it?
Late last year, my life took a turn for the hectic. The birth of our
second child, Aiden, and a change in jobs, left me with precious few
free moments in the last 6 months.
I am still committed to releasing at least this one last version. It
simply requires more attention than I am able to give it just yet.
This summer, we will be moving in an attempt to pare the 3 hours a day I
spend commuting down to something more reasonable. At the same time, I
will be attempting to get better control over the number of hours I work
during the week. These two efforts will yield a dramatic increase in the
free time I have.
I am hoping to get this thing released this summer. No promises, but I
will try. To everybody anxious to see a new version or take advantage of
new features, please accept my apologies. I am as anxious to put it out
as you are to get it.
=====================
I think when he says "late last year", he means late 1998.
98 Guy
> Does anyone know how to change the color of the Desktop icons
> text, which includes the background color of the text?
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000841.htm
======================
Question: How can I change the text color of my icons in Windows?
Answer:
All versions of Microsoft Windows do not support the ability to change
the color of the icons text on the desktop without the aid of a
third-party program. Therefore in order to change the icon text color
you will need to download and install one of the below programs.
Note: Before downloading any of the below programs it is important to
know that Microsoft Windows refreshes the contents of the desktop often
and will reset the icon text color back to the Windows default unless
the program you used to change the text color is left open in memory.
There are dozens of different programs with the capability to do this.
Below is a short list of a few of the different programs we've tried.
* Iconoid - Great free and open source program with the ability to
easily change the icon text color as well as numerous other features
such as hiding the icons, setting and restoring icon positions, and much
more.
* Microangelo - Another great program that is free to try but requires a
registration if you like. This program has the ability to change the
icons text color and much more.
(no link given for Microangelo)
===========================
This is just a description of Microangelo:
http://www.rainbowpcm.com/microangelo_5.html
This seems to be the main web-page for it:
http://www.impactsoft.com/
But you need to register and it may very well not be free.
Here's a link to Microangelo 5.5:
http://downloads.5star-network.com/Desktop/mua55.exe
It seems to date to mid to late 2004.
Lostgallifreyan
> About the only thing he has that can be downloaded is version 4.2 or
> "Transparent42.zip" which "will turn your Windows 9x or NT desktop icon
> text backgrounds transparent; allowing your wallpaper to show through".
>
> You can download that here:
>
> http://web.archive.org/web/20021017113748/http://home.attbi.com/~jguerett
> e/transparent/Transparent42.zip
>
That's the one. Good. It wasn't updated for years, but no need. It's one of
those that just works. Even on WXP apparently. I only use W98 but that
program is a core part here, it never fails, though you'd need to stop it and
restart it after a shell crash, as you would with SysTray or anything else
that depends on the shell.
To run it I used a shortcut in the StartUp directory:
C:\WINDOWS\IconText.exe /R1000 /N /CFF8000
(I renamed it IconText so I could know more obviously what it was for).
It refreshes once a second (not that I ever see anything change the colour
and cause this to force it back. It stays resident (only me on this system so
this switch is also redundant here). The last one is the colour, as 8 bit
BBGGRR hex values. Once I set it I never had to think about it again, but I
saved its text file beside it so I can see how it works when I forget.
This really is one of those tools where hunting for an update isn't needed.
Probably why he never wrote one...
Lostgallifreyan
> To change the background color behind the text that's printed under the
> desktop icons, right-click somewhere on the desktop, select properties,
> select the Appearance tab, and in the "Item" dropdown list, select
> "Desktop". The "Color" selector should be active, and that's where you
> change the text background color.
>
> This is really the desktop color that you're changing.
>
In many cases a system colour can be forced, but even then I doubt a
transparency can be forced that way, only a match with the desktop (which is
what Windows defaults to anyway, in its native scheme). This can be shown by
placing two icons so the text field of one overlaps the other. The desktop
colour appears to extend as a box part-covering the other icon, but true
transparency is a lot better. Less clearly read, but way more fun on desktop
backgound patterns and images.
I think the Transparent tool (or equivalent) had to be invented, there's no
native Windows control over the specifics of what that thing does.
98 Guy
> > About the only thing he has that can be downloaded is version 4.2
> > of "Transparent42.zip" which "will turn your Windows 9x or NT
> > desktop icon text backgrounds transparent; allowing your wallpaper
> > to show through".
>
> That's the one. Good. It wasn't updated for years, but no need.
Actually - yes, there is need.
The OP was looking for a way to change to font color of the desktop
icons, not necessarily make the text background transparent.
The update to "transparent42" was promising to add that feature.
It's strange that Micro$oft clearly has a font-color control on the
user-interface for icon text, but has it greyed out for some reason.
Lostgallifreyan
> Lostgallifreyan wrote:
>
>> > About the only thing he has that can be downloaded is version 4.2
>> > of "Transparent42.zip" which "will turn your Windows 9x or NT
>> > desktop icon text backgrounds transparent; allowing your wallpaper
>> > to show through".
>>
>> That's the one. Good. It wasn't updated for years, but no need.
>
> Actually - yes, there is need.
>
> The OP was looking for a way to change to font color of the desktop
> icons, not necessarily make the text background transparent.
>
It does both. I even posted how..
> The update to "transparent42" was promising to add that feature.
>
> It's strange that Micro$oft clearly has a font-color control on the
> user-interface for icon text, but has it greyed out for some reason.
>
Not really. :) There's a whole list of stuff there, the appropriate controls
for each entry become enabled as required when it is selected. If they'd had
native controls built to handle icon text colours and backgrounds, enabling
those GUI controls would have been done. As it is they'd be as useful as
dummy knobs on a dashboard so they greyed them to avoid setting false hopes
as much as anything else.
Actually a lot extra can be done by directly editing the registry to control
colours and fonts, but not for the desktop icon text.
98 Guy
> > The OP was looking for a way to change to font color of the
> > desktop icons, not necessarily make the text background
> > transparent.
>
> It does both. I even posted how..
The author does not (or did not) indicate that his "transparent42"
enabled the user to set the text color.
In fact, he even acknowledged that it did NOT have that ability, because
he hints of that functionality in a future release:
----------------
What's Next?
Version 5: (??-??-99) Will allow you to interactively set the icon text
color to any color you want!
----------------
I can find no evidence that version "5" was actually developed or
released.
Why do you think that version 4.2 has the ability to let the user set
the text color?
> > It's strange that Micro$oft clearly has a font-color control
> > on the user-interface for icon text, but has it greyed out for
> > some reason.
> Not really. :) There's a whole list of stuff there, the appropriate
> controls for each entry become enabled as required when it is
> selected. If they'd had native controls built to handle icon text
> colours and backgrounds, enabling those GUI controls would have been
> done. As it is they'd be as useful as dummy knobs on a dashboard so
> they greyed them to avoid setting false hopes as much as anything
> else.
I'm not sure what you're trying to say in that paragraph.
I pointed out that there is a font-color control on the user-interface
for the icon-text object, but that the control is in-operative (ie -
it's greyed out). Why would Microsoft not want the user to set the
desktop icon's text-color? I'm not sure if you're trying to answer that
question in your paragraph above.
98 Guy
> ----------------
> What's Next?
>
> Version 5: (??-??-99) Will allow you to interactively set the icon
> text color to any color you want!
> ----------------
Hmmm..
I see in the readme file for version 4.2:
-----------
Starting with version 4, you can also change the icon text color!
-----------
The two statements are contradictory...
Lostgallifreyan
>> > The OP was looking for a way to change to font color of the
>> > desktop icons, not necessarily make the text background
>> > transparent.
>>
>> It does both. I even posted how..
>
> The author does not (or did not) indicate that his "transparent42"
> enabled the user to set the text color.
>
> In fact, he even acknowledged that it did NOT have that ability, because
> he hints of that functionality in a future release:
>
Wrong. How do you think I know? Because I SEE IT. Stop throwing manuals and
dockets around and pay attention to a basic post when you see it in front of
you!
I quote:
Transparent v4.2
Freeware by Jay Guerette
Released September 15, 1998
www.pobox.com/~jayguerette/transparent
This utility will turn your Windows 95 or NT desktop icon text
backgrounds transparent; allowing your wallpaper to show through.
Starting with version 4, you can also change the icon text color!
=====================================================================
This is straight from the text file for v4.2. Which part of thew above is not
clear and direct enough for you?
Lostgallifreyan
>> > It's strange that Micro$oft clearly has a font-color control
>> > on the user-interface for icon text, but has it greyed out for
>> > some reason.
>
>> Not really. :) There's a whole list of stuff there, the appropriate
>> controls for each entry become enabled as required when it is
>> selected. If they'd had native controls built to handle icon text
>> colours and backgrounds, enabling those GUI controls would have been
>> done. As it is they'd be as useful as dummy knobs on a dashboard so
>> they greyed them to avoid setting false hopes as much as anything
>> else.
>
> I'm not sure what you're trying to say in that paragraph.
>
> I pointed out that there is a font-color control on the user-interface
> for the icon-text object, but that the control is in-operative (ie -
> it's greyed out). Why would Microsoft not want the user to set the
> desktop icon's text-color? I'm not sure if you're trying to answer that
> question in your paragraph above.
>
Just saying that each entry in that drop down list box has varying degrees of
internal control. The GUI controls we see are a superset, so as not every
entry has meaning for all the visible controls, some of those are greyed out.
They either had to do this, or create a far more complex tabbed page that
changed layout with every choice of item to edit. Given that there aren't
that many GUI controls, they wouldn't have done that.
I'm not saying they wouldn't want a user to change it, I'm just saying that
they didn't provide the means. This is common knowledge. It's why Jay
Guerette made Transparent, to do it. Other people did it too, but his is
likely the simplest and best, it's why it survives all over the web even now.
Lostgallifreyan
Not really, I think he means that v5 lets you do it without needing to set it
in a commandline and restart it, is all.
But how often do we really want to mess with icon text colours? :) Changing
the command in a shortcut, and firing it up again is enough. I thought I once
caught it allowing this without being shut down first but I'm not convinced,
I can't repeat that now. Might have been a shell restart or some other glitch
that made it appear so at some time.
If there were some tiny widget that could shut down a running process by name
the way task managers do it, it might be easier to chanmge it often. As it
is, it's just a tad awkward testing for best colours but once they're done,
that's it, so I imagine he decided no more elaborate control was needed.
jaugu...@verizon.net
Thank you and Lostgallifreyan for your responses.
I have two books, "Windows 98 Secrets" and "Windows 98 Resource". I could
not find a way to do what I want in those books. That is why I posted that
message.
I read your responses and thanks to you(s), I have concluded that MS did
not provide a way for us to change the text color or it's background color.
Many Thanks, John
Lostgallifreyan
news:kl2fu616dvi3o4n22...@4ax.com:
> I read your responses and thanks to you(s), I have concluded that MS
> did
> not provide a way for us to change the text color or it's background
> color.
>
But you can still do it,. right? That 'Transparent v4.2' tool will definitely
do it easily and cleanly. I've been using that for 10 years now. If this
newsgroup took binaries I'd send it, but 98guy found you a direct link in the
Wayback machine.. That tool is as neat as it gets. Even if M$ had done it
themselves I doubt the method would have been any smaller or tidier.