Transparent Desktop icons?

Jim Hubbard

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Jul 3, 2005, 1:06:01 AM7/3/05

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All of a sudden, my desktop icons have an ugly as hell block behind the
text.

I've tried ...

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Click System
3. Click the Advanced tab
4. Click Settings in the Performance section
5. Check the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" checkbox
6. Click OK until you close the windows

and this doesn't work.

Gary Tsang

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Jul 3, 2005, 1:35:57 AM7/3/05

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Goto the System Control Panel, Advanced, Performance settings, then click
the Visual Effects tab

Check off Use Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on the desktop

Also in conjunction to the above setting, right click your desktop, then
arrange icons, and make sure lock items to web desktop is not checked off

--
Gary Tsang
Microsoft MVP - Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp

"Jim Hubbard" <re...@newsgroups.com> wrote in message
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Jim Hubbard

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Jul 3, 2005, 12:51:01 PM7/3/05

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Did all that.....still have the boxes behind the text.

"Gary Tsang" <gtsang...@MEaumha.org> wrote in message
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Malke

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Jul 3, 2005, 1:27:29 PM7/3/05

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Jim Hubbard wrote:

> Did all that.....still have the boxes behind the text.

Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:

1) System Properties>Advanced>Performance Settings>VisualEffects - check
"use drop shadows for icon labels".

2) Right-click on Desktop ->Arrange Icons by>Lock Web items must be
cleared.

3) If you have any web content on your desktop, transparency won't work.
To check for web content: Display Properties>Desktop>Customize
Desktop>Web - make sure all checkboxes are clear.

4) Wallpaper must be an image file, not html.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

Robert Gething

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Jul 4, 2005, 3:03:23 PM7/4/05

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NO...WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS LOCKED THE DESKTOP ITEMS. UMM...YOU NEED TO
RIGHT CLICK ON DESKTOP, CLICK EFFECTS TAB AND UNDER THE VISUAL EFFECTS
SECTION YOU NEED TO UNCHECK EVERYTHING APART FROM...ANIMATE WINDOWS,
MENUS AND LISTS.

M

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Jul 4, 2005, 3:16:19 PM7/4/05

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Go to System Properties, click on the Advanced Tab. Click on the Settings
button under Performance. Note your current setting, probably the default
of 'Let Windows choose what's best for my computer'. Select 'Adjust for
best appearance'. Click Apply. Reselect 'Let Windows choose what's best
for my computer', click apply and it should be back to normal.

"Jim Hubbard" <re...@newsgroups.com> wrote in message
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Joe

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Sep 1, 2005, 3:08:03 PM9/1/05

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Malke - I too had this problem... fixed it a year ago and could not remember
all of the steps to correct it... Your 4 Points were all right on... other
advise only hits on 1 or 2 of these items... my problem was your #4... my pic
was in PNG format... changed it to JPG and tada.... Thank you for a such a
complete response to Jim's question.

Malke

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Sep 1, 2005, 4:45:43 PM9/1/05

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Joe wrote:

> Malke - I too had this problem... fixed it a year ago and could not
> remember all of the steps to correct it... Your 4 Points were all
> right on... other advise only hits on 1 or 2 of these items... my
> problem was your #4... my pic
> was in PNG format... changed it to JPG and tada.... Thank you for a
> such a complete response to Jim's question.
>

I'm happy to have helped you, Joe. Thanks for letting me know.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User