Hi all,
this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut is no
in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but that did
not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.

Thanks,

Rick wrote:
> this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
> been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
> boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut
> is no in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but
> that did not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.

You must mean you want the background image to show through the icon labels?

http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/boarders.php

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Rick wrote:

> this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
> been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
> boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut is no
> in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but that did
> not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.

That is a "feature" of the theme you elected for displaying your desktop.
If you don't use themes, it isn't a problem.

Right-click on the My Computer desktop icon and select Properties from the
context menu, or run the System applet in Control Panel.

Advanced tab -> Performance settings -> Custom

Disable the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" option.

Do you want them to be transparent?

Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:

1.Control Panel-System-Advanced-Performance Settings.
Check "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" on the Visual
Effects tab.

2.Right-click on Desktop - "Arrange Icons by" and ensure Lock Web
items is cleared.

3.Transparency will not work if you have web content on your desktop,
Control Panel - Display Properties - Desktop tab - Customize Desktop -
Web tab. Clear all check boxes.

4. Ensure the Wallpaper is an image file not HTML.

....Alan
--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
http://dts-l.com/index.htm



On Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:50:53 -0600, in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics, Rick <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi all,
>this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
>been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
>boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut is no
>in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but that did
>not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.
>
>Thanks,

Alan Edwards wrote:
> Do you want them to be transparent?
>
> Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:
>
> 1.Control Panel-System-Advanced-Performance Settings.
> Check "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" on the Visual
> Effects tab.
>
> 2.Right-click on Desktop - "Arrange Icons by" and ensure Lock Web
> items is cleared.
>
> 3.Transparency will not work if you have web content on your desktop,
> Control Panel - Display Properties - Desktop tab - Customize Desktop -
> Web tab. Clear all check boxes.
>
> 4. Ensure the Wallpaper is an image file not HTML.
>
> ...Alan
> --
> Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer
> http://dts-l.com/index.htm
>
>
>
> On Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:50:53 -0600, in
> microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics, Rick <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>> this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
>> been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
>> boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut is no
>> in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but that did
>> not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.
>>
>> Thanks,
Thanks to all. I found that the icons were locked. I had gone through
all the steps suggested above but, they did not work, probably because
they were locked no all is back to "normal".

Thanks,

Rick wrote:
> Thanks to all. I found that the icons were locked. I had gone
> through all the steps suggested above but, they did not work,
> probably because they were locked no all is back to "normal".

Thus - the first thing you do from the link I sent... ;-)

http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/boarders.php

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Rick wrote:
>> Thanks to all. I found that the icons were locked. I had gone
>> through all the steps suggested above but, they did not work,
>> probably because they were locked no all is back to "normal".
>
> Thus - the first thing you do from the link I sent... ;-)
>
> http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/boarders.php
>
Actually I had already done everything the above link showed but, to no
avail. It was not until I right clicked the the GUI and went to
properties and then Desktop and customize desktop then web and unchecked
lock desktop items, in any event thanks.

Rick wrote:
> this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
> been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
> boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut
> is no in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but
> that did not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.

Alan Edwards wrote:
> Do you want them to be transparent?
>
> Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:
>
> 1.Control Panel-System-Advanced-Performance Settings.
> Check "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" on the
> Visual Effects tab.
>
> 2.Right-click on Desktop - "Arrange Icons by" and ensure Lock Web
> items is cleared.
>
> 3.Transparency will not work if you have web content on your
> desktop, Control Panel - Display Properties - Desktop tab -
> Customize Desktop - Web tab. Clear all check boxes.
>
> 4. Ensure the Wallpaper is an image file not HTML.

Rick wrote:
> Thanks to all. I found that the icons were locked. I had gone
> through all the steps suggested above but, they did not work,
> probably because they were locked no all is back to "normal".

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Thus - the first thing you do from the link I sent... ;-)
>
> http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/boarders.php

Rick wrote:
> Actually I had already done everything the above link showed but,
> to no avail. It was not until I right clicked the the GUI and went
> to properties and then Desktop and customize desktop then web and
> unchecked lock desktop items, in any event thanks.

*grin*

The web page instructions I gave :
"This border on desktop icons can be created when the desktop items have
been locked, to unlock the desktop web items right click on an empty area of
your desktop. Now select Arrange icons by and uncheck 'Lock web items on
desktop' if it has a little tick next to it."

And what you said :

"right clicked the <background> and went to properties and then Desktop and
customize desktop then web and unchecked lock desktop items"

Those toggle the same thing. Try it yourself.

You can do it the way the web page says, and the checkbox will be on/off
dependent on what you did for the other way to see the setting. Vice versa,
same. Same toggle switch. There's probably another GUI way of doing it and
probably a registry setting for it, etc.

If it did not work for you before, I think you must have either not had a
check next to it when you did it the web page way (and thus turned it on) or
moved at the last second when doing it the way the web page says (Arrange
Icons --> Lock Web Items on desktop) and not clicked on it to uncheck it.

*shrug*

Glad you got it sorted.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Rick wrote:
>> this is a question that I should know the answer too but, I have not
>> been able to solve it yet. The shortcut labels are in rectangular
>> boxes. I would like to change them so that the name the shortcut
>> is no in a colored box. I looked at properties of my computer but
>> that did not help. The OS os Win XP Pro SP3.
>
> Alan Edwards wrote:
>> Do you want them to be transparent?
>>
>> Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:
>>
>> 1.Control Panel-System-Advanced-Performance Settings.
>> Check "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" on the
>> Visual Effects tab.
>>
>> 2.Right-click on Desktop - "Arrange Icons by" and ensure Lock Web
>> items is cleared.
>>
>> 3.Transparency will not work if you have web content on your
>> desktop, Control Panel - Display Properties - Desktop tab -
>> Customize Desktop - Web tab. Clear all check boxes.
>>
>> 4. Ensure the Wallpaper is an image file not HTML.
>
> Rick wrote:
>> Thanks to all. I found that the icons were locked. I had gone
>> through all the steps suggested above but, they did not work,
>> probably because they were locked no all is back to "normal".
>
> Shenan Stanley wrote:
>> Thus - the first thing you do from the link I sent... ;-)
>>
>> http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/boarders.php
>
> Rick wrote:
>> Actually I had already done everything the above link showed but,
>> to no avail. It was not until I right clicked the the GUI and went
>> to properties and then Desktop and customize desktop then web and
>> unchecked lock desktop items, in any event thanks.
>
> *grin*
>
> The web page instructions I gave :
> "This border on desktop icons can be created when the desktop items have
> been locked, to unlock the desktop web items right click on an empty area of
> your desktop. Now select Arrange icons by and uncheck 'Lock web items on
> desktop' if it has a little tick next to it."
>
> And what you said :
>
> "right clicked the <background> and went to properties and then Desktop and
> customize desktop then web and unchecked lock desktop items"
>
> Those toggle the same thing. Try it yourself.
>
> You can do it the way the web page says, and the checkbox will be on/off
> dependent on what you did for the other way to see the setting. Vice versa,
> same. Same toggle switch. There's probably another GUI way of doing it and
> probably a registry setting for it, etc.
>
> If it did not work for you before, I think you must have either not had a
> check next to it when you did it the web page way (and thus turned it on) or
> moved at the last second when doing it the way the web page says (Arrange
> Icons --> Lock Web Items on desktop) and not clicked on it to uncheck it.
>
> *shrug*
>
> Glad you got it sorted.
>
You are right it was in your first post--I did not read it closely
enough--Thanks