Can XP desktop icons be tweaked and ditto folder icons ?

[envirographics]

The white text under the desktop icons just isn't very clever over sky
type backgrounds, I cannot read easily the text (not well thought
through Bill !) so I hope this can be given a different colour. As my
backgrounds have mostly sky with aircraft in, its even worse than
scenery ones !

I also find the closed folder icon in windows explorer looks almost
identical to the open one, before in 98 and 2K it was so obvious which
was open, now its a struggle. can one choose from differenr icons or
create your own. Or turn on Classic icons. The drive icons also are
puny at 1024x768 and dont show my zip drive as blue anymore. at higher
res still used by graphics stations its chronic.

I have already gone to Windows Classic mode to get neutral greys
correct for graphics PC but choosing likewise in another setup window
sees that previous option undone, annoyingly.

help !

Envirographics

 

[t.cruise]

As far as Themes, unlike prior versions of Windows which had
many choices, Windows XP only has 2 (Windows XP or Windows Classic). You
either have to buy Microsoft Plus for Windows XP, which has only a few other
Themes, or a third party theme utility like Style XP
http://www.tgtsoft.com/ and then go to http://www.themexp.org/ which has
hundreds and hundreds of Windows XP Themes to download which work with Style
XP.

As far as changing the white text under icons, it can only be changed if you
use a third party theme utility like what's mentioned above, or if you opt
for the Classic Windows theme instead of the Windows XP theme. But, if
Display Properties/Appearance tab/Effects button/Show Shadows Under Menus
option is selected, the white text under the icons should be clear even with
a white background, because it's shadowed by black. Using that same Effects
button, you can select the option for Use Large Icons.
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
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[Keith Miller]

For the desktop icons, you might want to consider turning off the drop shadows for icon titles, so that the icon text is against your desktop color. If you then selected a light color for your desktop that blended well your wallpaper, your icon text would be black.
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For the open folder icon, easiest way is to use Kelly's script:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Line 119, right-hand column.

(I leave the folder icon alone and use:
"%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll,137"
for the open folder icon. It's the large, green, right-pointing arrowhead and really stands out in a folder tree.)