Different color schemes without Aero?

[Yannick Berker]

Hi,
I'm using Vista Business with a Geforce 4 graphics card, so I can't use Aero
(I think I'm using Windows Vista Basic, the black one with green animated
progress bars). Nevertheless, I would like to change the color scheme from
the default black one without having to specify every single color in the
personalization control panel. I found this picture
(http://www.skinbase.org/files/archive/skins/322/1_Vista-Screenshot_3_1280x1.jpg)
but not the control panel shown there.

So, how can I change the color scheme without(!) applying a whole
..theme-file consisting of mouse pointer, background images and stuff I don't
want to change ?

Thanks,
Yannick

 

[Beck]

Hi,
I'm using Vista Business with a Geforce 4 graphics card, so I can't use
Aero (I think I'm using Windows Vista Basic, the black one with green
animated progress bars). Nevertheless, I would like to change the color
scheme from the default black one without having to specify every single
color in the personalization control panel. I found this picture
(http://www.skinbase.org/files/archive/skins/322/1_Vista-Screenshot_3_1280x1.jpg)
but not the control panel shown there.

So, how can I change the color scheme without(!) applying a whole
.theme-file consisting of mouse pointer, background images and stuff I
don't want to change ?

That scfeenshot is for aero. As far as I know, you cannot change the colour
scheme of aero basic.

 

[Adam Albright]

Hi,
I'm using Vista Business with a Geforce 4 graphics card, so I can't use Aero
(I think I'm using Windows Vista Basic, the black one with green animated
progress bars). Nevertheless, I would like to change the color scheme from
the default black one without having to specify every single color in the
personalization control panel. I found this picture
(http://www.skinbase.org/files/archive/skins/322/1_Vista-Screenshot_3_1280x1.jpg)
but not the control panel shown there.

So, how can I change the color scheme without(!) applying a whole
.theme-file consisting of mouse pointer, background images and stuff I don't
want to change ?

Thanks,
Yannick

You still can fiddle with color schemes like you did in XP. They just
hid the controls. You're not missing that much not having a Aero
capable graphics card. Basically what you miss is the translucency so
windows can take on some degree of transparancy, so you can see what's
underneath if you have a bunch of other windows open. Aero also does
work with more robost graphic cards to do some of the tasks that
otherwise you CPU may otherwise do, not that big a deal really if you
have a reasonalbly fast system.

What you want to look for is the old 'appearance settings' window in
Control Panel. Didn't check just now, problably have to switch to
classic view in Control Panel. From there like in XP and earlier
versions of Windows you can change the colors of your desktop for just
about anything.

Another nice feature of Vista is the introduction of "clear type"
which carries on from the older "true type" fonts of past versions. If
you have your screen resolution set high enough with several of the
newer fonts you should notice text is crisper and easiler to read.
Don't know if that's supported in the basic version. It is in
Business, but my graphic card is Aero capable so I may be seeing
features those that don't have a Aero capable card can't.

 

[johnm]

What you want to look for is the old 'appearance settings' window in
Control Panel. Didn't check just now, problably have to switch to
classic view in Control Panel. From there like in XP and earlier
versions of Windows you can change the colors of your desktop for just
about anything.

Right, Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization\Windows
Color and Appearance
- at the bottom of that window a small link to "Open classic appearance
properties for more color options"

Another nice feature of Vista is the introduction of "clear type"
which carries on from the older "true type" fonts of past versions. If
you have your screen resolution set high enough with several of the
newer fonts you should notice text is crisper and easiler to read.
Don't know if that's supported in the basic version. It is in
Business, but my graphic card is Aero capable so I may be seeing
features those that don't have a Aero capable card can't.

XP had something like that as a PowerToy, the ClearType Tuner Powertoy

 

[Beck]

Right, Control Panel\Appearance and
Personalization\Personalization\Windows Color and Appearance
- at the bottom of that window a small link to "Open classic appearance
properties for more color options"

But its misleading, as if you change title bar colours it does not actually
change them because aero basic overides the colours. The only way to see
the changes is to have classic mode.

 

[johnm]

But its misleading, as if you change title bar colours it does not
actually change them because aero basic overides the colours. The only
way to see the changes is to have classic mode.

Exactly, hence the title "Open =classic= appearance properties"