How to change the background color of Windows 8 Explorer

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mynameisshounak

New Member
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3
Hello,

I am facing a couple of problems

(1) I want to change the background color of the Explorer. I am using Windows 8.

I have opened "regedit" --> Control Panel --> Colors.

I am unable to understand which value of DWORD to set in and which one to change. I want to change the color of the explorer to grey so that it does no hurt my eye. Please guide me with the exact value.

(2) I want to change the brightness of Windows 8. I am using Acer Aspire E1- 510. Earlier I have questioned, but I was asked to download some driver and update. But it is not happening. I am not very good in hardware settings etc. In "regedit" is it possible to edit anything and decrease the OVERALL BRIGHTNESS OF THE LAPTOP?. If so please guide me.

Thanks a lot.
 
The only way I know how to change Explorer backgrounds is with WindowBlinds.

screenshot_111.jpg

Mine is olive green right now----

screenshot_111.jpg
 
Hello Chuck,

Changing the DWORD value to 200 200 200 it is changing the color of regedit window. What I am looking is the WHITE background color of the window which loads be default. While clicking on MyComputer --> Open, the white background that opens. After restarting it has become grey but the regedit window only not the Windows8 Explorer.

Kindly guide.
 
Oh, sorry about that. I will look into it a little more, meanwhile, have you tried Mr. Bailey's suggestion?

-Chuck
 
You could invert contrast on the fly, as an option, pressing left Alt + left Shift + PrtScn

EDIT: You'll need to check mark this setting though:

1.PNG
 
I experienced the same issue, which is fine because I also want a grey background for other apps. It's just that I can't find the registry entries for the color background of the file explorer main and tree windows.

I notice that in some sites which offer Win 8 skins this is possible.
 
Toning down the brightness is probably the best practice, or setting a light grey background. Inverting black on white for long term isn't so healthy for the eyes as black backgrounds tend to 'swallow up' the white text and messes with your eye focus.
Had a link somewhere; I'll find it.
 
Hi, I've finally got a 'permanent' change of background colour in many areas (permanent as in 'it's not lost after resume from hibernation'). Excluding explorer (of course). Here it is in outline:

The basic method is:
a. Change the two registry entries commonly documented to your preferred RGB mix.
b. Save the theme
c. When you resume from hibernation, run a small program -freeware- (I used Win Aero's themeswitcher) to reassert your existing theme

That's the trick - the background colour is lost on resuming unless you reselect the same theme.
You can try that manually, but the real trick is

Use task scheduler to run Win Aero's Themeswitcher on resuming from hibernation.

Yes, using 'Event' + System, Power-Troubleshooter, 1 as a trigger, you can run a task on resuming.
(Not log on or unlocking your workstation - these won't work here).

Thus your colours effectively remain set. See pale yellow in the image.

Picpick.jpg

That's Win 8.1 with Aero Glass, and Y'z shadow.
Now, replace explorer with a configurable tabbed dual pane file manager, and match the colour and you're more or less there..
 
mynameisshounak said:
Hello,

I am facing a couple of problems

(1) I want to change the background color of the Explorer. I am using Windows 8.

I have opened "regedit" --> Control Panel --> Colors.

I am unable to understand which value of DWORD to set in and which one to change. I want to change the color of the explorer to grey so that it does no hurt my eye. Please guide me with the exact value.

(2) I want to change the brightness of Windows 8. I am using Acer Aspire E1- 510. Earlier I have questioned, but I was asked to download some driver and update. But it is not happening. I am not very good in hardware settings etc. In "regedit" is it possible to edit anything and decrease the OVERALL BRIGHTNESS OF THE LAPTOP?. If so please guide me.

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

The simplest solution to (1) is to select a high-contrast theme from Personalization. Then, click on Colors to access options for various colors for various 'components', like background.

I never explored high-contrast themes in Windows 7, because the OS offered plenty of customizations, including specific fonts. Windows 8/8.1 trash-binned those choices. And high-contrast themes do offer some relief from the white glaring backgrounds. Third-party applications seemed immune to the high-contrast themes, however.

Solution to (2) ought to be found in the laptop user's manual. It probably consists of a fn key concurrently with a 'light bulb' key on the laptop keyboard.
 
I've not seen anyone with a solution for explorer, except by, say, using Windowblinds. Personally, I don't want to go that way.

Try a different file manager- dual pane, tabbed, configurable... lots of options for colours etc. There are a good many, although you'll never escape explorer completely.

xyplorer.jpg
 
Here's how I got away from the blinding white:
 

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