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This chapter is from the book
Easy Computer Basics, Windows 8 Edition
This chapter is from the bookThis chapter is from the book Changing Windows Colors
When you configured Windows when you first turned on your new computer, you were asked to choose a color scheme. Fortunately, you’re not locked into your initial choice. You can change the color scheme for your Start screen (and subsidiary screens) at any time.
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Sometimes it’s the big changes in a new OS that really grind your gears. Other times, it’s something as simple as finding the background color to be an eyesore. Let’s take a look at how you can easily change the background/accent color in Windows 8.
Dear How-To Geek,
It’s ridiculous, but I can’t tell you how much the default purple color in Windows 8 really bothers me. It’s so loud it hurts my face. I want something simple and mute in intensity, like a nice mild gray.
Now, before you assume I didn’t even attempt to remedy the problem on my own, I did! I’ve looked in every freaking menu I can find and it’s like the setting doesn’t even exist. I even searched with Google and found multiple articles, including one you guys wrote about changing the Windows 8 start screen and it’s like the setting that was there is now gone. I can’t find a single stupid box, check mark, radio button, or anything to even begin the process. What gives? Where did the freaking setting go?
How To Change Color Of Pointer In Windows 8
I’m running Windows 8.1, no additional updates or custom interface tools/modifications. Help!
Sincerely,
Purple Hatin’
First, we commend you on doing some old fashioned search engine leg work to get to the bottom of your problem. Second, rest easy knowing that even though you’re failing to find the setting you’re looking for, it’s not because it’s right in front of your face. The crux of your problem is that between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft moved the location of the menu you’re looking for (and to an obscure location at that).
RELATED:How to Get Rid of the Modern Environment on a Windows 8 PC
In Windows 8, you navigate to the menu you’re looking for via the Charms bar (WIN+C) then Change PC Settings -> Personalize -> Start Screen, and select the background accent combination you want from the slider interface at the bottom of the Start Screen customization panel. That’s the technique outlined in our article you referenced and most likely outlined in all the search results you were finding.
Annoyingly, that menu got shifted around and practically buried during the Windows 8.1 update (we’d suspect that shift was/is part of Microsoft’s movement to distance Windows 8 from their very poorly received Modern UI). Now to change things you have to find the menu via the search function. You can jump to the search function by pressing WIN+C to pull up the Charms menu and then clicking on the search icon or, for even speedier access, you can simply press WIN+W to jump right to the search box:
Avast firewall not working windows 10. In the search box, type “accent” to pull up the “Change the background and colors on Start” menu. Even if you use Windows 8.1 entirely in desktop mode, you still need to use this menu to change the color of the popup notifications (like the kind you get when inserting removable media) and the color of the lock screen. In this well-hidden sub-section of the Personalize menu, you can now independently mix and match the background color and accent color:
For reference, the background color will be the background color of your Modern interface, as well as the background color of primary Windows 8 Modern-related interfaces such as the background of any sub-menus in the Charms interface. The accent color will be the new color of the Windows 8 Start button, interface buttons, and highlighted options within interface menus. Change both to the shade of gray you’re looking for and your problem is solved.
Have a pressing tech question? Shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to answer it.
How To Change The Color Of Windows 8 64READ NEXT
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If you are the owner of a tablet powered by Windows 8 or if you’re running Windows 8 on your PC then the chances are that you have already set your own picture as Start screen background, set custom picture as lock screen background and also configured the Start screen to show within the desktop area for quick access. After customizing the Start screen, lock screen, and other areas of the operating system you might now want to customize folders by changing the default color. As you know, Windows 8, just like previous version of Windows, doesn’t allow users to change the default folder color. While it does let you change the folder icon by right-clicking on the folder, selecting Properties and then switching to the Customize tab, you can’t change the default folder color to a custom color. So users who would like to change the folder color have no option but to go for third-party tools to get the job done. The good news is that the developer of Folder Colorizer has updated the program to add support for Windows 8. For those who haven’t used Folder Colorizer before, it’s a wonderful freeware to customize folder icons by changing default color right from the context menu. With the help of Folder Colorizer, you can set your own color for folders. And the best thing is that you can set different color for different folders. For instance, you can change the default color of My Documents to blue color and then set Red color to My Pictures folder. After installing the program, right-click on a folder to see Colorize! entry in the context menu. Click on the entry to select a color from available colors or choose your own color. An option is also available to restore to the original color. While Folder Colorizer is free, you will be asked to enter your email address when you launch the program for the first time. Another thing is that you might see Share Your Success box containing “Cool! No more boring colors, after you changed folder color with Folder Colorizer. Tweet This” message while using the program. You can get rid of this message by ticking “Don’t show this message again” option present in the dialog box. How to show Taskbar in Start screen and how to change logon screen background color in Windows 8 guides might also interest you. Comments are closed.
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