The Select File Dialog Box background color

[david.rosen]

When opening a file, if you want to change the background color behind the folder icons on the left side of the Select File dialog box, do the following in Windows 7:

From Windows 7 desktop screen, go to personalization and click on Window Color at the bottom of that dialog box. At the bottom of the next dialog box, click on Advanced appearance settings...At the bottom of the next dialog box, under Item: select Inactive Title Bar and change the color to your heart's delight. I just wanted it darker so I could read the folder names easier which are white text.

[Albert_Rius]

Hi David,

Thanks for sharing this !!

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[ahasserd]

do you have a solution for this in Windows 10?

[david.rosen]

Not yet. I only have W10 at home, but it annoying that the default background color is so light.

Sincerely,

David M. Rosen, Architect

[C3DJAKE · Accepted solution]

In Windows 10 you can change it in the registry at

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

HilightText  = the font color

Background = the background color

Windows needs to be restarted before the changes take place.

[Emmsleys]

I don't think the OP will be back to mark this thread...with that said thank you for sharing this. I'm sure other users will find it helpful. 

Thanks. 

[aksalaymeh]

---

@C3DJAKE wrote:

In Windows 10 you can change it in the registry at

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

HilightText  = the font color

Background = the background color

Windows needs to be restarted before the changes take place.

---

Many Thanks, that works fine for me

[tbonebanjo]

This is only changing the desktop background color, not the sidebar of the select file window in acad. I still cannot see the text it's white and the background is very light.

[peifla]

All the solutions I find online are ancient and no longer apply to current windows packages.  There is no way my IT people will allow me to alter the registry.  Is this really something that Autocad and Windows have left unresolved after all these years?  Still no viable solution short of a sledge hammer to the cpu?

[pendean]

AutoCAD does not give you access to Windows settings: that's always been the case in WindowsOS, a Microsoft requirement.

[bschueler]

You need to change the "Inactive Title" or the "Inactive Title Text" colors. 51 51 51 is black.

[rshort]

Microsoft obsoleted the "Advanced Appearance Settings" in Windows 10.

------------This is a step by step for those who are nervous or lacking modifying their registry---------

I found my color by typing "COLOR" in the command prompt in AutoCAD, "TRUE COLOR" tab, selected inside the box for a close view and then used the slide bar to darken or lighten.

Then your RGB number will be listed.
Highlight and Copy your "RGB Color"

1. Select the Window icon on you Taskbar
2. Type "REGEDIT" and hit "Enter"
3. Select  "YES"
This is only for nervous poeple like me. I select the "FILE"
dropdown and "EXPORT" a copy to my desktop.
4. then double click "Computer" to open the full tree,
     unless it's already open to the full tree.
5. double click "HKEY_CURRENT_USER"
6. double click "Control Panel"
7. double click "Colors"
8. double click "InactiveTitle"
9. In the "VALUE DATA" paste your value of your
chosen Color or Shade. Remove commas and
leave the space in between the numbers.
10. Restart your PC

[peifla]

Thank you very much! I didn't trust myself to doing work in the registry but my IT guy followed your directions with perfect results. Deeply grateful!

[JeffMoranKSS]

C3DJAKE

Thanks for your solution! I was able to change my colors, reboot and all works fine. The color I expected! However at some point the color reverts back to the default light blue/white until I reboot again. I have no idea when and what causes it to revert back.  Have you (or anyone else here) had the same experience?

Thanks

Jeff

[pendean]

Your video card choking perhaps? Post a screenshot of your GRAPHICSCONFIG and ABOUT commands pop-ups please.

[JeffMoranKSS]

Pendean, See attached screen capture png!

[peifla]

Oddly enough, we have the same name off by a single letter. LOL
I had tried the REGEDIT solution but that had the same result in that it reverted to factory settings occasionally and I had to reboot the computer the restart autocad to get the desired color again. I've given up on this and resolved myself to having to squint to read the folder names. For the life of me I don't understand why such a widely panned issue hasn't been resolved by Autodesk. Certainly someone there is smart enough to provide a permanent solution. But until then...

[pendean]

AS a test, toggle off hardware acceleration and see if your reverting color problem while using the program goes away (eliminating the need to reboot).

[JeffMoranKSS]

No luck, Pendean

[peifla]

It's mu understanding that it's a conflict between AutoCad/Autodesk and Windows. In older versions of Windows there was a setting that allowed color changes to things like this which apparently "stuck." But that feature was removed from Windows some time ago and now we're left with no option.
Hey Autodesk! If you read these, please fix this! We, the users of your VERY EXPENSIVE software, all want this. I don't need another way to cloud my revisions or dimension an object. Make my experience EASIER.
Respectfully, a decades-long customer.