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Can't get OS colors in Windows 10 as it looked in Windows 7

Amir D 21 Reputation points
2021-01-25T13:43:35.233+00:00

We have an application which inherits it's color from the OS, in Windows 7 the application looked great, but in Windows 10 the colors of the application are changed dramatically and does not look good,
I tried to copy registry values from 'HKCU\Control Panel\Colors' and changed settings from 'HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM' and seems like I have some success in making the colors of the application look as it used to look in Windows 7, but still the color of some aspect in the application cannot be defined in these registry values from some reason,

I can see that the specific color which is not being derived from the registry settings above is being impacted with the below settings:

  • high contrast theme
  • computability setting with reduced color mode for the executable of the application
  • define the theme to utilize 'c:\Windows\Resources\Themes\aero\aerolite.msstyles' instead of 'c:\Windows\Resources\Themes\aero\aero.msstyles'

but still, in all of the above attempts the color does not look good enough,

I tried to use the "Force a specific visual style file or force Windows Classic" GPO setting (located at User Configuration / Administrative Templates / Control Panel /Personalization) to force 'Windows Classic', but it still didn't change the needed color as it used to be in Windows 7,

Also, I'm unable to load a modified visual style file (eg modified aero.msstyles file), not via this GPO setting or by a theme, no matter what colors I configure in the visual style file it does not make any impact at all, seems like this GPO setting doesn't work properly and it is not possible to load anymore a customized visual style file,

Is there a way to get the colors of Windows 10 exactly as they were in Windows 7?
or maybe to get the Classic theme back in Windows 10?

Why the GPO setting doesn't allow me to load a visual style file? is there anyway around it to load a modified visual style file?

Thanks,

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Windows 10: A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets.Compatibility: The extent to which hardware or software adheres to an accepted standard.
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  1. Jenny Feng 14,096 Reputation points
    2021-01-26T02:30:46.143+00:00

    @Amir D
    Hi,

    After migrating to Windows 10 do not involve a single application but instead arise from combinations of software, making it even harder to search out the underlying cause.
    Here are some ways to fix common issues with older programs.
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/make-older-apps-or-programs-compatible-with-windows-10-783d6dd7-b439-bdb0-0490-54eea0f45938

    If you would make Windows 10 look and act more like Windows 7, you may refer to the following link for some information.
    https://www.howtogeek.com/277448/how-to-make-windows-10-look-and-act-more-like-windows-7/
    Please note: Information posted in the given link is hosted by a third party. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy and effectiveness of information.
    Actually windows 10 doesn't included any of their classic themes along with them. Approaching third party software will solve your concern.
    Or you can customize windows 10 to a point where it will look like classic theme.

    Hope above information can help you.

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  2. Amir D 21 Reputation points
    2021-01-26T20:51:39.867+00:00

    Thank you for the reply @Jenny Feng ,

    I have tried all the suggestions, but unfortunately, nothing change the color of the specific aspect in the application,

    Third-party software - for example like WindowBlinds - does really change the needed color, but I would like to find a solution without using a third-party software,

    Something is not very clear, why the GPO setting 'Force a specific visual style file or force Windows Classic' doesn't work when trying to load a modified visual style file?
    clearly this GPO setting is still available to configure in Windows 10, so why it cannot be used to load a modified file?

    Or alternatively, what is the correct process to load a modified visual style file in Windows 10?

    Any help will be greatly appreciated,

    Thanks,

  3. Amir D 21 Reputation points
    2021-01-27T09:38:43.403+00:00

    Hi,
    It seems like the visual style file I specify in this GPO setting is not being loaded in spite that I configure it correctly, for example, I copied "c:\Windows\Resources\Themes\aero\aero.msstyles" to different folder and dramatically edited it via a Msstyle file Editor (for example https://github.com/nptr/msstyleEditor) and I configured this GPO setting to load the modified file, but still I see no impact at all (even after gpupdate or reboot),
    in addition, I also tried to edit a theme to use the modified visual style file, but again I see no impact at all, nothing is being changed,

    I also tried to use on Windows 10 a 'aero.msstyles' copied from Windows 7, but the Windows 10 OS doesn't seem to load it, I see no changes at all,

    Any idea why?
    What is the correct procedure to load a modified visual style file in Windows 10?