Edit Windows classic colors - Abdelrhman-AK/WinPaletter GitHub Wiki

1. Introduction

  • If you don't know what is the meaning of "Windows classic colors", these colors are for the classic 3D buttons and other Windows elements that have a retro style, they are illustrated in the following screenshots (Windows 98, XP and 7):

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  • There is no classic theme starting from Windows 8, but you can apply the classic theme by force (unofficial way).
  • There are remnants (in Windows 8 and later) that you can modify; like Hilight, Hilight text and other elements.
  • If classic theme is applied by force, you can get use of all colors.

2. Toolbar

1. Upper row

It contains buttons that import colors from themes:

  1. WinPaletter theme: it will import colors from a saved theme (it won't import all theme, it will import classic colors only)

  2. Classic .theme file: it will import colors from a classic .theme file used in Windows 9x era

  3. Visual Styles file: it will import colors embedded inside visual styles file (files used in themes starting from Windows XP till now)

  4. Current applied: it will import colors directly from Windows Registry (looks like an undo)

  5. Export: it will export the current colors into a .theme file that you can use in Windows 9x and later

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2. Lower row

  • It contains native Windows colors presets from first versions of Windows (Windows 1, 2 and 3.1) till latest version of Windows (Windows 11)
  • Just open this menu and select a preset

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3. Parts

Windows elements are grouped in 5 tabs to make modifying them more organized and easier

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1. 3D Objects

  • It contains Face (i.e. button face), Dark shadow, Shadow, Hilight, Light, Text and Frame button
  • They control the appearance of any 3D element (either everted or inverted) like buttons, panels and windows
  • Frame button is a focus rectangle surrounding a clicked button

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  • There are two previews for 3D Objects, making it easier to know the look of selected colors on your system

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2. Classic titlebars

  • It contains Active titlebar, Inactive titlebar (both have two colors to control titlebar gradience), Active titlebar text, Inactive titlebar text, Active border and Inactive border

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3. Selection objects

  • It contains Menu, Menu bar (only for flat menus mode), Menu text, Selection rectangles and hyperlinks, Hilight, Menu hilight and Hilight text

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  • Controlling Selection rectangles and hyperlinks, Hilight and Menu hilight will modify folders/files/... selection like this:

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4. Windows objects

  • It contains Background (i.e. Windows desktop color when there is no wallpaper applied), App workspace, Window, Window text, Disabled text, Tooltip background and Tooltip text

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5. Not used

  • It contains items that have no usage (or unknown usage), including Desktop, Scrollbar (used in Win98) and Alternate face (i.e. Alternate button face that should be in 3D objects section).

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4. User preference mask

It contains two toggles controlling gradience for titlebars and flat menus

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5. Actions

You can do one action from the following:

  1. Load into current theme: it will load current colors into current open WinPaletter theme, and will close this form so you can continue modifying other Windows aspects and finally press on Apply on main form to apply all aspects in the open theme.

  2. Quick apply: it will apply current colors instantly to test their real effects on system.

  3. Cancel: it will close this form without loading any modification made to classic colors

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