Changing the Color Scheme

If Windows Vista's master color scheme doesn't appeal to you, you can easily change it to look exactly the way it looked in earlier versions of Windows. You can also adjust the color scheme to increase the contrast so that items are easier to see. (Note that the Window Color And Appearance window appears if you have the Windows Aero color scheme enabled. Not all computer systems support or offer the Windows Aero color scheme.)

Change the Color Scheme

Click the Start button, choose Control Panel from the Start menu, and, in the Appearance And Personalization section, click Customize Colors.

If the Window Color And Appearance window appears, click this option to open the Appearance Settings dialog box.

Select the color scheme you want.

Click Effects if you want to

• Choose the method for smoothing screen fonts.
  
  
• See shadows under menus.
  
  
• See the window contents while you're dragging a window.
  
  

Click Advanced if you want to change the color, size, or font of individual items in the scheme you're using.

Click OK.

Tip

The ClearType option in the Effects dialog box smoothes the edges of screen fonts and can dramatically improve the readability of text, especially on a flat screen.