Remove glow from taskbar

[lakecityransom]

These white streaks really annoy me, although I do love the colors that come when you mouse over buttons. Does anybody know how to get rid of them? I am open to registry edits... I am using a theme called Luna Aero (http://satukoro.deviantart.com/art/Luna-port-to-Windows-7-Aero-136960235) atm, but the XP blue taskbar is pretty ugly and I'd really rather not resort to an overhaul theme if possible.

Edit: I thought I had found something from Ian the Administrator's tutorial, but it was just Windows 7 basic theme, which reduces the glow but it is still very much there.

 

[TrainableMan]

If you pick one of the Non-Aero options such as Windows Classic I think you will find the task bar is a solid gray. Right-click on the desktop and choose Personalization.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Hi lakecityransom, If you're referring to to the area of my highlighted edit of your image:-

I'm afraid that without editing the images in the .msstyle files of your (aero?) theme you are stuck with it.

 

[clifford_cooley]

I'm afraid that without editing the images in the .msstyle files of your (aero?) theme you are stuck with it.

Hi Elmer

I think I'm growing tired of the streaks in all my window frames.
Can you talk us through the edit process?

 

[lakecityransom]

If you pick one of the Non-Aero options such as Windows Classic I think you will find the task bar is a solid gray. Right-click on the desktop and choose Personalization.

Yes, but the classic view is horrible, you have to sacrifice everything else and that like using a bazooka to kill a fly. I want a nice theme...

Hi lakecityransom, If you're referring to to the area of my highlighted edit of your image:-
View attachment 2179
I'm afraid that without editing the images in the .msstyle files of your (aero?) theme you are stuck with it.

Actually, I am referring to both the not-currently-in-use AND currently-in-use button glows. That is, the currently used button just adds another glow on the other diagonal. I would just appreciate a push button styled look. Instead of trying to distinguish white on white.

I am open to doing an image fix if that is what it takes.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Hi Elmer

I think I'm growing tired of the streaks in all my window frames.
Can you talk us through the edit process?

I am open to doing an image fix if that is what it takes.

If you can bear with me, I'll try to sort out the image numbers using the Restorator 2007 30 day trial. At least we'd be on the same playing field! I'm currently using Windows Style Builder (paid for) as my main resource editor, hence cannot quote image numbers at the moment.

What I can tell you is that: If you use the "Always combine" taskbar then you are looking at a png image which contains ten different button "states". If you're using the "never combine" taskbar then you are looking at a png image which contains seven different button "states". Oh, and there is three of those! Left, right and centre!

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Copied aero.msstyles file from the C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-aero_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_07d80332331a9cf0 folder.

Using Restorator these are the taskbar button images I found:



The first four are 40 pixel high per button state. The last four are 46 pixel high per button state. Large and small taskbars and/or icons??

The always combined button states are: Normal, Hover, Pressed, Normal Selected, Hover Selected, Pressed Selected, Flash Button (Amber), Normal Pinned, Hover Pinned, Pressed Pinned.

The never combined button states are: Normal, Hover, Pressed, Normal Selected, Hover Selected, Pressed Selected, Flash Button (Amber).

Whatever all that means!!

 

[BladeRunner]

How about the shiny taskbar stripes?
Here's how to remove them:

Open regedit and navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER|Software\microsoft\Windows\DWM... double ckick on ColorizationGlassReflectionIntensity and then change the value to something lower, I changed it to 1. Close regedit and restart to take effect.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

I knocked up some quick modded png images as above just so you can play!! You may not like the effect enough to put a lot of effort into doing them properly but this will give you some idea.



Blade runners tip should also remove the stripe effect from explorer windows as well. I cannot confirm that, as, true to form, I've edited the png files in the msstyles file!!

 

[clifford_cooley]

Blade runners tip should also remove the stripe effect from explorer windows as well. I cannot confirm that, as, true to form, I've edited the png files in the msstyles file!!

His tip does work, I can speak for it. However if you make any changes in the theme or colors, the strips will revert back.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

If using restorator the image (or part of it) to edit is in the folder STREAM. I edited the striped part in Photoshop by just setting it to 25% opacity

 

[lakecityransom]

1000 apologies for my tardiness... this is great, thank you all.

There are two small issues:

1. A currently active button that is highlighted results in this bad cyan hue at the bottom (edit: also a click-held button results in a little bit different hue, shown in the 2nd picture):

2. Active buttons that are highlighted or click-held buttons have an intense glow with some lighter colors.

I'm guessing both of these are a results of those 3 intimidating looking white masks at the bottom... but I'll have a go at fixing them. :s

Thanks a ton again.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

They were some extremely fast knock ups just so you could get the general gist of the look.

I didn't say they'd be pretty!!

 

[lakecityransom]

Aye indeed, you are a gentleman and a scholar sir.

 

[TrainableMan]

I'm amazed you tried editing system folders rather than a simple regedit.

 

[lakecityransom]

I'm amazed you tried editing system folders rather than a simple regedit.

The white stripes in taskbar and when hovering the show desktop button are completely separate from the glow on the buttons. There may be some registry value but I have never found it on Google.

I have tried BladeRunner's registry fix example before, but as mentioned it does not stick. I can't even logoff and log back on without it coming back, let alone only when changing themes... so I guess same case would apply if registry hack worked for glows.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

The Button Highlights are image based. Sadly.

 

[TrainableMan]

Try setting ColorizationGlassReflectionIntensity here:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4055043867-1694102399-8670028-1003\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
... Instead. Then logoff user and log back in.

Note the S-1-5-21-4055043867-1694102399-8670028-1003 is my TrainableMan ID, if you don't have that # then you will need to find the number that is your account.

 

[lakecityransom]

Thx for the regedit tip.

It was painful, as the theme acts strangely to the combination of the RGB and opacity, but here is my result. I only edited 1014.png because it seems to be the only one that matters, regardless of small or large taskbar. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't break it. 1st thing I did was paint A, B, C, 1, 2, 3 on the images and all came from 1014.png upon testing. Maybe this will bite me in the ass later.

See fullscreen because this is blurry!

If anyone stumbles upon this and would like the no glow Aero replacement:
(See post on next page for new attachment)

Note: I didn't remove the white streaks. That picture in STREAM looks exactly like what you see when you hover over show desktop. Not sure what to edit.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Good job Lakecityransom. I use the always combine, no text option, so don't quote me on this, but I think the likes of 1015, 1016, 1017 would come into play when you've got more windows open than the taskbar can cope with full sized buttons.

The thing with Windows 7 (as opposed to XP) is that there are that many display options, it can be a bit hit and miss (to start with) as to which image does what! Then of course, like you, I tend to only do the images that will affect what I want to change. The rest come later, maybe.

Just for interest, what did you edit the images with?

Also, can you stick the .msstyles file in a zip and attach it for me.