Classic Shell: Forum

Hi Guys. I've done a search for this but couldn't find any answers, so I'm hoping someone here can help me. I'm after upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and since I didn't like the Windows 10 start menu very much I decided to try Classic Start Menu. I went through most of the default skins and I really fell in love with the Windows 7 style Metro skin, it's just really clean and easy to manage. Here's how it looks for me right now:



My only issue is that I'd love to get the background of the menu to be the same darker blue color of the taskbar, but unfortunately the Menu Glass Color option in settings doesn't change the color on this skin for me. I've looked around inside the skin file using Resource Hacker but I can't seem to find any particular line that I can edit to change the color. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

The background is set by lines like this:
Main_bitmap=$StartBackground

That means the main menu background will use the start background color. The taskbar uses the $SystemAccentDark2 or $SystemAccentDark3 color depending if it is transparent or not. You can try changing the menu to
Main_bitmap=$SystemAccentDark2

However, the selection also uses SystemAccentDark2, so you'll have to change that color as well. For example
Main_selection=$StartSelectionBackground

BTW, those are just examples. You will have to change multiple lines in the skin because the same colors are used in multiple places.

Wow, thanks for the quick reply, I made a donation so you can get yourself a pint on me My desktop is looking great now!

Great job Do you mind sharing the skin here?

@vairish, just out of curiosity, have you disabled taskbar transparency in your screenshot using Classic Shell settings? Is your taskbar set to be opaque, translucent or glass?

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Of course not. For anyone who wants to use it, you will need to set the Programs Pane Width to 38 in the main menu tab if you want your start menu to be in line with the Cortana/Ask Me Anything bar.

I didn't change any taskbar settings with Classic Shell. It's set to the default Win 10 transparency settings.

This can be an option for the Metro skin in the next version since a lot of users would want their taskbar and Start Menu colors to match even if the Windows 10 Start Menu is a different shade than the taskbar.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

The taskbar can be many different colors depending on the settings. Skins have no capability to dynamically change colors like that.
BTW, the easiest way to match the start menu and the taskbar is to change the taskbar color

Changed the Sub Menu background to the original colour so they stand out a bit more from the Start Menu:

Ah awesome job.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Thanks man I was bored in work today so I started remaking my start menu in the classic two column style so I could have transparency. Few things left to fix but pretty happy with it so far.

Sweet, I'm looking forward to there being transparency stuff for Classic Shell's metro skin.
Not glass though, P.U.

Wow you got the native translucency effect to work?

I would really like that version of the skin with the translucency are you planning on releasing it?

Starting with Classic Shell 4.2.5, the Metro and Midnight skins support transparency in both columns in Windows 7 style.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Can someone please make a recolored version of the 7style metro skin to match my taskbar? Here is a screenshot for reference. Also, I would like the highlight to show up in the same shade of purple that the skin itself currently shows up as.

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"A book is a mirror. If an ass peers into it, it doesn't expect an apostle to peer out." - E.M. Forster

How did you solve it? Different skin, adjust color in settings, or have you taken the plunge into skinning?

let everyone know

Was it Highlight selector color, new program highlight selector, or did you mean the hover highlight text color?
I just experimented with custom text color. See this post in skinning section:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=6220

Can you share what code changes you had to make to make the start menu match your taskbar? I see the main_bitmap section but I don't know what color variable to use to make it match the taskbar

also, can you share where you had to change code to alter the color of the sub-menu flyout?