Windows 10: 1 pixel wide border outside windows in High Contrast

Greetings,

I'm having a sort of an issue with window borders with custom High Contrast themes. I'm trying to create a dark theme based off an existing one I've found that could be used without patching any system files, hence why it uses High Contrast to get custom colors. I've had most of the problem already solved, notably the huge window borders, and I've acknowledged that some things may remain broken (such as tray icons having borders all around with the same color as button text).

The issue I'm now concerned about relates to window borders. Outside the standard window border, there is a 1 pixel wide border on the very outside of a window:





I've noticed that the border seems to have the same color as the window title text. It seems like an inane decision from Microsoft's part - if you want a dark theme, you probably want dark title bars, so white text, and you get ugly white borders, as if you were trying to make a triangle of three gears move. In the image, I've had a compromise of grayish text which makes the text harder to read, but the borders more tolerable.

My question is, is it possible to either change the color of this border independently or remove it altogether? I've tried to search for instructions online without any success so far.

Thanks in advance.

:)

 

change the thickness of the window frames in Windows 10.

Your two options are to go to Start :: Settings :: Personalization :: Color and choose a more vibrant color for the 1 pixel window border or if that's not your speed you can use the High Contrast Themes as your base theme. That will get you back to the
old 10 pixel wide style of border.

 

How can I create a custom desktop theme?

Border width is not an exposed customizable property of the theme. That's kind of an intricate setting. The default for Windows 10 is one pixel visible with ten pixels active "grabbable" space. If you like ten pixels visible/10 pixels grabbable space,
you can switch to the High Contrast theme.

No. Those are not supported for customization any fashion: those are system files required to get and keep your system up and running.

 

Welcome to the forums!

I see.
If you've done the changes in the theme file itself or via SMACC or notepad then you're on the right track.

The 1px outside border is: TitleText for the active window and InactiveTitleText for inactive windows. This will control the titles as it says; there is no way to change the 1px border independently.

Extras:
Win 7 theme elements teardown
SMACC

 

@con487, welcome! *Smile

First of all, one of two things; you've either had AeroLite on your system or you've inherited it through a .theme file, and it's become a 'Parent' theme.
Best to get rid of any AeroLite themes and traces, then set the Windows default theme then start 'building' a High Contrast theme from scratch. That will get rid of the trace border around most elements, eg. Notepad and the clock.





I must warn you, though, with the ever increasing amount of 'virtual/immersive' layers throughout the OS, it's getting more and more difficult to create a HC theme that looks half decent!

One important thing is to turn off 2 settings in 'Colors' and leave the 3rd one on!





Also, do the reg hack to make Active and Inactive title bars the same or similar color:

Inactive Title Bar Color - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

@Hopachi

Yes, I've been editing my themes using notepad. I already knew about title text, so "there is no way to change the 1px border independently" was really the important part here.




@Edwin

Thank you for the welcome.

I tried to remove AeroLite from the theme, and oh my, what is this abomination?





I think the theme needs further editing to make it work, or will it always end up looking like this without AeroLite? I'd much rather have the borders over this.

The settings of the Colors page posted already match mine.

 

@Edwin
What build is that?
How would you get full dark theme without AeroLite and without patching?

 

Build 14393.10
High Contrast theme.

 

Has the Anniversary Update/14393 extended the capabilities of High Contrast themes without AeroLite? Or am I doing something wrong here?

 

I don't know! I think it's hampered it more!
AeroLite or not, I'm finding it difficult to get all the elements blend!
Certainly not as easy as it was a few Builds ago!

 

Are there any tutorials for setting up HighContrast, yet not AeroLite, themes? I just get the result I posted earlier where most spots stay white with black text, while others don't, making a large part of the UI unreadable.

 

I'll check around.
I started one a while ago but never finished editing it, it was so long winded! *Redface

 

Most intriguing.
And I still don't get it. (dark theme + thin borders). Unless the generated 'dark' theme isn't fully dark.

Aerolite is High Contrast by default. (check default themes).
*Think
Aero always results in whites shown in places, like con487's screenshot.

 

I don't get it completely either. I usually have to mess around with it over and over and over with many restarts and sometimes I get lucky! *092

This one came pretty close to having all the elements fall into place: "Flaire Fox" HC Theme: