Windows 10: How find all the desktop appearance items like Windows XP

I have Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit.

I'm hoping someone can help with this. In Windows XP, I was able to completely modify all types of settings. In Windows 10, thanks to a previous thread, I was able to find a lot of them in Win 10, by going to Start/Run & using "rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl,Advanced,@Advanced".

However, it doesn't cover all the things that Windows XP had AND I was easily able to save my settings as a theme in Windows XP.

1. Can someone please tell me where I can find additional settings in Windows 10?
2. Once I make changes, is there an easy way to save all the changes as a theme that I can name?

I've attached 2 screenshots: one of the items in Windows XP & one of Windows 10. So I'm looking for the place to make changes that aren't covered in the attached Windows 10 png.

Thank you in advance,







:)

 

3 icons on the bottom right corner in windows 10 not appearing

My subject line, basically, says it all...the 3 icons on the bottom right corner in windows 10 doesn't appear. I have seen the one that looks like a computer...but not the others. How do I get them to appear? What do they each mean? One looks like a
power button...but the other 2 have me stumped.

My computer is the Dell XPS 8920 ...with 32 gb or ram. I have the item for less than 2 months.

 

Make Recycle Bin visible in Desktop via File Explorer (but not the Navigation Pane) in Windows 10

I've seen information about getting the Recycle Bin visible in the File Explorer using the Navigation Pane, but it introduces a few more features I rather not have. All I want is the Recycling Bin (and perhaps the other usual icons) available when I visit
the Desktop directory with the File Explorer like in previous versions of Windows.

Currently when I access the Desktop directory the simple way via the Navigation Pane, the folder only lists whatever files I have there and nothing else; in my case, I keep my Desktop completely clean of any files so File Explorer says I have 0 items. Accessing
the Desktop with the Links folder's shortcut however reveals all the other items that usually sit in the Desktop (the OneDrive, the user, "This PC", Control Panel, and of course the Recycle Bin), so I know they're all still there like usual. However, trying
to pin this Desktop shortcut to the Quick Access doesn't help, as the Quick Access link performs like the normal Desktop Navigation Pane selection and 0 items appear for me again.

Is there actually a way to have the Recycle Bin and other items appear as normal in the Desktop when accessing the directory via File Explorer like it used to be in older Windows? When moving files around and cleaning them up I find it more efficient to
just access the Recycle Bin in the Desktop via the File Explorer instead of having to minimize all my windows just to see it on the actual Desktop, so I would love to bring it back to the File Explorer again.

 

@phrab
Your first image represents the color palette for High Contrast themes,
your second image I don't recognize.

 

Hi Edwin:
Thanks for the reply. The 2nd image is a summary that I made from the options in Windows XP. I right clicked the Desktop, went to Properties/Appearance tab/Advanced. This is the screenshot in WinXP.

Then I listed all the items & their color schemes, made modifications, & saved the results in a chart in Word. I was just trying to list all the options that I had in WinXP that I can't find in Win10. I'm guessing they must be somewhere, but I don't know how to find them.

 

I wouldn't know how to find them either!
Those settings are long buried in the Registry, in Stylesheets and various .dll's all over the place!
To access a small portion of those, I'm almost certain it will take 3rd party software to do it.

 

Thank you very much for the reply. I've been looking, but can't find 3rd party software that does this. Do you (or anyone else) know where I might find some?

 

Hi, please see this utility created by @Superfly
S.M.A.C.C - Superfly's Mouse Assisted Color Chooser - - Windows 10 Forums

It goes some way towards the missing (removed) GUI

Other areas- explorer-related backgrounds- can be coloured using Quizo's Qttabbar (free). Quite a few appearance options there.





The borders- Aeroglass + an image set from its forum for rounded corners.

However I find background colours are lost on resume from sleep/hibernation, so had to take special steps to automatically reapply what I created as a custom theme on resuming.

 

FYI: SMACC is not meant to emulate the properties of that applet - rather a rudimentary mock-up meant to aid theming in general.

 

Save as theme









Schedule task

Use script (Attached) which you need to edit to match your theme name, and then compile (easy, part of Autohotkey) to create the exe from the ahk script.

I've been using that from Win 8 on.

Install Autohotkey and the utility in the script (free)

 

Thank you again!! I appreciate your time & expertise. I'm new to Windows 10 & was afraid to click on "Unsaved Theme", not knowing what it would do. This might also solve another problem with Firefox, as I found that somewhere in between Theme2 & Theme3, I did something to make their menus unreadable when I hover the mouse. I will let you know.

 

I downloaded both the stable & beta version of Superfly's SMACC. However, when I clicked on the Inactive Title Bar (& inactive border) & tried to change the color, nothing happened. It said it wrote my changes to the registry, but my inactive title bar was still white. Did I do something wrong?

 

Change Color of Inactive Title Bar in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Customization Tutorials
may help.

Change Color and Appearance in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

However, things may change in the Creator's Upgrade. Which build are you using?

 

Thank you again, dalchina. By following your link to Change Color of Inactive Title Bar in Windows 10 (I have to learn how to insert a link with the text the way you have), I was able to modify the registry & change the inactive title bar color.

I am using Windows 10 Pro Version 1607, (Build 14393.1066).

Thank you also for the script & Autohotkey. In fact, seeing that may be even more important than my original problem. I've created hotkey combinations in Windows XP for starting various programs. In Windows 10, they work for awhile & then stop working unless I logout & back in. I'm hoping that I can use Autohotkey for combinations like Ctrl+Shift+i to open a folder, Ctrl+Shift+W to start Word, etc.

You've been amazing!!!*chuckle