Windows 10: Title Bars have lost accent color

I recently realized that my title bars no longer match the accent color of my taskbar and start menu. I've checked and double-checked the settings, clicking "Show accent color on title bars and windows borders." All that seems to affect is the windows borders now. I've even chatted with support, and while they attempted a system restore, it did not resolve the issue. At the moment, my windows seem to be only white or black, depending on whether I pick light or dark modes.I've also attempted to install multiple new themes to see if there was something wrong with my custom theme. They did not fi

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Accent color bug in 1809 and how to set title bar color manually

Thanks Edwin. That initially works (run as administrator etc)... it actually also adjusts the signing off/shut down screen color to close to the accent color instead of the new darker mystery accent color.. but on signing in it is all lost.. windows has taken it back over to the very dark color on title bars (and apparently the signout/shutdown screen). It's like accent color means very dark version of accent color in terms of title bars. It doesn't do this in 1803 or any earlier version of Windows 10 I can recall.

Works





After signing back in

 

Accent color bug in 1809 and how to set title bar color manually

I made a related thread about this earlier asking about how to set the title bar color in the registry manually. I decided to make another thread on this to better describe the issue and also to give it a better thread title since I believe what I'm really asking is how to deal with a bug in 1809.

The bug is that unlike in versions 1803 and earlier, when you let windows 10 choose an accent color to color title bars (and start, action center and taskbar) in 1809, it colors title bars a much darker color than before. The color is much darker than what it shows in the example provided. See here:





Much darker:





So here is the problem/bug/change in more detail:

Ok, so, in Windows 10 version 1803 and earlier versions of Windows 10, if you choose a background (in this case the Windows 10 blue background) like this:





And select automatically pick an accent color from background:





The color of the title bars of folders, file explorer and Firefox (the menubar and tab bar) looks like this:





Firefox




The color is a light blue I believe #26A6F2

The menu bar text on Firefox is black as is the text on tabs and the minimize close buttons etc.

The taskbar and and start etc have a darker blue and that is fine:





So this is the way it has always been as far back as I can recall.

But now, starting with version 1809, using the same settings above, the title bar color is no longer that shade of blue... it is much darker. See below for example:





Firefox




Notice the much darker shade of blue (color #06476F) and the white text of the menu bar etc for example in Firefox.

The task bar, start etc appear to have the same or similar color in 1809 as in 1803, it is only the title bar coloring that has changed from a relatively light blue to a dark blue.

If i "customize" the accent color in an attempt to make the title bar color lighter like the way it is naturally in 1803, this throws the colors of the taskbar and start, action center off... it makes them lighter as well and it doesn't look good to me... poor contrast, especially the start area.

I could just use a theme for firefox but this still leaves other title bars dark blue and I'd rather not use a theme if possible since it changes loading behavior of FF slightly. I could also use a userchrome file to control colors on FF but I had issues with getting the menu bar text black like in 1803 and it again it does nothing for other title bars.

So I was looking at this SMACC tool but I'm having difficulties getting it to do what I want it to do ... which is to make title bars of Firefox and file explorer etc look like they do in 1803... that same lighter blue. I'm not concerned about task bar, start, action center etc because there are both as far as I can see colored the same/similarly in 1803 and 1809.

So I started by turning off accent color on title bars:





And then tried to set the blue color using the smacc tool but nothing I do sticks... I save to registry and log out and then in and nothing. The dark blue color remains. i think it may be because I just don't know what I'm doing so maybe someone who is familiar with this can makes suggestions on exactly how to use this tool to do what I want.. if it is possible.





Thanks for reading and any help. I may not answer for a bit... holiday stuff.

 

Show accent color on title bars and windows borders is not working

I am using Windows 11. I'd like my title bars to not be gray so I can more easily see them. It would make it much easier for me to see the windows to click and move them if they were a color.

I followed the instructions on the Microsoft help page Change colors in Windows - Microsoft Support. My mode is Custom, default Windows mode is Dark, default app mode is Light. Transparency effects if Off. Accent color is Manual. Both Show accent color on Start and taskbar and Show accent color on title bars and windows borders are on. When I change the accent color, it shows on the Start and taskbar but the title bar and windows borders do not change. I've tried blue, purple, and green to be sure. I've rebooted in between color changes. Is there something else I need to do to get the windows title bars to change color?

Thanks.