Changing Window Colors with Control Panel

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.1 and 3.0

SUMMARY

In Windows, changing the screen background color or the test color will affect the following programs:

   Notepad        MS-DOS Executive
   Clock          PIF Editor
   Control        Spooler Panel
   Calendar       Terminal
   Clipboard      Write

   Calculator     Reversi
   Cardfile       COMMAND.COM
   Paint

MORE INFORMATION

It is up to the application to look in the WIN.INI file to see what [color] preferences are selected. Some applications do not change because either they do not look in the WIN.INI file for those colors, or the applications choose to ignore them.

For an application to be aware of system color changes, the WM_SYSCOLORCHANGE message must be used in the Windows procedures.

For example, suppose a static hBrush is in the WndProc for repaint purposes. To be aware of system color changes, update the brush based on system color changes by doing something similar to the following:

 case WM_SYSCOLORCHANGE:
    DeleteObject(hBrush);
    hBrush = CreateSolidBrush(GetSysColor(COLOR_WINDOW));
    return 0;