How to Change the Colors of Window 7 Menus

Personalize your home computer with a colorful desktop and program menus.

Computers running the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system ship with a default desktop theme that controls the appearance of your computer desktop, including the background wallpaper, program window borders, the taskbar and menus. If you get bored of the look and feel of your computer, you can change the color of the menus in Windows 7 with the Window Color and Appearance tool.

Instructions

Change Menu Colors on a Windows 7 Basic Theme

1. Click the desktop taskbar "Start" button. Choose "Control Panel," followed by "Appearance and Personalization."

2. Select "Personalization," and click "Theme." Click your preferred theme in the displayed list of theme thumbnail icons. This applies the theme to your computer desktop. You can now modify the color for program menus.

3. Click the "Start" button, followed by "Control Panel." Type "window color" into the search box at the top of the Control Panel window. Select "Change Window Colors and Metrics" from the search results.

4. Choose "Menu" from the drop-down list under "Item." Click the color-picker button under "Color" to select the menu background color. Click your preferred color, and then click the "OK" button to save your choice.

5. Click the color-picker button beside "Font" to select the menu font color. Click your preferred color, and then click the "OK" button to save your choice. Click the "Apply" button to save your changes.

Change Menu Colors on a Windows 7 Aero Theme

1. Click the desktop taskbar "Start" button. Choose "Control Panel" followed by "Appearance and Personalization."

2. Select "Personalization," and then click "Theme." Scroll to the "Aero Themes" section. Click your preferred theme in the displayed list of theme thumbnail icons.

3. Click the "Start" button followed by "Control Panel." Type "window color" into the search box at the top of the Control Panel window. Select "Change Windows Glass Colors" from the search results.

4. Click your preferred glass color icon from the displayed list of thumbnails. Change color intensity by moving the slider control up or down. Click the "Save Changes" button to store your preferences. Windows now uses your chosen color for program window borders, menus and taskbars.

Tips & Warnings

• Windows Aero desktop themes aren't available in all versions of Windows 7. Use the procedure in the first section if you can access only basic desktop themes in your version of Windows 7.

References

• Microsoft Windows 7: Change the Colors on Your Computer

Resources

• Microsoft Windows 7: Help and How-To