After latest update Shadows for icons & text cannot be removed.

zooburner · Oct 11, 2023

Hi there,

Last night my computer updated to

2023-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5031354)

When it re-booted i noticed that shadows under text and icons had returned. I went to check under the system properties (image below) that they are turned off, sure enough they were unticked as per my preferences before the update. I toggled on and off again (with restarts)

I then checked the registry entry for the DWORD named ListviewShadow it also was set correctly (again i tried a DWORD toggle 1 and 0 ) with restarts between

But still the shadows persist !!

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

RJARRRPCGP · Oct 11, 2023

zooburner said:
Hi there,

Last night my computer updated to

2023-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5031354)

When it re-booted i noticed that shadows under text and icons had returned. I went to check under the system properties (image below) that they are turned off, sure enough they were unticked as per my preferences before the update. I toggled on and off again (with restarts)

View attachment 73806

I then checked the registry entry for the DWORD named ListviewShadow it also was set correctly (again i tried a DWORD toggle 1 and 0 ) with restarts between

View attachment 73808

But still the shadows persist !!

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

How do you even get to that section in 11?

OAT · Oct 11, 2023

RJARRRPCGP said:
How do you even get to that section in 11?

RJARRRPCGP · Oct 11, 2023

OK, I was confused, but now remember that section that I knew about for long before 11. (Since XP)

Sounds like this issue needs to be reported as a bug to Microsoft. As this CU isn't a feature-update, TMK. (not to that extent, IIRC)

Edwin · Oct 11, 2023

If you disable Drop Shadows and have a dark Desktop background, you can't read anything!

RD Mercer · Oct 11, 2023

Only thing I have ever checked in that box is, smooth edges of screen fonts, everything else "to me" is just a performance hog.

zooburner · Oct 11, 2023

Happened on my laptop too which has very different software, I guess it's a bug introduced with the update.

indespair · Oct 11, 2023

zooburner said:
Hi there,

Last night my computer updated to

2023-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5031354)

When it re-booted i noticed that shadows under text and icons had returned. I went to check under the system properties (image below) that they are turned off, sure enough they were unticked as per my preferences before the update. I toggled on and off again (with restarts)

View attachment 73806

I then checked the registry entry for the DWORD named ListviewShadow it also was set correctly (again i tried a DWORD toggle 1 and 0 ) with restarts between

View attachment 73808

But still the shadows persist !!

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

i have same problem

vsl · Oct 12, 2023

As far as I can tell for now the only solution is to uninstall KB5031354. I can confirm that the following indeed removes the drop shadows:

Run "wusa /uninstall /kb:5031354" in an elevated CMD/PowerShell terminal
Reboot

Then pause Windows updates for a couple of weeks, and cross fingers that MS will fix the issue in the meantime with some new update.

And yes, I think it's a bug, and therefor should be reported.

MegM · Oct 17, 2023

vsl said:
As far as I can tell for now the only solution is to uninstall KB5031354. I can confirm that the following indeed removes the drop shadows:

Run "wusa /uninstall /kb:5031354" in an elevated CMD/PowerShell terminal

Reboot

Then pause Windows updates for a couple of weeks, and cross fingers that MS will fix the issue in the meantime with some new update.

And yes, I think it's a bug, and therefor should be reported.

I did that after reading your post and uninstalled the update. And it worked ....... briefly. I even put a pause for the max time for updates. I logged on this morning and the damn thing updated even with the pause. And yes the dopey drop shadow came back. I do photo editing and graphic design on this machine so I like a medium neutral grey as my desktop. The drop shadows look like blurry smudges and I hate them. I did re-check and yes I have the drop shadow box still unchecked. What now?

seek · Oct 28, 2023

Drop Shadows on icons has been bugged ever since Windows XP.

Kees · Oct 31, 2023

I would like to report that after updating:
KB5031455 2023-10 Preview cumulatieve update Win11 22H2 x64
The desktop icon texts are having no more shadows (if you set them to be without).

I tested that on my VirtualBox Win11 22H2 (Home) system:
- KB5031354 2023-10 Cumulatieve update Win11 22H2 x64
brings shadows on desktop icon texts.
- KB5031455 2023-10 Preview cumulatieve update Win11 22H2 x64
no more shadows on desktop icon texts.
I did not change the settings in the performance options before the first update and did not before or after the second update!

So soon on my normal (Win11 Pro 22H2) system I will switch off the option to postpone updates for a long time and do the normal updates again.
It appearantly was a normal bug in the update KB5031354 and not a purposely change of MS.
Of which they never mentioned a word in 'known and resolved issues' with update KB5031354...