Solved Personalising Title Bar colours doesn’t work with File Explorer

wiganken · Nov 1, 2022

Windows 11 22H2, Build 22621.675

If I personalise colours and have “Show accent colour on title bars and window borders” set to ‘On’ it works with some windows but not all windows. E.g. The Accent colour ‘Purple Shadow’ works on ‘Control Panel’ window but not ‘File Explorer’ window.

The problem with File Explorer (FE) is that if I plug in two USB devices the Autoplay will open two file explorer windows (not two tabs) and both window title bars have the same colour. I know the FE window on-top will be the active window but, if the two FE windows are side-by-side it is hard to see which is the active window. Not a big thing I know, but it’s annoying.

Is this a known bug with 22H2?

Is there a fix?

Thanks.

Fabler2 · Nov 1, 2022

For me it's been like that for ever and not just 22H2. In dark mode it shows the border and the title bar not in focus is greyer.

2022-11-01 12_38_29-Untitled_ ‎- Paint 3D.png

Berton · Nov 1, 2022

It can be hard to see in a screenshot but if 2 icons/programs on the Taskbar are open the one with the widest colored bar under it will be the one with the focus, is in front, while the other is more like a dot is size.

wiganken · Nov 1, 2022

Thank you guys.

@Fabler2 - I see that you have two FE windows open, one for 'Home' and one for 'Pictures'. These are obviously not plugged-in USB device windows. On my machine I can only open one FE window. If I click on FE icon to open one window and then click on another FE icon to open a second window then nothing happens. This happens no matter which FE icon I click on, whether it is the icon on the taskbar, the icon on my desktop or the icon in the Start menu. I can only get two FE windows open by inserting two USB devices and then Autoplay launches two windows. How did you manage to open two FE windows?

@Berton - The wider bar doesn't work with two FE windows open because they are the same taskbar icon, not separate icons.

BTW - This applies to both my devices.

Fabler2 · Nov 1, 2022

I don't use autoplay but turned it on for test, two usb drives connected, same results,

I can open any amounts of FE instances but only through right click within File Explorer.

wiganken · Nov 1, 2022

Fabler2 said:
I can open any amounts of FE instances but only through right click within File Explorer.

Ah, so that's how you do it. Thanks.

I found this website that explains why FE doesn't use Personalisation colours: - https://www.askvg.com/tip-enable-colored-titlebar-in-windows-11-file-explorer/ . VG states "Windows 11 File Explorer uses Mica effect in the titlebar and toolbar and that’s why we can’t set any color in the titlebar using Personalization settings".

I suspect that the tutorial can change the colour but it will be a fixed colour. I doubt that it allows the colour to change when Active/Inactive. I couldn't test it. His Step 3 failed because “Apply Mica effect on these areas” option was not present. This may be due to having Open-Shell installed.

I'll call this 'Solved' since there's nothing to be done to get different Titlebar colours when Active/Inactive.

wiganken · Nov 10, 2022

@Fabler2 - FYI - In case anyone else has this problem I fixed it as follows: -

I discovered that if one turns OFF 'Transparency Effects' (like I did) then this creates the Active/Inactive File Explorer Title Bar colour issue. Turning 'Transparency Effects' back 'ON' fixed it so I now see different colours for the Active and Inactive windows.

The colour still does not match my personalised colours due to the Mica mode but at least I can now see two colour shades showing Active or Inactive. See Microsoft Adds New Mica Alt Visual Effect to Windows 11.

Reeeploi0 · Nov 13, 2022

Windows 11 22H2, Build 22621.819 - Oct 22 update
I have accent colour set to purple. My File Explorer shows lighter shade of purple: however, it will change to light grey when I click anywhere on the taskbar or system tray. It only stays the accent colour when clicking on the File Explorer icon in the Taskbar and clicking on the folders/files within File Explorer. My browser is my accent colour.

Reeeploi0 · Nov 14, 2022

***UPDATE***
The file explorer title bar accent colour reverts to grey after shutdown and restart. I have to use CMD as admin and enter sfc /scannow. I get the accent colour back, but I need to do this every time I reboot my machine. Is there a script to fix this?

wiganken · Dec 18, 2022

@Fabler2 and @CharmaineK - I have found a 3rd party software solution but it is only free for the first 100 days. After that one needs to pay (about) £4 (I believe) to buy a lifetime licence. IMO it seems worth it but have only just installed it and still testing whilst free.

The software StartAllBack was featured in my 'Computer Active' magazine so my thanks to them. See StartAllBack to fix all Windows 11 deal-breaking UI issues

Reeeploi0 · Dec 18, 2022

wiganken said:
@Fabler2 and @CharmaineK - I have found a 3rd party software solution but it is only free for the first 100 days. After that one needs to pay (about) £4 (I believe) to buy a lifetime licence. IMO it seems worth it but have only just installed it and still testing whilst free.

The software StartAllBack was featured in my 'Computer Active' magazine so my thanks to them. See StartAllBack to fix all Windows 11 deal-breaking UI issues

Not that big of a deal for me. I was more perplexed that I can intermittently get the accent colour in File Explorer title bar when I run sfc /scannow. But not everytime. Sometimes the title bar is grey all day and in the evening I click File Explorer and to my surprise it is the accent colour. Again, this is intermittant and reverts to grey at restart.

Comp Cmndo · Aug 1, 2023

I know this thread is old because most of us have given up on finding a solution.
I have some new insight to this. Not a solution but an explanation of the strange behavior.
Someone smarter than me can probably figure out a solution.

The active window takes on a color that is not used anywhere else, except for here...
It's actually the same color as a highlighted file in the File Explorer.

Redirecting

Elisyan · Aug 2, 2023

Hey guys
This is not a solution but you can get different colors between active and inactive windows

I use 3rd party apps to customize the looks of windows
One of them is Mica For Everyone
You can use it to extend the mica effect or remove it per app
You can use it to change mica to acrylic/tabbed

The pictures with/without mica effect: (both active)

P.S. I use other apps to make FE completely Acrylic so yours maybe a little bit different than mine

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