White Search bar is baaaaack!

Wisewiz · Jul 8, 2023

This morning (8 July '23) the Search bars on the Start menus on both my main machines were white again. ViveTool did the trick again, with "vivetool /disable /id:42922989 /priority:service" in command prompt (Admin), but I've checked WU and nothing seems to have changed since yesterday other than a security intelligence update or two.

Anybody know what's up with this feature changing back overnight?

Anak · Jul 8, 2023

Does Vive tool offer a history of changes? If so you could look there for changes.

My thought is those updated security patches recognized the Vive change to the search bars/menus and changed those settings back to default.

atinfo · Jul 14, 2023

New updates ... :woozy:

Builds 22621.1470 and 22624.1470:
The search box in the Taskbar should be easier to see as well in certain circumstances, since it can now be set to light mode while the rest of Windows 11 is in dark mode. This can be done by having the app mode and Windows theme set to light and dark, respectively.

imanlien2020 · Jul 14, 2023

Wisewiz said:
This morning (8 July '23) the Search bars on the Start menus on both my main machines were white again. ViveTool did the trick again, with "vivetool /disable /id:42922989 /priority:service" in command prompt (Admin), but I've checked WU and nothing seems to have changed since yesterday other than a security intelligence update or two.

Anybody know what's up with this feature changing back overnight?

cant say ive ever had this issue thank god cause its bad enough after EVERY Update I get some kind of crazy issue

Wisewiz · Jul 14, 2023

@imanlien2020:

It was just a surprise, coming a day or so after the update but it was easy to fix (for now) with the Vivetool fix.

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

The white Search blank at the top of Start is back on both my main machines this morning, and ViveTool isn't working to change it back to dark this time.
vivetool /disable /id:42922989 /priority:service
is the command line, and CUI indicates that it was successful, but the blank's still bright white.

OAT · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
The white Search blank at the top of Start is back on both my main machines this morning, and ViveTool isn't working to change it back to dark this time.
vivetool /disable /id:42922989 /priority:service
is the command line, and CUI indicates that it was successful, but the blank's still bright white.

Vivetool will tell you it has accepted your input whether or not that feature is actually present or not.
I don't think that feature number is used anymore. It isn't in Dev anyway.
What was the version in which that feature was disabled and it worked?

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

@OAT

1928. I'm now running 1992, as my avatar panel indicates. But the blank has stayed dark since I last used VT, and just reverted this morning.

OAT · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
@OAT

1928. I'm now running 1992, as my avatar panel indicates. But the blank has stayed dark since I last used VT, and just reverted this morning.

I can't find any reference to that feature ID -42922989- in that build -22621.1992- using Vivetool GUI 1.7

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

@OAT
My latest conspiracy theory: MS noticed that VT was making an unwelcome (to MS) change and changed the feature ID.

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

Well, as non-scientists say, "It's just a theory!"

Scientists (and I'm one) know that a theory is a very respectable creature that results from extensive testing and confirmation of one or more hypotheses over a significant period of time.

Conspiracy theories are, of course, a vey different set of monsters.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
Well, as non-scientists say, "It's just a theory!"

Scientists (and I'm one) know that a theory is a very respectable creature that results from extensive testing and confirmation of one or more hypotheses over a significant period of time. Conspiracy theories are, of course, a vey different set of monsters.

My search bar is still dark. And the update a while back (May, June ??)... did turn it white.
I used ViveTool (portable), to turn it dark again. Back when it first turned white.
I have Win 11 set to dark windows and light apps.

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

Ghot said:
My search bar is still dark. And the update a while back (May, June ??)... did turn it white.
And I used ViveTool (portable), to turn it dark again. Back when it first turned white.
I have Win 11 set to dark windows and light apps.

My settings are dark and light there, too, but the blank changed today on both my daily drivers without any obvious reason, and VT still isn't working for me, today.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
My settings are dark and light there, too, but the blank changed today on both my daily drivers without any obvious reason, and VT still isn't working for me, today.

All my other VT settings and this one are working. Are you using any other tweaker?

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

Nope. but just to make sure I didn't slip this morning, I'll try VT again.

Repeated with same result. Whiter than snow, still.

Wait, I do use Power Start Menu to get rid of the Recommendations section. I'll check that.

OAT · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
Nope. but just to make sure I didn't slip this morning, I'll try VT again.

Repeated with same result. Whiter than snow, still.

Wait, I do use Power Start Menu to get rid of the Recommendations section. I'll check that.

Come to think of it, mine was never white.
Restarted Explorer?

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

Nope. FORGOT! Damn! Restarting now.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

Wisewiz said:
Nope. FORGOT! Damn! Restarting now.

Remember to try both enable and disable. Some VT tweaks are enable and some are disable.

Wisewiz · Jul 21, 2023

Restarting Explorer didn't help (I use @Brink's context menu addition -- really valuable), but restarting the machine did it.
I'll have to add that reminder to my VT file. Tx.

OAT · Jul 21, 2023

Ghot said:
Remember to try both enable and disable. Some VT tweaks are enable and some are disable.

Wisewiz said:
Restarting Explorer didn't help (I use @Brink's context menu addition -- really valuable), but restarting the machine did it.
I'll have to add that reminder to my VT file. Tx.

I strongly recommend using this command to keep up with your changes:

vivetool /query > d:\new\features.txt (of course d:\new is on my system)

And it's there!

[42922989] (SearchBoxCustomThemeMode)
Priority : User (8)
State : Enabled (2)
Type : Override (0)

The ID number might change but not the name. Could be handy.