Customizing Windows 7 Guest (without Aero)

[LinuxMint99]

Is is possible to change the windows border color and taskbar color in a Windows 7 guest? I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate (32-Bit) on a Linux Mint (32-Bit) host. I know that Aero effects can not be enabled but I would like to at least change the colors for the taskbar and window borders.

When I click the "Window Color" option under the "Personalization" window, it brings up the XP style "Window Color and Appearance" window instead of the new Windows 7 color selector for the Slate. Is there a registry hack or third party app that can change it from the default blue?

[Perryg]

I believe this question would be better asked of the Microsoft forums.

[LinuxMint99]

The reason Aero can not be enabled is due to the lack of support in Virtualbox, not due to a conflict with hardware or any Windows specific issue. It's only an issue when running a Windows 7 guest in Virtualbox, therefor I believe it is a relevant question to this forum. However, if you know of a better section to post my question in or have any other useful information I would be glad to hear it.

[Perryg]

You're kidding right?
aero is working in 4.1.0-beta, but that has nothing to do with changing the color of the titlebars or taskbar which are a Windows function.
Have you installed the guest additions (in the guest)?

[LinuxMint99]

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13666
http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/4607
http://forum.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.p ... 83&start=0

Now that we are on the same page: Aero DOES NOT WORK IN VIRTUALBOX. How did a troll get to be a site moderator anyway? And, yes, I have installed the guest additions.

In case anyone who cares to offer any useful information reads this:
When running Windows 7 as a host in Virtualbox, Aero is disabled by default, and can not be enabled. I accept that and understand why. I am not trying to debate that, as many forums have already. I just want to know if it is possible to change the taskbar and window border color, given the limited options that are presented once the Windows system reverts to the non-Aero set of options. The "personalization" menu changes, dependent on whether or not Windows detects that your system can support running Aero, and in Virtualbox, it determines that it is not supported.

[BillG]

If you knew half as much as Perry about VirtualBox, Windows or Linux you would not need to ask any questions in this forum.

How you set up Windows personalization depends entirely on Windows. What is available depends on the hardware on which Windows is running. The only difference here is that the "hardware" is the VirtualBox vm definitions. You will see the same problems if you try to run Windows 7 on old hardware (or some other virtualized machine). What you can do depends on what hardware support is available to the OS.

[LinuxMint99]

Ah, another knowledgeable troll, with the respectable title of volunteer this time. Twice as useless as the moderator! This is quite a helpful forum. What would they do without you two.

I see that no one here is capable of understanding and answering a simple question without the constant distraction of their own ego derailing any chance of an intelligent response. Thank you for your useless, but entertaining attempts at displaying your "knowledge". I'll be sure to check back next time I need a good laugh.

Happy 4th of July!

[Perryg]

I just want to know if it is possible to change the taskbar and window border color

I am going to say this one last time. The taskbar of any guest is set in the guest not VirtualBox.
wddm and aero has been included in the 4.1.0 beta version of VirtualBox as I said earlier. http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42690

One last word of warning. If you persist in name calling and any other form of degradation against me or anyone else on this forum you will be officially warned and if necessary censored.

[Hans Eberhardt]

Customizing Windows appearance is a topic that has nothing to do with virtualbox.
Try google to get an answer and don´t call the mods as trolls.

[mpack]

IMHO, I would zap that sig too. Spamming, in what you might think is a good cause, is still spam. None of it is directly relevant to VirtualBox.

[jsmith77]

Your question also had nothing to do with Aero working. You can change the titlebar and windows appearances in Windows OUTSIDE of a virtual machine with Aero disabled. What Perry was trying to tell you is that it is not a function that is unique to interacting with Virtual Box, which is what this forum is for. The answer would be the same if you were running in Virtual Box or if you were running Windows natively.

If anyone has been trolling, it has been you, both Perry and Bill have been more than accomodating.

As for your question, it is pretty basic. You need to change the theme AWAY from the default Windows 7 theme to one of the classic ones, same as it has been in Windows since XP. Once you've done that, you can change the colours to whatever look you like.

[mpack]

Can we please delete this entire thread? The guy was a troll, posting a couple of nonsense messages in order to get his sig published and his website advertised. I don't want to see that behaviour rewarded, so mods please delete this thread or delete his sig.

[mordecai]

Good day.

How does one integrate a linux host with the windows 7 virtualbox guesst to a point where they both have access to each and every data,file or folders, what can i do to build this relationship? I am aware that you can use the share folder option but isn't there another way?

[mpack]

Please do not hijack other people's threads. Start your own thread to ask questions.

If in doubt: only post in someone else thread to lend support to the OPs question, or indeed to answer the OPs question. If you need to ask separate questions of your own, then you almost certainly need your own thread: after you have read the user manual and the FAQ material in the "Howtos and Tutorials" forum.

[jbe]

Hi
I am a new Virtual Box User,
I want to change the colour of my windows start menubar.
As default it is the classic windows light blue colour, when trying to change this colour in the controlpanel of the virtual Windows, I realize that it is simply:
NOT POSSIBLE


So I headded over to the internet to seek a solution, but it seems that people did not really understand this question from the previous person who asked it (I assume we are having the same problem)

I have a screenshot:

sorry for the quality, I was not allowed to upload it in the original resolution or quality. As a new user I was also not allowed to link to an external version of the screenshot.

VBOX_compressed.jpg (39.57 KiB) Viewed 3411 times

I want that task bar in black to match my ubuntu bar in the top, thatr is every thing I want.

as you can see, this winXP or win98 like colour selecter appears rather than the menu for changing colour on the start menu bar.

Hope you understand my question, if not I will be happy to explain it in further details.

jbe

ps. It is also not possible to change colour of the menu bar in neither Windows 7 Basic nor the Windoes Classic mode.