Live Photo Gallery Picture Viewer background color
Hello to my favorite Windows Forum,
I have just installed the latest Windows Live Photo Gallery version 2009 (Build 14.0.8064.206). I'm not writing to complain but I must tell you I had to install this because last years would crash and tell me my Valued picture files were missing or corrupt. Hopefully this latest release doesn't have that problem anymore. It appears to be the same except for some minor tweaks in the Picture Viewer. What I would like is to change the background to black like it used to be instead of the white one I have now. I loved the way my pictures looked against that background. Is there any way I can change this?
Thanks,
canoetoday
1 person got this answerI do too
Answers
- Hi canoetoday,
Unfortunately the only way to change the background color in Windows Live Photo Gallery is to change the color scheme for all windows that you open. I have provided steps for doing so below. This is assuming that you are running Windows Vista.
- Right-click your desktop and select Personalize
- Click Windows Color and Appearance
- Click the Advanced button
- In the drop down menu underneath Item: select Window
- In the drop down menu for Color 1: change the color to black
- Press the OK button, and then the apply button
- If you want to keep things this way you can press OK again
This is the only option for changing the backrground color in Windows Live Photo Gallery as it is tied to all the other Window views. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you.
Shane
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.- Marked As Answer byShane-Support EngineerMSFT, ModeratorSaturday, March 14, 2009 6:21 PM
- Hi Shane,
That's not what I would like to do. This program is the only one I want with a black background. I know it sounds picky but the pictures looked better that way and there was a richer texture to them when scrolling. Someone at the Photo Gallery team must also feel that way because the slide show has a black background.
I do appreciate your suggestion but I think I'll just wait for an update and maybe the background will change then. I'd also like to add that the Photo Gallery has not crashed with the new version.
Thanks,
canoetoday
- Marked As Answer bycanoetoday Friday, March 13, 2009 2:55 PM
All Replies
- Hi canoetoday,
Unfortunately the only way to change the background color in Windows Live Photo Gallery is to change the color scheme for all windows that you open. I have provided steps for doing so below. This is assuming that you are running Windows Vista.
- Right-click your desktop and select Personalize
- Click Windows Color and Appearance
- Click the Advanced button
- In the drop down menu underneath Item: select Window
- In the drop down menu for Color 1: change the color to black
- Press the OK button, and then the apply button
- If you want to keep things this way you can press OK again
This is the only option for changing the backrground color in Windows Live Photo Gallery as it is tied to all the other Window views. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you.
Shane
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.- Marked As Answer byShane-Support EngineerMSFT, ModeratorSaturday, March 14, 2009 6:21 PM
- Hi Shane,
That's not what I would like to do. This program is the only one I want with a black background. I know it sounds picky but the pictures looked better that way and there was a richer texture to them when scrolling. Someone at the Photo Gallery team must also feel that way because the slide show has a black background.
I do appreciate your suggestion but I think I'll just wait for an update and maybe the background will change then. I'd also like to add that the Photo Gallery has not crashed with the new version.
Thanks,
canoetoday
- Marked As Answer bycanoetoday Friday, March 13, 2009 2:55 PM
- As this is currently not an option, where do we post suggestions?
I am a Photographer, and very few pictures look their best on a large white background, especially on a LCD Display. The light output causes the iris closes down so the picture looks too dark - it is survivable with light and colourful pictures (even if it's not optimal) but with Darker Pictures and Black and White pictures it's a problem.
I can use Adobe Bridge instead, but I am disappointed that Microsoft haven't fixed this problem following Vista.
If you want to test the theory, just try looking at a darker picture on a dark background, then look at it in photo viewer, you will see what I mean.
I know that Windows 7 is near completion, but it cant be that complicated to either change the background colour, or to separate it from the bulk of windows and have it's own option.
Bryan Wallbridge - Shane,
No offense meant but you're one of MS-crazed people who fail to read MY original post carefully, about the same subject on MS Newsgroups, I agree with the poster here but it's a more serious problem than you think. It has nothing todo with Win System-wide color scheme, because it's IGNORED.
I've been doing computers for 20+ years, a degree (MSEE) engineer, let me inform you:
The Window item color1 is set to Black, has been for 8 years. All applications & their windows show up with Black background, OK???? I've been using Black colors since Windows3.1!!!!!!! I am not stupid and been doing it long enough to be aware of Windows color schemes settings (not to mention it's fouled up in Vista vs. WinXp): Here's a problem:
I HAVE HAD IT SET IN APPEARANCE-->ADVANCED->CLASSIC WHATEVER .... IT'S SET O
BLACK, EVERYONE OBEYS THIS SCHEME EXCEPT WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY, MS OFFICE OCITURE MANAGER, AND INCREASING NUMBER OF WIN LIVE CRAPWARE THAT DISRGARDS SYSTEM WIDE COLORS AND INSISTS ON RETARDED WHITE BACKGROUND THAT IS VERY VERY UNHEALTHY FOR THE EYES. If you're not wearing glasses now you will, if you insist on white backgrounds.
Is that difficult to accept that WLPG white background does.t care for user,
but is hardwaired permanently?
Add a button to change its color OR make it obey system-wide settings after
you actually verify it obeys. Because it doesn't. My original Post:
BAD APPLICATION BACJGROUND COLOR CHOICES!!! NO CUSTOMIZATION, DISREGARD OF WIN SYSTEMWIDE SETTINGS!
Complaint for: WinLive PhotoGallery + Office PictureManager + other recent
Microsoft products which exhibit similar nerve-breaking behavior + one Color
problem with existing/older Windows features:WHY DOES IT (e.g. WL PhotoGallery) DISREGARD SYSTEM-WIDE COLOR SCHEME!?!
I've been doing computers for @least 20 years, my permanent colorscheme is
dark or totally Black, black background (desktop/app. window/etc), etc. I
am a degreed (MSEE) engineer so not stupid, there's a reason many
professionals, unlike home/children users set as many Windows elements to
Black as possible.
What is this fad with Microsoft in recent applications who refuse to read
System color settings and instead insist on White background. I am so hurt
by WinLive PhotoGallery's persistent white background, that annoys my eyes
to the point, it will be uninstalled. Same deal with MS Office Picture
manager which I hoped to use instead - white background & no way to
customize. Look Microsoft, is it logical for
you to make 2 products one of which defies another, it'd be no surprise for
2 different companies, but you also make Windows; so what are Windows
CLASSIC color controls for? To be overidden by some
"dominator" applications like PhotoGallery?So may we ask to please add an option to either set background color (BEST),
or add a "Black" theme (but why bother, it's easier to give customers an
option for manually setting backgroudn color), or just adhere to Windows
colorscheme for God's sake Windows is also made by Microsoft.
Who is watching images or movies with intensely white background? MORONS
WHO DON"T REALIZE THEY WILL NEED an EYE DOCTOR IN !) YEARS.
I am an engineer and also a former developer, I spend enormous time with
computers, and may I claim the fact that I know what I am doing in terms of
display settings & colors. Been doing it long enough and
my 28-year old eyes are in perfect shape despite so much compyters, that
most Developers get glasses by 40!I've been holding "steam" for years but I am fed up. I will now post this
complaint all over MS Newsgroups and email to your offices. The deal with
applications disregarding system wide color scheme is puzzling system that
color scheme is user-defined in Windows - which is also made by Microsoft.
SO your right hand doesn't know what left does??
Many professional people sit in dark rooms, with stealth black LCD's, and
blue lighting, in my case in neighboring a UNIX lab (but I control Windows
PC's) and an application like WindowsLive Photogallery
which likes ot open images by default in a crazy aspect ratio, filling the
rest of display with disgusting white filler.
Do you ever get headaches at work? maybe too much white on your display,
ever wondered?***********************************
THIS BUG's BEEN BUGGING US SINCE 2003!!!If a Black color scheme is selected in Windows-->Classic-->Advanced, then a
very disstressing behavior occurs
Set desktop & window backrgound to Black, font to Silver - my favorite,
allowing to spend countless hours on the computer, yet maintaining eye
HEALTH. Do the same with White background, white other... a headache will
develop.
Now goto Win Explorer or Win Mail, and sort files/emails/items by any column
(e.g. by date). Instead of clear view (you'd expect in Classic Windows),
you will see Whitish background + light text on it,
totally unreadable & horrible. Impossible to focus on work. The only way
to never see that mess, is it is to NEVER have "details" view turned on in
WinExplorer, as of Winmail I am forced to narrow Date
column to zero as that is the column by which usually emails are arranged.
As you can guess it appears mutilated if you arrange by date.COLOR BUG CONTINUED from previous msg:
It's one bug, but everything else is gorgeous in Windows Black color scheme,
I've been tolerating this since 2003, but only now decided to message
Microsoft.
Many people know it & simply avoid "Details" view in WinExplorer, but it's
not a solution. I used to use Details view all the time in WindowsME & NT,
not anymore, can't..
What happened here is that sorted-by column background color is "hardwired",
not customizable in Appearance-->Advanced. It uses some sort of algorithm
which fails when user selects Black background.And in case you wonder, Black is what you shoudl select unless you want
brain cancer due to 10-hour work day on a computer.By the way, please keep Windows-->Appearance-->Advanced-->Classic option
forever, WinXP/Vista (and Windows7?) do not have nearly as much color
control as Classic, and if one day these customization options are gone, I
will also be gone... to another OperatingSystem (we all kno what it is).
Colors customization is critical to me, as I spend hours on computers):Thanks for posting what's been making me angry since recently WinLive apoplications isnsit in their STUPID UNHEALTHY WHITE BACKGROUND.
It's not even a matter of photo slooking betetr, it's a matter of eye health. White light beaming into you for hours will lead to sever health issues. I've contacted Microsoft but it's a question whetehr they start fixingf color sh..... ever, i sent this :\\AD APPLICATION BACJGROUND COLOR CHOICES!!! NO CUSTOMIZATION, DISREGARD OF WIN SYSTEMWIDE SETTINGS
Complaint for: WinLive PhotoGallery + Office PictureManager + other recent
Microsoft products which exhibit similar nerve-breaking behavior + one Color
problem with existing/older Windows features:WHY DOES IT (e.g. WL PhotoGallery) DISREGARD SYSTEM-WIDE COLOR SCHEME!?!
I've been doing computers for @least 20 years, my permanent colorscheme is
dark or totally Black, black background (desktop/app. window/etc), etc. I
am a degreed (MSEE) engineer so not stupid, there's a reason many
professionals, unlike home/children users set as many Windows elements to
Black as possible.
What is this fad with Microsoft in recent applications who refuse to read
System color settings and instead insist on White background. I am so hurt
by WinLive PhotoGallery's persistent white background, that annoys my eyes
to the point, it will be uninstalled. Same deal with MS Office Picture
manager which I hoped to use instead - white background & no way to
customize. Look Microsoft, is it logical for
you to make 2 products one of which defies another, it'd be no surprise for
2 different companies, but you also make Windows; so what are Windows
CLASSIC color controls for? To be overidden by some
"dominator" applications like PhotoGallery?So may we ask to please add an option to either set background color (BEST),
or add a "Black" theme (but why bother, it's easier to give customers an
option for manually setting backgroudn color), or just adhere to Windows
colorscheme for God's sake Windows is also made by Microsoft.
Who is watching images or movies with intensely white background? MORONS
WHO DON"T REALIZE THEY WILL NEED an EYE DOCTOR IN !) YEARS.
I am an engineer and also a former developer, I spend enormous time with
computers, and may I claim the fact that I know what I am doing in terms of
display settings & colors. Been doing it long enough and
my 28-year old eyes are in perfect shape despite so much compyters, that
most Developers get glasses by 40!I've been holding "steam" for years but I am fed up. I will now post this
complaint all over MS Newsgroups and email to your offices. The deal with
applications disregarding system wide color scheme is puzzling system that
color scheme is user-defined in Windows - which is also made by Microsoft.
SO your right hand doesn't know what left does??
Many professional people sit in dark rooms, with stealth black LCD's, and
blue lighting, in my case in neighboring a UNIX lab (but I control Windows
PC's) and an application like WindowsLive Photogallery
which likes ot open images by default in a crazy aspect ratio, filling the
rest of display with disgusting white filler.
Do you ever get headaches at work? maybe too much white on your display,
ever wondered?***********************************
THIS BUG's BEEN BUGGING US SINCE 2003!!!If a Black color scheme is selected in Windows-->Classic-->Advanced, then a
very disstressing behavior occurs
Set desktop & window backrgound to Black, font to Silver - my favorite,
allowing to spend countless hours on the computer, yet maintaining eye
HEALTH. Do the same with White background, white other... a headache will
develop.
Now goto Win Explorer or Win Mail, and sort files/emails/items by any column
(e.g. by date). Instead of clear view (you'd expect in Classic Windows),
you will see Whitish background + light text on it,
totally unreadable & horrible. Impossible to focus on work. The only way
to never see that mess, is it is to NEVER have "details" view turned on in
WinExplorer, as of Winmail I am forced to narrow Date
column to zero as that is the column by which usually emails are arranged.
As you can guess it appears mutilated if you arrange by date.COLOR BUG CONTINUED from previous msg:
It's one bug, but everything else is gorgeous in Windows Black color scheme,
I've been tolerating this since 2003, but only now decided to message
Microsoft.
Many people know it & simply avoid "Details" view in WinExplorer, but it's
not a solution. I used to use Details view all the time in WindowsME & NT,
not anymore, can't..
What happened here is that sorted-by column background color is "hardwired",
not customizable in Appearance-->Advanced. It uses some sort of algorithm
which fails when user selects Black background.And in case you wonder, Black is what you shoudl select unless you want
brain cancer due to 10-hour work day on a computer.By the way, please keep Windows-->Appearance-->Advanced-->Classic option
forever, WinXP/Vista (and Windows7?) do not have nearly as much color
control as Classic, and if one day these customization options are gone, I
will also be gone... to another OperatingSystem (we all kno what it is).
Colors customization is critical to me, as I spend hours on computers):- Holy smoke can somebody from Microsoft please elaborate more on this issue? I am 100% sure that Microsoft is going to continue with its photo-blundering white background blasphemy with little to no customization to force us to buy some special upgrade, but there should be a color setting somewhere.. the registry, or someplace. Perhaps someone found a way of recompiling the viewer with a few extra options? Is Microsoft there to answer without a macro??? Don't make me yell!
- I too am disapointed with the new Windows Live Photo. I just purchased Windows 7 only to discover that not only is Windows Live Photo using a white background but so is the plain Windows photo viewer that comes with Windows 7. I bought a new computer to get Windows 7 and am very disapointed. Windows 7 was hyped to be so cutomizable. I bought an Apple Mac this year and found I hated it. Everybody says how great Apple is. I disagree. One thing I hated was white backgrounds and its poor abititly to display photo, something Vista does beautifully. Windows 7 does not. What is wrong with Microsoft? How monumentally stupid to change the background from black to white and not offer a way to set it. Unbelievable.
- Ya I'm f*ckin ____ off to be forced to upgrade Photo Gallery 2008 to 2009 if I want to install WLM9. But if I instlal WLV first then try to open the crappy online setup for 2008, it give me 0x8000ffff error! So I just can't use WLM9 & Gallery2008 at the same time. I can't believe Microsoft was too retard to think about giving a simple option to enable black background. Anybody watching pictures on a white background is a complete idiot.
- this is so pathetic, Microsoft should be sued for not giving the option of black. what @$$holes.
white hurts my eyes, so unhealthy. Man they dont give enough options to customize things in windows.
Microsoft are a joke. just cant fathom in todays age with new OS out they still Screw up.
