I've found the colour theme settings for Visual Studio 2012 at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0_Config\Themes
I can duplicate a dark output window in the light scheme by copying the relevant key so this is definitely where the color comes from (you have to restart the IDE in-between changes).
I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with the format of the binary data in these keys?
Or the Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\ShellColors.pkgdef file that they seem to be created from?
I've tried some experimentation with changing what I guess should be the colour values with without much success.
Try this theme editor I wrote that helps you modify the built-in colors of the Dark/Light themes. Most of Visual Studio's Windowing colors are in the Environment category.
More info here:
Modify Visual Studio 2012 Dark (and Light) Themes
Visual Theme Editor 2012 Source Code
Related
All of my strings in visual studio are highlighted (see screenshot)
This makes it very difficult when i'm actually highlighting something or using the find functionality.
I cannot find an option for this anywhere, anyone know how to disable this?
This is Visual Studio Community 2017
Go to Tools > Options > Fonts and Colors. On the Display Items, find String and change the Item background color to whatever the color of your editor background is.
I am having a problem that Visual studio 2013 is showing all the text in a .ts file in black color. There are no colors for any of the code or comments. Am I missing a plugin or something? How can I get colors for ts files?
You need to install the power tools : https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/955e0262-0858-40c9-ab5a-1acc680e9bfd
More blogs.msdn.com/b/typescript/archive/2014/11/12/announcing-typescript-1-3.aspx
When I use a standard Windows aero theme in Windows 8, the VS2012 lets me to choose between light and dark themes, but I created myself a convenient high contrast theme in Windows 8, and now there is only a greyed option in the VS settings that says "high contrast", and I cannot change it.
I belong to the few people, who like the new dark theme of Visual Studio, but unfortunately I can't use it with the new high contrast Windows themes.
Can someone help me with this one?
My colleague found a way to use the Dark theme in Visual Studio when Windows uses the High Contrast mode. He followed these steps:
Export this registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0_Config\Themes{1ded0138-47ce-435e-84ef-9ec1f439b749}
(this should the key of the Dark theme)
In the exported file replace the GUID of the Dark Theme ({1ded0138-47ce-435e-84ef-9ec1f439b749}) with the GUID of the High Contrast theme ({a5c004b4-2d4b-494e-bf01-45fc492522c7}):
Import the reg file
Start Visual Studio. This works for him. It's even possible to mix theme settings from the High Contrast theme with those of the Dark theme. Just replace one of the subkeys content with one of the subkeys of another theme.
The GUID's for the themes appear to be the same on both our systems. But you should always check them before you try this. Also a backup of the keys is recommended!
Here's the register change that changes the high contrast skin into the dark skin in Visual Studio 2015. By applying this file you can use the dark skin when Windows runs in High Contrast.
USE AT OWN RISK!!!
Export the reg values for the High contrast and Dark skin from
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0_Config\Themes\ (You can see which one it is at the value from the name field)
Change the GUID in the Dark Skin export to the GUID from the High Contrast skin export. (Use "Replace All" to do this) (The GUID looks something like this: {a5c004b4-2d4b-494e-bf01-45fc492522c7})
Addition: Copy the values from the Workflow Designer part of the High Contrast skin export and paste it in the Dark skin export (this layout is better than the Dark skin layout for this designer)
Save the changed Dark skin export and execute it while VS2015 is not running.
I made a PowerShell Script for this because I kept having to update the registry values with every update.
This is for Visual Studio 2015. You would just need to update the location values for the others.
$HighConstrastTheme = "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0_Config\Themes\{a5c004b4-2d4b-494e-bf01-45fc492522c7}"
$DarkTheme = "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0_Config\Themes\{1ded0138-47ce-435e-84ef-9ec1f439b749}"
Remove-Item -Path $HighConstrastTheme -Recurse
Copy-Item -Path $DarkTheme -Destination $HighConstrastTheme -Recurse
As you've found, the High Contrast theme in Visual Studio is automatically linked to enabling Windows' "High contrast" mode in "Ease of Access".
While you can't change themes while that mode's active, you can still change some color settings (editor, windows, etc.) directly via Tools -> Options -> Environment -> Fonts & Colors. Many settings come directly from Windows, but you still have some options here.
Not for this scenario, but just FYI for anyone intrested in tweaking themes, the Visual Studio 2012 Color Theme Editor extension is pretty handy. Scott H. has a post on using it.
I am finding it really hard to code using the black theme given in the visual studio 2012 IDE. Is there anyway i could get back the older grey theme or is there anyway i could make it look a bit more whiter ?
Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General -> Color Theme
or you could try to use Visual Studio 2012 Color Theme Editor , it has pre built themes too.
For Visual Studio 2015 and later versions
Tools->Options->General->ColorTheme
Change theme and Press OK.
Does anyone know how to change the ReSharper color scheme in VS2008 SP1?
I've looked around and all the posts out there on the internet pointed to dead-ends.
JetBrains at one point told users to change the colors inside VS (Tools | Options | Fonts and Colors | Text Editor) but I don't see any ReSharper items in there.
Reinstalling did not solve it for me. This is from ReSharper's support. Note: Run notepad as administrator.
http://resharper-support.jetbrains.com/entries/26859128-ReSharper-Fonts-Colors-settings-do-not-appear-in-Visual-Studio-after-installation
Problems:
ReSharper Fonts & Colors settings do not appear in Visual Studio
after installation;
Colors from Light Color Theme are used with a
Dark Color Theme;
Solution:
Close all Visual Studio instances;
Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio {VS version}\Common7\IDE\Extensions\extensions.configurationchanged file;
Type anything there;
Save the file;
Open VS and check Fonts and Colors in Tools | Options | Environment;
In VS|Tools|Options|Environment|Fonts and Colors, ensure the "Show settings for:" listbox is set to Text Editor and you will find the ReSharper items.
To change the font colors of identifiers, goto:
Resharper > options > code inspection > settting > checkbox
The color identifiers.
Thanks Colby! Re-Installing ReSharper took care of it.
For future reference, the complete scenario was:
I had a trial mode ReSharper installed, once the trial expired I purchased the license, I did not try to change the color scheme during the trial period, so I don't know if the options where there before.
After re-install I can go to Fonts and Colors and all the ReSharper options are there!