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Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

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Many apologies if this is the wrong place to ask such a simple question – I used to know the answer to this but since leaving an IT-heavy job my brains and knowledge seems to have evaporated.

I’ve hunted everywhere for the answer to this but so far have failed. I must be asking the wrong thing :/

Windows 10. My desktop icons are in white text. My desktop is a picture with a very pale lilac background. This makes the text seem almost invisible.
How can I change it to another colour of my choosing?

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[birdmantd]

Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

Try right clicking on the main screen (or go into the control panel) and either change the background or the text color. I am afraid that I am using the latest version of MS Windows and the process could have been updated by Microsoft.

I don’t have a Windows 10 computer available to confirm the exact process. Best wishes.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by birdmantd.
• This reply was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by birdmantd.

Already tried …

In reply to Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

I can’t change the background – it’s a picture. If I change it to a solid colour – my background disappears.
I have tried everything to change the icon text colour. I used to know how to do it, but can’t remember. Any answers I’ve found seem to relate to Windows 11, but I have 10.

Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Already tried …

Based on your latest response, try looking into the Microsoft site forums. You might get more feedback later on this forum, but I don’t know for certain.

A few steps from 1 year ago.

In reply to Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

Read https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/12avmkj/trying_to_change_windows_10_desktop_icon_font/ and try it.
Copy from discussion follows:
“If you’re using Windows 10, what worked for me is:

In the bottom left search bar, type “adjust” – “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows” should pop up under ‘Best match.’ Open that.

A window labeled “Performance Options” should pop up. Under that, the first tab is labeled “Visual Effects” and should have a list of checkboxes. Find the one named “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop” and uncheck that box. For me, this option is the last on the list. NOTE: If you are on a computer with more than one account, you will need to be logged in to an account with administrator privileges for this to work.

Click “Apply.” The icon labels on your desktop should now just be white text with no shadows.

In the bottom left search bar, type “choose your” – “Choose your desktop background” should pop up under ‘Best match.’ Open that.

Click the drop-down box labeled “Background.” Picture may be selected by default. Select “Solid color” from the drop-down box.

Under “Choose your background color,” click the bright orange box. This looks terrible but it won’t be permanent.

Restart your computer. The icon label text should now be black.

You should now be able to change your desktop background to whatever you want by right clicking an image and selecting “set as desktop background.” The desktop icon labels should stay black.”

Thank you! I bow down ….

In reply to A few steps from 1 year ago.

Absolutely perfect – thank you very much.
I haven’t done it like this before – but I don’t care. It worked a treat.

Text has reverted back to white …..

In reply to Thank you! I bow down ….

It’s black after carrying out the steps above – then overnight it reverts to white! Am I missing something?

Have you checked the Windows Theme?

In reply to Text has reverted back to white …..

Sometimes you can change the overall appearance by changing the theme. It should also be listed under Settings then Personalization.

Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Have you checked the Windows Theme?

Doesn’t work for icon labels on a picture selected for a desktop

Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Text has reverted back to white …..

If your webpage turns black after changes and reverts to white overnight, check for saving errors, scheduled tasks, caching issues, and conflicting scripts or stylesheets. Adjustments in these areas can resolve the problem and maintain your desired webpage appearance consistently.

Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Reply To: Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

It’s not the webpage turning black … it’s my icon labels turning white 😀

Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

In reply to Change the colour of the text on my desktop icons

No worries at all, this is a common question! Unfortunately, Windows 10 doesn’t allow direct text color changes for desktop icons. There’s a neat trick though! By changing your desktop background color to a darker shade temporarily, Windows will automatically switch the text color to black for better contrast.

Just pick a dark color (not necessarily black) you don’t mind using briefly. Set it as your background, and the icon text should turn black! Then, you can switch back to your preferred pale lilac background and enjoy the now-readable text.

[Author]

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