Problem in Visual Effects Registry Settings

**yong2579** · July 13, 2004

I recently found an article that says the following registry can modify the Visual Effects Settings of a computer.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\VisualFXSetting registry subkey.
The default value of 0 is Let Windows choose what's best for my computer.
Change the value to 1 for Adjust for best appearance
2 for Adjust for best performance.

True it does, but as wat the last part of the article mentioned, it does not apply the settings. Is there any way to do so? Thanks!

http://www.winnetmag.com/Article/ArticleID/41554/41554.html

**bucketbuster** · July 13, 2004

Please use the Search-function: and search for visual effects and you will find what you are looking for...

**yong2579** · July 13, 2004

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects]
"VisualFXSetting"=dword:00000003

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\AnimateMinMax]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ComboBoxAnimation]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\CursorShadow]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\DragFullWindows]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\DropShadow]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\FontSmoothing]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListBoxSmoothScrolling]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewAlphaSelect]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewShadow]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewWatermark]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\MenuAnimation]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\SelectionFade]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\TaskbarAnimations]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\Themes]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\TooltipAnimation]
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\WebView]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001

I made a search and the above piece of code is expected to work. However upon adding the entrys, only the main portion work which is as expected. The 16 components still won't get updated. I try to change manually at the GUI and check the registry and realise that no matter how i change the GUI, the registry settings won't changes! So this mean even if I modify the aboves registry subkey, it will not affect my settings at all! How come? Please help! Thanks!

**PiPi FiLiPi** · July 13, 2004

I had a similiar problem ... the settings didn't apply the way they were supposed to.

The thing is, you gotta set a value of "DefaultValue" to the setting you want (1 - on, 0 - off) and alway set the "DefaultApplied" to 1 (the Default will be Applied). The first setting, "VisualFXSetting" is 3 because these settings are the costum settings.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects]
"VisualFXSetting"=dword:00000003

;Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\AnimateMinMax]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Slide open combo boxes
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ComboBoxAnimation]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Show shadows under mouse pointer
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\CursorShadow]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Show window contents while dragging
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\DragFullWindows]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000001

;Show shadows under menus
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\DropShadow]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000

;Smooth edges of screen fonts
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\FontSmoothing]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000001

;Smooth-scroll list boxes
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListBoxSmoothScrolling]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000

;Show translucent selection rectangle
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewAlphaSelect]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewShadow]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001

;Use a background image for each folder type
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\ListviewWatermark]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000

;Fade or slide menus into view
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\MenuAnimation]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Fade out menu items after clicking
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\SelectionFade]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Slide taskbar buttons
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\TaskbarAnimations]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Use visual styles on windows and buttons
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\Themes]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000

;Fade or slide ToolTips into view
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\TooltipAnimation]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000

;Use common tasks in folders
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects\WebView]
"DefaultApplied"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultByAlphaTest"=dword:00000000

You should apply these settings with the cmdlines.txt. That works for me. If it doesn't work, also do the above for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

P.S. I don't really know what "DefaultByAlphaTest" means, but I saw it at one entry, so I put it everywhere, just to be sure.

P.P.S I import the HKEY_CURRENT_USER settings at cmdlines.txt and the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE when I get in Windows

Hope that helps, PiPi

EDIT:

Just found these entries in my .REG files as well, not sure, if they matter, but still...

; NOTE ... PROBABLY VALID JUST FOR MY ENTRIES
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"UserPreferencesMask"=hex:90,12,01,80


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"MinAnimate"="0"


; NOTE ... PROBABLY VALID JUST FOR MY ENTRIES
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"ShellState"=hex:24,00,00,00,37,88,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  01,00,00,00,0d,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"WebView"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewAlphaSelect"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewWatermark"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarAnimations"=dword:00000000

Note that the commented ones are probably valid just for my settings (which you can see from the first CODE window). I found these keys using RegShot and RegMon.

**yong2579** · July 14, 2004

I try the settings but only a few works, the others still din work... wow, i din know this problem can be so big! strange how come others din have such a problem..

**AriesSyntax** · October 1, 2004

lol That is not what u tought ~

those HKCU and HKLM's VisualEffects code is not reall place where the setting store ~ it just work for the checkbox of setting-window

*** AND let you decide what value wil be the window's choice ***

when VisualFXSetting set to 0 , the default will be applied to checkbox but only checkbox not to real place the value been stored

so u can see the 16 checkbox just like what u want (u can set the defalut-value u want)

this changes nothing of the real setting-value in registry

ex:

DropShadow DefalutValue = 0 DefaultApplied = 1 and VisualFXSetting = 0

when u open the setting windows the DropShadow checkbox will * uncheck * even it's reall setting-value is check

then u can check it and kick Apply BTN , the value will store correctly

But next u open the setting window , the checkbox will still be --> uncheck

This is a logical programming bug ~

Because the programmer never think u will edit the registry this way

so ~

all u have to do is switch to costum-settings the switch back to let windows choose and kick Apply BTN then the value stored in to registry is the same and next time u open setting window , the checkbox-value and stored-value will be the same

or u just need also to change the setting-value with the same value when u change the value of DefalutValue (but u know where the real setting stored ?)

,if not ,whever , this will only happened at the first time u try to set the setting ~

after that the bug will gone ~

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Problem in Visual Effects Registry Settings

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