Access 2007: How to disable pale "Vista look" in WinXP?

[Graham Wideman [Visio MVP]]

Hi folks:

Does anyone know a way to disable Access 2007's anaemic Vista-ish theme when
running on WinXP?

I find that having a bunch of Access 2007 windows open amongst Excel, Word
etc other windows, I can't find the Access windows without concentrating on
it, and certainly can't tell which one is selected, due to the title bar and
window frame being so pale, and the distinction between selected and
unselected so inadequate. It's even worse trying to find the bottom corner
for resizing... I'm constantly grabbing some other slightly larger
background window's corner by mistake.

Surely it's a violation of Windows UI standards to have TWO different type
of window border color schemes!

And it's especially jarring that many of the subsidiary windows/dialogs in
Access 2007 *do* have the brighter blue frames like all the other programs
in XP.

OK, to be sure this is part "why did they mess with a good thing" whine
[*]... but if anyone has a solution to this *please* chime in!

Graham

[*] Not to mention NOT fixing really basic UI irritants that have been with
us for ever... like datasheet windows opening to uselessly gigantic size...
and now made worse by being filled with a visually distracting pointless
vacant columns.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hi folks:

You could try the black theme.

office button->access options->popular

There is 3 themes now (blue, silver, and black).

 

[Graham Wideman [Visio MVP]]

Hi Albert,

Thanks for pointing to the "Color Scheme" options. Now all I need is a "Blue
to match all the other applications in XP except QuickTime" color scheme.
Anyone know how to establish a color-scheme?

BTW, I did note that you pointed to the "black" theme, as the one with
humanly-detectable contrast between selected and not-selected. But it's
just too ugly and depressing.

Graham

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hi Albert,

Thanks for pointing to the "Color Scheme" options. Now all I need is a
"Blue to match all the other applications in XP except QuickTime" color
scheme. Anyone know how to establish a color-scheme?

BTW, I did note that you pointed to the "black" theme, as the one with
humanly-detectable contrast between selected and not-selected. But it's
just too ugly and depressing.

Graham

Yes...the black was suggested for that contrast issue.

I am 99% sure that the color schemes *could* be edited...I just don't know
where/how. I will ask around...as I am interested in being able to
edit/change the color schemes. The color schemes in access now do seem to
follow the "style" sheets used for the web (8 colors). We just have to get
at the style/theme and that I do not know how to do...

 

[Graham Wideman [Visio MVP]]

I am 99% sure that the color schemes *could* be edited...I just don't know

where/how.

That's what I suspect too. I'm rooting for you to uncover some secret here!