Messed up colors!

Go back to APPEARANCE and then click on SCHEME and scroll down to WINDOWS STANDARD and select it.

Hi Ron,
I tried what you said but there isn't a WINDOWS STANDARD listed. Could I have deleted it somehow? If so how can I get the WINDOWS STANDARD option back?
Thanks for your help.
Barbara

Barbara,

I've been doing more research. The Windows Schemes are listed in the registry under the following Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\Schemes

If you are missing this registry key, or the Windows Standard data in the registry key, they can be replaced if you have saved an earlier registry backup and reinstall it.

By default, your system saves registry entries for five days using a program called scanreg. You can use it to recover an older version of your registry, one dated before your color problem started. Here's how...

Reboot your system to Command Prompt Only. To do this, reboot and hold the CTRL key down during the power-on self test, when the boot menu comes up, choose Command Prompt Only.

Then at the command prompt type "Scanreg /restore" (without the quotes) and press Enter. A list of backup files appears along with their dates, and you can choose which file you want to restore.

Reboot when you are done, and see if the problem is gone. Once you have everything running smoothly, you can use scanreg or regedit to backup your registry. You should do this before you install new hardware or software, and once again when you are sure all the new stuff is working well. You can avoid lots of problems if you do this.

Hope this works.

Ron

Barbara,

So, when you click on the little down arrow on the right side of the little blank Scheme box, do you get a list of schemes? Mine starts with Brick, Desert, Eggplant...etc. If there are NO schemes in the drop down box, then there is a problem. (My book says that Windows 98 comes with 33 predefined schemes.)

The default scheme box is empty. You have to click on the little down arrow to view the drop down menu. If this still doesn't work, I'm stumped. But someone else might have some ideas. Good luck.

Ron

Wow you really know your stuff! Thanks, I sure appreciate all of the time you've put into helping a novice like me.
Thanks again, Barbara.

Hi Ron,
Yes I have a list like you said starting with desert, eggplant etc. I havn't counted how many I've got, but I know that to begin with I did have the standard windows, but when I went back to highlie it it was gone along with several others, I don't know how to get them back. Thanks for your help, Barbara.

If you go to Control Panel, click Add/Remove programs icon, and then click the Windows Setup tab, you'll see Desktop Themes listed. Highlight, then click details. If Windows theme is not checked, check it and the OK your way into installation of the Windows theme. This will put it back in your system. You may have to have your Windows CD handy to put in the drive when you do this installation. If it is checked, then uncheck it, essentially uninstalling it, and then reinstall it.

Hope this helps.