This is so annoying...
Monday, April 26, 2010 by Kevin_Walter | Discussion: Skinning
Okay, technical stuff out of the way first. I'm running Vista Home Premium x64. I'm using SkinStudio 7.
My problem is with text color in the start menu. I'm making a dark skin, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to edit the text in the All Programs menu. Pics below.
The below image is how my Start Menu currently looks.
This next image shows how the All Programs menu looks. As you can plainly see, the font is dark on a dark background. I need to change that.
The only way I've been able to figure out how to change said text is by changing the text color for the mousover image. Which works for the all programs menu, but it also overwrites the settings for the places list on the right and the programs list on the left of the regular Start Menu view. As seen below...
Quite an annoying problem for me. Sometimes, I wonder why they don't make it simpler? "Places list text color:", "Programs list text color:", and "All Programs list text color:".
Boom, problem solved. Or so one would think. 
Reply #2 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:13 AM
Wow.... vStyler replied to one of my threads. *bows*
You're right though, it is very tricky. Changing the window text color under system defined colors also changed it to a bright text in other fields. Which didn't work in those other areas because those are much lighter. Now I know why most people start with light colored skins.
Keeping the mouseover items set to OS Default doesn't work. That's how I have it set for those first two images. The places and programs menus work fine that way but as the second image shows, it doesn't change the all programs list.
I've tried every combination I can think of. Either the all programs text doesn't change, or the places text changes with it.
*pulls hair out*
Reply #3 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:19 AM
Set both of your menu Items to OS default... then use this setting to adjust the all progs text....
Start Menu > Left Side > Text Tab > second setting from Dropdown menu (Unused Ignore).
Third setting is Mouse over color.
This works.
Neil needs to update settings names.
Reply #4 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:41 AM
WOW...
Thank you so much. I'm guessing Neil is a Stardock employee? If so, he really does need to edit those. That's really confusing. I never edit those because I figure they're actually unused or for other settings (like animations).
Saved my life, man. (and what's left of my afro).
Reply #5 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:48 AM
He wrote WB and SKS.
Hair is overrated 
Reply #7 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 12:54 PM
Hair is a luxury that skinners remember fondly
Reply #8 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 8:44 PM
Hair is overrated
Hair is a luxury that skinners remember fondly
True enough. I'm actually quite fond of my hair. Keeps me head warm.
Reply #10 Saturday, February 12, 2011 9:59 PM
I'm glad I found this thread. I was going nutz trying to figure out how to change that font in a theme! Thanks, vStyler.
Mark
Reply #11 Sunday, February 13, 2011 5:59 AM
I still have all mine. Very long and very white and ... oops ... OT. sorry.
Reply #12 Sunday, February 13, 2011 8:24 AM
This was a great help because I experienced the same problem but never got around to asking how to fix it. Now I know so thank you vStyler.
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Reply #1 Monday, April 26, 2010 10:11 PM
If you have text colors set for the different start menu Item mouse overs you might try adjusting those, This area is tricky, change one thing, another gets borked, I would try to just use the start menu panel colors and leave the Item mouse over colors set to OS Default.
The default All progs menu font color is pulled from your System windows text color.