Changing Color of Selected Text in Help and Windows

 Last reviewed: July 8, 1997
Article ID: Q65661
3.00 3.00a 3.10 3.11 WINDOWS kbusage kbdisplay

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

You can change the color of Help jump terms, Help glossary terms, text that run Help macros, and selected text in Microsoft Windows by adding lines to different sections of the WIN.INI file, as follows: 

Highlighted text        Section of WIN.INI      Line to add


Help jump terms         [Windows Help]          Jumpcolor=(R G B)
Help glossary terms     [Windows Help]          Popupcolor=(R G B)
Help macros             [Windows Help]          MacroColor=(R G B)
Windows screens         [colors]                HighlightText=(R G B)
The R, G, and B values are integers between 0 and 255 that specify the relative intensities of red, green, and blue. For example, the following turns the text bright blue: 

   Jumpcolor=0 0 255
In this example, zero turns the red and green intensities off, and 255 turns the blue intensity to the brightest level.

After you make the change in the WIN.INI file and save it, you can access the Program Manager, choose Help, then choose Contents. The color change you made appears. You do not have to exit and restart Windows to see your color change.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table lists the default 16-color palette: 

Color                 Line to add

White                 JumpColor=255 255 255
Light Gray            JumpColor=192 192 192
Gray                  JumpColor=127 127 127
Bright Red            JumpColor=255 000 000
Red                   JumpColor=127 000 000
Bright Green          JumpColor=000 255 000
Green                 JumpColor=000 127 000
Bright Blue           JumpColor=000 000 255
Blue                  JumpColor=000 000 127
Yellow                JumpColor=255 255 000
Brown                 JumpColor=127 127 000
Cyan                  JumpColor=000 255 255
Aqua                  JumpColor=000 127 127
Violet                JumpColor=255 000 255
Purple                JumpColor=127 000 127
Black                 JumpColor=000 000 000
NOTE: If your video driver supports more than 256 colors, the jump colors may not displayed correctly.

REFERENCES

WININI.WRI, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11, Disk 3 (for 1.44MB and 1.2MB diskettes) and Disk 6 (for 720K diskettes)

KBCategory: kbusage kbdisplay
KBSubcategory: win30 win31 wfw wfwg win95 winhelp
Additional reference words: help text change color colors 3.00 3.0
3.0a 3.00a 3.1 3.10 highlighted highlight disability disabilities
handicap accessibility
Keywords : kbenable wfw wfwg win30 win31 win95 winhelp kbdisplay kbusage
Version : 3.00 3.00a 3.10 3.11
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: July 8, 1997
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