Restoring Color Schemes in the Control Panel

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

Color schemes removed from the Color section of Control Panel are deleted from the CONTROL.INI file. To restore a color scheme, the color scheme must be added back to the CONTROL.INI file.

For example, if you remove the Designer color scheme, the information for the Designer color scheme is deleted from the CONTROL.INI file. To regain the lost color scheme, it must be added back to the CONTROL.INI file.

MORE INFORMATION

In Windows 3.0, the preferred way to regain a color scheme is to expand the CONTROL.INI file from the Windows Setup Disk to the WINDOWS directory on the hard disk. This replaces the CONTROL.INI with the defaults shipped with Windows. Any custom color schemes will be lost.

In Windows 3.1, CONTROL.SR_ is the file that contains the color scheme that should be expanded and renamed to CONTROL.INI.

The alternative involves modifying the CONTROL.INI file manually.

How to Expand the CONTROL.INI File for Windows 3.0

1. Switch to the WINDOWS directory on the hard disk.

2. Insert the Windows Setup Disk #2 (1.2 MB 5.25-inch, 720K 3.5-inch, or 360K 5.25-inch formats) in drive A.

3. Copy EXPAND.EXE by typing:

         copy a:\expand.exe
   

4. Copy and expand the CONTROL.INI file by typing:

         expand a:\control.ini control.ini
   

   NOTE: If you have the 360K 5.25-inch format disks, CONTROL.INI is on Disk #5.

   This copies the Windows default CONTROL.INI over the CONTROL.INI file on the hard disk.

   WARNING: All custom color schemes will be lost.

How to Expand the CONTROL.INI File for Windows 3.1

1. Switch to the WINDOWS directory on the hard disk.

2. If the EXPAND.EXE file is not on your hard drive, insert the Windows Setup Disk #3 (1.44 MB 3.5-inch and 1.2 MB 5.25-inch formats) or Disk #5 (720K 3.5-inch format) into drive A.

3. Copy EXPAND.EXE to the WINDOWS subdirectory by typing the following:

         copy a:\expand.exe c:\windows
   

4. Copy and expand the CONTROL.SR_ file from Windows Setup Disk #5 (1.44 MB 3.5-inch format), Disk #6 (1.2 MB 5.25-inch format), or Disk #9 (720K 3.5-inch format) into drive A, and type the following:

         expand a:\control.sr_ c:\windows\control.ini
   

   This expands the CONTROL.SR_ file and replaces the Windows default CONTROL.INI file with the CONTROL.INI file on the hard disk.

   WARNING: All custom color schemes will be lost.

How to Save Custom Color Schemes

1. Follow the steps listed above, except step 4. At step 4, type the following:

         expand a:\control.ini control.old
   

2. Run Notepad.

3. Open CONTROL.OLD.

4. Find the [color schemes] section and select the color scheme that is desired. Copy it to the Clipboard.

5. Open CONTROL.INI.

6. Find the [color schemes] section and paste the missing color scheme.