Personalization Add "Choose Light or Dark Mode" Context Menu in Windows 11


Personlization_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Choose Light or Dark Mode desktop context menu for all users in Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Windows 11 supports two color modes: light and dark. Each mode consists of a set of neutral color values that are automatically adjusted to ensure optimal contrast.

In both light and dark color modes, darker colors indicate background surfaces of less importance. Important surfaces are highlighted with lighter and brighter colors.

The Dark mode has colors that are designed to work well in a low-lit environment. This option is for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center.

The Light mode is designed to work well during daylight hours. If you choose this option, you’ll be able to Show accent color on title bars and windows borders. Selecting light for Choose your default Windows mode will gray out and disable Show accent color on Start and taskbar.

See also:

If you switch between light and dark mode often, then adding the Choose Light or Dark Mode desktop context menu can make it easier to choose your default windows mode and app mode on demand.

While you must be signed in as an administrator to add or remove this context menu, all users can use this context menu.



EXAMPLE: "Choose Light or Dark Mode" context menu

It is required to click/tap on Show more options first by default, then click/tap on Choose Light or Dark Mode.

The context menu will restart the explorer process to apply toggling light or dark mode.


Show_more_options.png
Choose_Light_or_Dark_Mode_context_menu.png



Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

2 Add "Choose Light or Dark Mode" to Desktop context menu

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Add_Choose_Light_or_Dark_Mode_to_desktop_context_menu.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode]
"Icon"="themecpl.dll,-1"
"MUIVerb"="Choose Light or Dark Mode"
"Position"="Bottom"
"SubCommands"=""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppANDWindowsMode]
"MUIVerb"="App and Windows mode"
"SubCommands"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppANDWindowsMode\shell\001flyout]
"MUIVerb"="Light"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5411"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppANDWindowsMode\shell\001flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v AppsUseLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f & Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v SystemUsesLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppANDWindowsMode\shell\002flyout]
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5412"
"MUIVerb"="Dark"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppANDWindowsMode\shell\002flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v AppsUseLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f & Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v SystemUsesLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppMode]
"MUIVerb"="App mode"
"SubCommands"=""
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000020

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppMode\shell\001flyout]
"MUIVerb"="Light"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5411"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppMode\shell\001flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v AppsUseLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppMode\shell\002flyout]
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5412"
"MUIVerb"="Dark"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\AppMode\shell\002flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v AppsUseLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\WindowsMode]
"MUIVerb"="Windows mode"
"SubCommands"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\WindowsMode\shell\001flyout]
"MUIVerb"="Light"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5411"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\WindowsMode\shell\001flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v SystemUsesLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\WindowsMode\shell\002flyout]
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5412"
"MUIVerb"="Dark"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode\shell\WindowsMode\shell\002flyout\command]
@="cmd /s /c \"Reg Add HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize /v SystemUsesLightTheme /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f & taskkill /f /im explorer.exe  & start explorer.exe\""

3 Remove "Choose Light or Dark Mode" from Desktop context menu

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Remove_Choose_Light_or_Dark_Mode_from_desktop_context_menu.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ChooseMode]

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

Last edited:
thanks admin, can you merge 2 optional into 1?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
thanks admin, can you merge 2 optional into 1?

Hello, and welcome. :-)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by merge 2 optional into 1. Please provide some more specifics.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Hello, and welcome. :-)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by merge 2 optional into 1. Please provide some more specifics.
only 2 options in Choose Light or Dark Mode
- light mode change windows mode and app mode to light
- dark mode change windows mode and app mode to dark
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
only 2 options in Choose Light or Dark Mode
- light mode change windows mode and app mode to light
- dark mode change windows mode and app mode to dark

I'm pretty sure I can add a third "App and Windows mode" option to have light or dark applied to both at the same time.

I'll add it tomorrow, and post back when updated.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Ok @hoangqy , :-)

I've updated the context menu to now include a "App and Windows mode" option that will change both to either "Light" or "Dark" at once.

You can just download and merge the updated Add_Choose_Light_or_Dark_Mode_to_desktop_context_menu.reg file to update your context menu.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Hi Brink. :) Some days ago, I did your tutorial about getting rid of 'show more options' from the context menu. That was before I found the tutorial on this page about adding light/dark mode options to the context menu. Is it possible to add the light/dark mode options to the context menu without it bringing back the 'show more options' thing that I already got rid of?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
Hi Brink. :) Some days ago, I did your tutorial about getting rid of 'show more options' from the context menu. That was before I found the tutorial on this page about adding light/dark mode options to the context menu. Is it possible to add the light/dark mode options to the context menu without it bringing back the 'show more options' thing that I already got rid of?

Hello, :alien:

No worries. It will not restore having to click on "Show more options".
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
@Brink I just did it and, interestingly, it caused a change to the taskbar. I had classic notepad pinned to the taskbar and after I did this reg edit, classic notepad wasn't on the taskbar anymore. Instead, new notepad came back in its place (which I had otherwise removed from the taskbar some days ago). I wonder how making a change to the context menu would have caused a change to the taskbar like that? :think:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
@Brink Ok, that's odd. I decided to use the 'remove' reg edit here to undo the light/dark thing. (That didn't undo the taskbar change that the 'add' reg edit had made. I didn't expect that it would have.) Next, I unpinned new Notepad from the taskbar and repinned classic Notepad there. Then I used the 'add' reg edit here again to get the light/dark option back in the context menu. This time, no changes. Classic Notepad has stayed. .... Isn't that odd, that the first time around, it immediately switched out the classic for the new Notepad, but for this second test, it didn't switch them out.... Do you think it's an indicator of any kind of stability issue I should pay attention to? Or just a funny glitch that can be ignored?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
@Brink I just tried switching between light and dark mode a few times since putting that into the context menu for a 2nd time. And I saw that each time I switched, it closed my open File Explorer window. I had it open before each switch, and after the screen flash was finished, the open File Explorer window was gone. I realize now that it was doing that also after I did the 'add' reg edit the first time around, but I forgot to mention it in my comments above because I was focused on the change with Notepad that also happened that first time. Something wonky going on...

I'm going to use the 'remove' reg edit for the 2nd time now to take away the light/dark option. My husband would have loved to have that. But if it's going to mess with shutting File Explorer on us every time (as it has done) and possibly mess with Notepad again at some point like it did the first time around, then we aren't going to be able to use the option. It'll interfere with work flow.

I'm surprised by the results of this tutorial on our new PC here, since all your other ones I've done so far have been flawless, as far as I can see anyway. I don't know if it's something in your code or a possible issue on our system. But in case you might want to know:

We haven't added a bunch of stuff to the system yet, not even any old personal files from the previous computer. I only made a few files/folders right here on this new PC with installation/tweaking notes regarding the settings changes and forum tutorials that I did. And we've not installed much on the system yet. Only security software, Chrome, a free trial of Corel Draw, Zoom Workplace, Legacy Photos, Windows Media Player Legacy, and we got wordpad and classic notepad.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
@Trying to learn

It's normal for the context menu to restart the explorer process to apply the light/dark change.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
@Brink Ohhhh, I see. I wonder if that should be mentioned in the tutorial in case there are other newbies like me who might worry something went wrong on their system? ... What about the Notepad thing that happened? Do you know what might have been the cause of the pinned icons changing?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
@Brink Ohhhh, I see. I wonder if that should be mentioned in the tutorial in case there are other newbies like me who might worry something went wrong on their system? ... What about the Notepad thing that happened? Do you know what might have been the cause of the pinned icons changing?

Added to help make that more clear.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Added to help make that more clear.
Only for me, it wasn't that it 'restarted' explorer. It shut it down and file explorer didn't reopen. I had to reopen it myself and renavigate to the folders I had been working with.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2, Build: 22631.5335 (Retail)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12600K
    Motherboard
    ASRock B760M PG Riptide
    Memory
    Crucial Classic DDR5-4800 16GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 good old Benq model
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe
    PSU
    Seasonic G12 GM 750Watt
    Case
    metal, 15+ years old, ATX/mATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
    Keyboard
    Lenovo, wired
    Mouse
    Logitech, wired
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    First time DIY build.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 23H2, Build: 22631.4751 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire XC-1760
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-12400
    Motherboard
    Acer Andrew H610 (PCIe Gen 4)
    Memory
    8 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 730
    Sound Card
    Integrated, HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    old Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080, 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (WD or Kingston, not sure), 512GB, partitioned into C & D drives.
    PSU
    Brand unknown. 180W. (80 Plus Gold certification)
    Case
    Slim, DTX
    Cooling
    Brand unknown. Air cooling.
    Keyboard
    Lenovo (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Other Info
    Extra CPU details:
    Intel UHD Graphics, 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.5 GHz, LGA1700, Intel H610 Chipset.
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