I want to change my desktop icons font to a black colour. This was easy in Win 7 but cant figure it out in 8.1. Someone said they had cracked by using Registry Editor (colours Appearnce change value to 000) but it did not work for me

• Edited by JOHN IVES 21 hours 56 minutes ago

Not sure if there is a setting in 8.1. I don't know what you changed in the registry, but I do know that if you navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors and double click 'AppWorkspace' the default value is 157 157 157 I believe. If you change all 157s to 0s save and reboot it should be black text for icons now.

This exactly what I have done  but they stay the same colour

Are you typing 3 0's or just one? When you reboot and go into the registry are the changes you made still there or do they revert back to the default settings?

Definitely 3 x 0 and yes they are  "retained". I have a lap top

Just tried in on the wife's computer as well and it doesn't work there either. I assume it is figure 0 not a letter O and with a space in between?

Incidentally the original values were different to those you gave i.e. 171 not 157
. Mean anything ?

• Edited by JOHN IVES 20 hours 2 minutes ago

My other sources tell me that it is not possible in 8.1 but a programme called Windows 8 Font Changer will do it. Is this programme safe.

I am unfamiliar with that program, I'd do some research before you install something that will start changing an OS's appearance. I can't seem to find anything else, from a Windows settings perspective anyway, to change the font. It may not be possible in 8.1. 

A friend has suggested going into PC Settings Ease of Access High Contrast and play around with it. This works but I have a completely white background but black text . Visually it works but you loose screen saver etc ie it is truly High Contrast. Thanks for your help

• Proposed as answer by MeipoXu 5 hours 23 minutes ago

No problem, wish there was more I could do.

Hi John,

We also can make it here :

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Personalization

Best regards

Is there an official channel through which one can feed back "customer requirements" to Microsoft as this is a facility very much required by older people with eyesight problems ie so as to include in future versions (or to issue an update) ?