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window opacity



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 22nd 10, 06:38 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
hysteria
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default window opacity

i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of windows
with xp?

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  #2  
Old February 22nd 10, 06:50 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Shenan Stanley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,523
Default window opacity

hysteria wrote:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


Maybe with third party applications. Not natively.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


  #3  
Old February 22nd 10, 06:50 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Shenan Stanley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,523
Default window opacity

hysteria wrote:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


Maybe with third party applications. Not natively.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


  #4  
Old February 22nd 10, 03:38 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default window opacity

....and bear in mind that translucent windows suck up graphics resources.
You'll need at least 256MB of memory on your graphics card and a fast
clock. All for eye candy.

I predict that translucent windows will be the first feature of Aero
that Windows 7 users eventually turn off.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Shenan Stanley wrote:
hysteria wrote:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


Maybe with third party applications. Not natively.

  #5  
Old February 22nd 10, 03:38 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default window opacity

....and bear in mind that translucent windows suck up graphics resources.
You'll need at least 256MB of memory on your graphics card and a fast
clock. All for eye candy.

I predict that translucent windows will be the first feature of Aero
that Windows 7 users eventually turn off.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Shenan Stanley wrote:
hysteria wrote:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


Maybe with third party applications. Not natively.

  #6  
Old February 22nd 10, 04:05 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Ken Blake, MVP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,402
Default window opacity

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:38:23 -0500, Leonard Grey
wrote:

...and bear in mind that translucent windows suck up graphics resources.
You'll need at least 256MB of memory on your graphics card and a fast
clock. All for eye candy.

I predict that translucent windows will be the first feature of Aero
that Windows 7 users eventually turn off.


I've been a Windows 7 user for almost a year now, and I still have it
on. Not that I think it's a wonderful feature, but I don't dislike it
and I'm not unhappy with the performance on my machine.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
  #7  
Old February 22nd 10, 04:05 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Ken Blake, MVP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,402
Default window opacity

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:38:23 -0500, Leonard Grey
wrote:

...and bear in mind that translucent windows suck up graphics resources.
You'll need at least 256MB of memory on your graphics card and a fast
clock. All for eye candy.

I predict that translucent windows will be the first feature of Aero
that Windows 7 users eventually turn off.


I've been a Windows 7 user for almost a year now, and I still have it
on. Not that I think it's a wonderful feature, but I don't dislike it
and I'm not unhappy with the performance on my machine.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
  #8  
Old February 22nd 10, 08:42 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default window opacity

As Mr Shenan Stanley says; not natively, in WinXP, but it *is* possible to change the
opacity of any window, to any level of opacity, by downloading the very small, very
powerful, free utility - NIRCMD.EXE

Amongst many of it's varied functions is the ability to set the level of opacity of
any window, thus :

nircmd.exe win trans title "Calculator" 192

....this command, with the parameter "192", would set the opacity of Calculator to
25% - total opacity of 100% would be "255" and you would use this parameter to bring
the appearance back to normal. You can also use the parameter "0" to make the window
"disappear" altogether!!

Just download the zip-file by clicking on the link below - extract and copy :
nircmd.exe to your "windows" or "system32" directory (or any dir that appears in
your "path" variable). Then extract and read the help-file : nircmd.chm

Download "nircmd.exe" from :
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.zip

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"hysteria" wrote in message
...
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of windows
with xp?


  #9  
Old February 22nd 10, 08:42 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default window opacity

As Mr Shenan Stanley says; not natively, in WinXP, but it *is* possible to change the
opacity of any window, to any level of opacity, by downloading the very small, very
powerful, free utility - NIRCMD.EXE

Amongst many of it's varied functions is the ability to set the level of opacity of
any window, thus :

nircmd.exe win trans title "Calculator" 192

....this command, with the parameter "192", would set the opacity of Calculator to
25% - total opacity of 100% would be "255" and you would use this parameter to bring
the appearance back to normal. You can also use the parameter "0" to make the window
"disappear" altogether!!

Just download the zip-file by clicking on the link below - extract and copy :
nircmd.exe to your "windows" or "system32" directory (or any dir that appears in
your "path" variable). Then extract and read the help-file : nircmd.chm

Download "nircmd.exe" from :
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.zip

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"hysteria" wrote in message
...
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of windows
with xp?


  #10  
Old February 23rd 10, 08:50 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Twayne[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,073
Default window opacity

In ,
hysteria typed:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


That depends on your video card mostly. My nVidia card lets me do it and
it's quite handy when I want to see somethign in an underlying windows and a
few other uses. The multiple desktops are pretty handy, too.
If your video card can't do it then there are 3rd party apps already
recommended that you could look at. No idea how good or bad they may be.

HTH,

Twayne




--
--
Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered
through personal experience does not become a
part of the moral tissue.

  #11  
Old February 23rd 10, 08:50 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Twayne[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,073
Default window opacity

In ,
hysteria typed:
i was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the opacity of
windows with xp?


That depends on your video card mostly. My nVidia card lets me do it and
it's quite handy when I want to see somethign in an underlying windows and a
few other uses. The multiple desktops are pretty handy, too.
If your video card can't do it then there are 3rd party apps already
recommended that you could look at. No idea how good or bad they may be.

HTH,

Twayne




--
--
Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered
through personal experience does not become a
part of the moral tissue.

 




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