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UnixMac · Sep 13, 2007, 09:59 PM

Ok, I know there must be a fix for this, and I did a search but found nothing. I've got this problem on all 4 of my Macs where when I change the background color of a finder window with "View" --> "Show view options" --> and "background" after closing the window the next time I open it the color is some totally different (usually very ugly bright) color!!

What could be causing this?

Thanks

tomrock · Sep 14, 2007, 07:51 AM

I've seen this to and I've never found a way to fix it. I even showed it to a couple of guys at an Apple store and they just scratched their heads.

UnixMac · Sep 14, 2007, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by tomrock

I've seen this to and I've never found a way to fix it. I even showed it to a couple of guys at an Apple store and they just scratched their heads.

that is the response I get from Apple Care too.. it's a bit odd that it occurred on all my machines though!

I wish there was a fix, it's rather annoying!

reader50 · Sep 14, 2007, 10:39 AM

Are you remembering to check the radio button first for "This window only"? If not, you're trying to apply to "All windows", which often doesn't seem to work very well.

UnixMac · Sep 14, 2007, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by reader50

Are you remembering to check the radio button first for "This window only"? If not, you're trying to apply to "All windows", which often doesn't seem to work very well.

oh yeah... the problem isn't so much related to which windows remember, it's the fact that what ever color I pick after closing and then re-opening the window turns into a TOTALLY different color at random! Than that color will of course stick!

thanks for the tips though!

TETENAL · Sep 14, 2007, 11:36 AM

I thought this was on all Intel-Macs. Isn't it?

UnixMac · Sep 14, 2007, 11:41 AM

That might explain what it doesn't happen on my powerbook G4... why hasn't Apple fixed it if this is the case then?

reader50 · Sep 14, 2007, 04:22 PM

The background color would be stored in the .DS_Store file. You could create two identical folders, empty, and set them to different background colors. Whatever ones stick, so long as they're different.

Open the .DS_Store files in a hex editor, and look for the changes. That will tell you where the color is encoded, probably as a 24-bit (3 byte) format. Once you've found the location, you could manually set the color on any desired folder. Or edit up some .DS_Store files for standard colors, then copy to the relevant folder as needed.

darthdunk · Oct 9, 2007, 01:43 PM

Until now - I have never had any issues with Mac AT ALL. I ran across this forum when my very first issue occured. I would go to View -> Show View Options -> and then pick a nice color for my "window background" only to have it auto-change on me to some random color. I don't know why this is happening and maybe the new OS coming out in a few weeks will fix it. Until then, here is a solution because even though it may be a work-a-round, it works:

*Create a new folder
*Open and stretch it to fill the entire screen
*Pick the color you want your window background to be
*Press and hold Command->Shift->4 (if done right your cursor will be a "target"
*Take "target and select the entire area of color
*This creates a .png file on your desktop ie: picture1.png
*Instead of picking the color for your window background choose image and select the .png file

Let me know if this is too confusing. I have a special folder where I keep the "pictures" of the screen i took so I have colors that don't change!

Hope this helps

-darthdunk

darthdunk · Oct 10, 2007, 09:18 AM

Okay people,

After a little more researching and reading other places by people smarter than me.... here is the easiest answer:

Because of the Intel chip (if you posted this as the cause - you're right), the colors do change and the easiest way to correct this is as follows:

*View-->Show View Options (command J)
*Color (pick any color you want)
*Go to the "RGB Sliders"
*Interchange the Red and Green numbers
*Press Okay

Let me know what you think - it worked for me!

-darthdunk

leifur · Oct 15, 2007, 04:33 PM

Thanks, darthdunk, that worked for me too! Since Scandinavian support had not heard about the problem, I thought it would have to be with my machine. But today I got the chance to test both a new 20' and a new 24' iMac at my local Mac store. They had exactly the same problem! As the G4 and the G5 in my household do not, it has to be an Intel issue. But I'm amazed by the effect of this little numbers trick! It seems the new machines stores the numbers in the wrong columns somehow. I suppose the leopard would have fixed me up eventually. But thanks again, darthdunk!