PowerToys Run: blue background on top of window

[ale-carra]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.76

Installation method

PowerToys auto-update

Running as admin

None

Area(s) with issue?

PowerToys Run

Steps to reproduce

When I open PowerToys Run the top of the window has a blue background. This started occurring with the 0.76 update

✔️ Expected Behavior

No blue background in PowerToys Run

❌ Actual Behavior

See screenshot

Other Software

No response

[TheJoeFin]

/bugreport

[fuzzzerd]

After upgrading to .76 I see a similar issue; however, it seems to be using the windows accent color, as mine is not blue; however, the extra "window" around the Run utility's area is very much the same.

[TheJoeFin]

@fuzzzerd if you can upload a bug report, that would be helpful

[fuzzzerd]

@TheJoeFin included here: PowerToysReport_2023-12-06-13-04-38.zip

[ale-carra]

Here's my report zip file
PowerToysReport_2023-12-06-22-32-15.zip

[niels9001]

Does anyone here has this setting enabled?

It's in W11 Settings => Personalization.

What happens if you turn it off?

[fuzzzerd]

Does anyone here has this setting enabled?

It's in W11 Settings => Personalization.

What happens if you turn it off?

Yes. I had that setting enabled when I installed the update.

• Turning it off, the PowerToys Run prompt shows up normally.
• Turning it back on, the PowerToys RUn prompt continues to show up normally.
• With Show accent color on title bars and window borders ON (and PowerToys showing up normally), I
  • Disabled PowerToys Run from the PowerToys menu
  • Re-enabled PowerToys Run
  • PowerToys Run now shows up as in the screenshot I posted earlier (broken state).

[fuzzzerd]

This is still occurring on v0.78.0.

[Jay-o-Way]

External issue: lepoco/wpfui#595

[Jay-o-Way]

@bbronisz As you could have read, we are aware of the issue, but it's external, so not in our hands.

[Tschipcraft]

This just got worse with the update to 0.81.0, since the Acrylic background which kind of hides this was replaced with the Mica one.
Looks like this now:

It would maybe be nice to have an option to switch back to the Acrylic background instead of the Mica one, as I really liked the look of it and never had any problems with it crashing.

[Jay-o-Way]

Work-around is in the latest version
(although not everybody is happy with it...)

[aquinn39]

@Jay-o-Way
The fix for this issue, while keeping the mica effect, is to use DwmSetWindowAttribute to set the DWMWA_CAPTION_COLOR attribute to 0xFFFFFFFE - this causes the title bar colour to not show when the mica effect is enabled with DWMWA_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE. However, this behaviour is undocumented here. I'm assuming this is what Notepad does as it has a mica effect in the title bar but doesn't have this issue.

[Jay-o-Way]

@aquinn39 Thanks!
@lepoco is this issue on your radar? What is the coupled issue (number) in your repository?

[pomianowski]

Hey @Jay-o-Way, I am aware of the error and I have already had several independent attempts but I have never found what needs to be changed, but what @aquinn39 mentioned seems like a solution.

[Jay-o-Way]

I'm assuming this is what Notepad does as it has a mica effect in the title bar but doesn't have this issue.

That's too quick of an assumption. (1) I do not assume Microsoft uses a third-party (!) framework for their own official apps, and (2) Notepad has a TABBEDWINDOW, which is not the same style or backdrop (Mica Alt is used)

0xFFFFFFFE

Strange value... Where does that come from? 🤔
So, this isn't a matter of DWM_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE ?

[aquinn39]

@Jay-o-Way I should clarify, I have tested and used this myself. Perhaps I didn't make that clear - I can confirm this does work, I didn't just pull that value out of nowhere. I just used Notepad as an example of an app that has a Mica background without this issue. Also, I am aware Notepad uses Mica Alt, this works on any type in my testing (except for DWMSBT_NONE of course). As for where the value comes from, look under DWMWA_BORDER_COLOR here. This value appearantly hides the window border, so I thought maybe it might work for the title bar as well, which it did (though only when a transparency effect is applied with DWMWA_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE)

[Jay-o-Way]

Great explanation! Love that! 🤩🤓

[pomianowski]

Fixed in lepoco/wpfui#1122

[Jay-o-Way]

@niels9001 @jaimecbernardo I suppose we need to keep a close eye on lepoco/wpfui#1107 (4.0 RC) then!