Dark Mode: Weird Icon Highlighting on Windows 11

[WildByDesign]

Details:

The current version of Notepad++ (in Dark Mode) shows a weird highlighting for the selected icons and also icons when the mouse hovers over. The icon highlighting in Light Mode looks proper on Windows 11. Therefore, this icon highlighting issue only seems to affect Dark Mode.

Screenshot:

[ts-50]

I use both Windows 10 and Linux on a dual-boot machine - when I switched to Linux and ran Notepad++ on Wine (emulating Windows 10), the same issue occurs

[Ddiidev]

On windows 10 it's working fine, but on windows 11 the same problem occurs.

[CezaryPuchowski]

Additionally blue/red floppy disc icons before filenames are not shown.
I use this indication very often, without this dark mode is for me not useful

[ts-50]

Additionally blue/red floppy disc icons before filenames are not shown.
I use this indication very often, without this dark mode is for me not useful

That is a separate issue

[donho]

@WildByDesign
Could you provide your debug info please?

[WildByDesign]

@donho Absolutely.

Notepad++ v8.1.4   (64-bit)
Build time : Aug 21 2021 - 13:04:59
Path : D:\Tools\Notepad++\dark\x64\Notepad++.exe
Command Line : 
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) 
OS Version : 2009
OS Build : 22000.194
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll RainLexer.dll 

[donho]

@thomassmith311 @AlsDev-Sbin
Could you provide your debug info please?

[ts-50]

@thomassmith311 @AlsDev-Sbin Could you provide your debug info please?

Sorry, didn't see the message. Debug info when running on Wine:

Notepad++ v8.1.4 (32-bit)
Build time : Aug 21 2021 - 12:58:42
Path : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : ON
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)
OS Build : 17134.0
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
WINE : 5.0
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll

[Ddiidev]

@thomassmith311 @AlsDev-Sbin Could you provide your debug info please?

Notepad++ v8.1.4 (64-bit)
Build time : Aug 21 2021 - 13:04:59
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 2009
OS Build : 22000.194
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NPPJSONViewer.dll NppSaveAsAdmin.dll RunMe.dll

Ps. in the debug info, it doesn't show that it's windows 11 (because it's preview, I assume), but there's a print of winver.exe, then just compare the build version that appears in the debug info with the one in winver.exe

[Fratee]

still happening in Notepad++ v8.1.5 (64-bit)
Build time : Sep 26 2021 - 15:23:23
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
OS Version : 2009
OS Build : 22000.194
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : ComparePlugin.dll mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll NppFTP.dll

[WildByDesign]

@ozone10 @adzm If I recall correctly, both of you are the most familiar with the dark mode code. This is happening on Windows 11 and only with dark mode enabled. Light mode displays the icon highlighting correctly.

Do either of you know what part of the dark mode code could be causing this?

Clearly, Microsoft has made some changes with Windows 11 that are causing this conflict with Npp dark mode.

[donho]

Just got Windows 11, and saw these unpleasant stuffs:

I'll see what can I do about it.
@adzm @ozone10 @Ashfaaq18 or anyone here if you have the solution please do a PR directely - it'll be the priority.

[donho]

Check the code, it's the bug from Microsoft Windows 11 with no doubt.
I've done a (temporarily?) fix/workaround for Windows 11. That's the best I can do so far :(

[lilalien]

I have the exact same issue with Windows 11. The blue icon backgrounds are still there in 8.1.8.

[donho]

@lilalien
There's nothing we can do about the light blue highlighting. All I can do (and it's done in Notepad++ v8.1.8) is make the icon visible.
I believe Microsoft is aware of this bug in Windows 11, and it will be fixed on next Windows 11 update (hopefully).

[WildByDesign]

@donho @ozone10 @adzm

I have recently done some more research into this issue. It seems to affect programs that utilize win32-darkmode such as Notepad++, Explorer++ and also LibreOffice. Possibly more programs that I am not aware of.

I dug into the aero.msstyles file from Windows 10 and Windows 11 and see that Microsoft made the change to the Toolbar (class) BUTTON (part) image that is used to highlight the toolbar buttons. Microsoft made that image a much lighter/brighter blue which is why it looks so terrible.

I have fixed this by simply editing my aero.msstyles file and replacing a single image and it fixed Notepad++, Explorer++ and LibreOffice for me an it's beautiful now. However, getting users to patch their msstyles and uxtheme is not a logical fix.

I am not a programmer. But what I am wondering is:

• Is it possible (programmatically) to use another BUTTON image resource from within the same aero.msstyles file that is already loaded?

The only one that matches the same size and specifications is DarkMode::Toolbar (class) BUTTON (part) image.

But I am not a programmer and have no idea if that is a possibility or not.