Navigating through the Windows desktop, have you ever noticed the translucent rectangle that emerges when you left-click and drag your mouse pointer over icons and files? This feature, known as the Rectangle Selection, is a visual aid designed to facilitate the selection of multiple items simultaneously. By left-clicking, holding, and dragging the pointer, this translucent selection box materializes, allowing users to seamlessly choose files or folders. As you release the left click, the items enclosed within this box become highlighted, making it effortless to move them to different locations or even delete them as needed.
The visual appeal and functionality of the Rectangle Selection can be tailored to individual preferences on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. Users have the liberty to modify the color scheme of the selection rectangle, both its background and borders. Moreover, for those who find this feature redundant or feel it impacts their system’s performance, there’s an option to deactivate the translucent selection. In such a case, only the rectangular outline will be visible during the selection process.
If you’ve ever pondered over customizing or even turning off this feature, you’re in the right place. This risewindows guide is tailored to walk you through the steps to personalize or deactivate the Desktop Selection Rectangle on Windows 11/10.
How to Change the Background Color of the Desktop Selection Rectangle?
Follow the below-illustrated steps to customize the background color of the selection rectangle if you find the rectangle hard to see or want to personalize your Windows computer:-
Step 1. Start with opening the paint (mspaint.exe) application on your computer.
To open Paint, click on the Start button and type paint. Click on the same name in the search result to open it.
Step 2. After that, click on the Edit colors button once the Paint application appears on your computer.
Step 3. Then, select a primary color of your choice. You can move the cursor over the color palette to get your desired color.
Step 4. When it is complete, make a note of the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) numbers (ex: “98 250 236”) for your color. Repeat the above steps to get one more RGB number combination.
Step 5. Next, close the Paint application.
Step 6. Further, open the Registry Editor.
Step 7. Go to the following key from the left pane of the Registry Editor window:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
Step 8. From the right sidebar, find HotTrackingColor REG_SZ and double-click on it to change its default “Value data.”
Step 9. Now, enter the desired RGB value with spaces.
Step 10. Click on the OK button.
Step 11. Finally, reboot your PC to apply the changes.
How to Edit the Border Color of the Desktop Selection Rectangle?
It is also possible to change or edit the color of the translucent rectangle border. Follow the below-described steps to edit the border color of the desktop selection rectangle:-
Step 1. Start with opening the paint (mspaint.exe) application on your PC.
To open Paint, you can click on the Start button and type paint. After that, click on the same name in the search result to open it.
Step 2. Now, click on the Edit colors button once the Paint application appears on your computer.
Step 3. Afterward, select a primary color of your choice and move the cursor over the color palette to get your desired color.
Step 4. When it is complete, make a note of the RGB (Red Green Blue) numbers (ex: “98 250 236”) for your color. Repeat the above steps to get one more RGB number combination.
Step 5. Next, close the Paint application.
Step 6. Further, open the Registry Editor.
Step 7. Go to the following key from the left pane of the Registry Editor window:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
Step 8. Now, double-click on the Hilight REG_SG to modify it from the right side of the Colors folder.
Step 9. Next, enter the RGB numbers (ex: “255 255 255”) for the selected text background color from the “Value data” field.
Note: The default RGB value of “Hilight” REG_SZ is 0 120 215.
Step 10. After that, click on the OK button.
Step 11. Reboot your computer to apply the changes.
How to Enable or Disable Translucent Selection Rectangle on Desktop in Visual Effects Performance Options?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to turn on or off the Translucent Selection Rectangle on the Desktop using Visual Effects Performance Options:-
Step 1. Start by pressing the Windows + R keys from the keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Step 2. Now, to open the Visual Effects tab from the Performance Options, type the SystemPropertiesPerformance into the Run box and click on the OK button.
Step 3. Next, check or uncheck the checkbox “Show translucent selection rectangle” to enable or disable the feature.
Step 4. After that, click on the Apply button.
Step 5. Then, press the OK button.
How to Turn On or Off Translucent Selection Rectangle on Desktop via Registry Editor?
Follow these steps to enable or disable Translucent Selection Rectangle on Desktop via Registry Editor:-
Step 1. Open Registry Editor.
Step 2. Go to the following key from the left pane of the Registry Editor window:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Step 3. Next, double-click on the ListviewAlphaSelect REG_DWORD from the right sidebar and set its “Value data” to the following:-
- 0: Turn off the future.
- 1: Turn on the future.
That’s all.
Conclusion
Navigating and personalizing your Windows desktop can greatly enhance your user experience. The Rectangle Selection, a feature designed to aid in multiple item selections, offers customization options in Windows, allowing users to change its color or even turn it off. Whether you wish to personalize its appearance or enhance performance by disabling the translucent feature, the above guide provides comprehensive steps to do so. From changing the background and border colors to enabling or disabling the translucent rectangle, each procedure ensures you tailor your desktop to your preferences.
