After each PC restart, all WinPaletter settings are reset to the Windows default settings

[SussiX]

❌ Error report

Describe the error

Under Windows 11 Pro 23H2, all changes made by WinPaletter are lost as soon as the computer is restarted, as well as when waking up from power saving mode and from sleep mode.
The problem exists, at least for me, with the following versions:
1.0.8.0-Stable, 1.0.8.4-Stable, 1.0.9.0-Stable, 1.0.9.1-Stable, 1.0.9.2-Stable

Can the problem be solved somehow?

[Abdelrhman-AK]

I can't solve this problem at all and I can't reproduce this issue.

This issue happened with someone else: #218 (comment)

Do you have multiple Windows users or not?

Can you test older versions like 1.0.7.x and 1.0.6.x?

[SussiX]

I don't have multiple Windows users

I had just tested the following versions: 1.0.6.1 and 1.0.7.2

With both versions, the changes are retained after a PC restart, but not after the quiet state and not even after the energy saving mode

[SussiX]

After I also tried the both versions 1.0.6.1 and 1.0.7.2, the behavior of the 1.0.9.2 stable has changed. For whatever reason. That's strange. I don't understand the behavior.

After restarting the PC, the changes are now retained.
However NOT after hibernation and also not after energy saving mode.

[Abdelrhman-AK]

That is an extremely weird issue that I couldn't reproduce or fix. There is nothing new in applying mechanism in 1.0.9.2.

Please keep this issue open. When I find a solution, I'll post an update.

[SussiX]

I have noticed something else in the meantime, namely that some color changes are retained by WinPaletter, while others are not.

I'm not sure, but maybe the color settings changed by WinPaletter are only not saved with very “old” programs, after hibernation and after energy saving mode.

I use several old programs on Windows 11, such as Adobe Photoshop 5.5 (from 1999) and ACDsee 32 v.2.41 (image viewer from 1997)

Perhaps you can reproduce the error using this information?

You can still find “ACDsee 32 v.2.41” as a free download here:
http://www.oldversion.com.de/windows/acdsee-2-41
http://www.oldversion.com/windows/acdsee-3-2-2-4-1

That's ACDsee 32 v.2.41 with the original colors of Windows11 Pro 23H2.

That's ACDsee 32 v.2.41 with colors changed by WinPaletter.
(BUT after hibernation and also after energy saving mode,
the original Windows11 Pro 23H2 colors appear again)

[Abdelrhman-AK]

Thanks for this information. I'll try to reproduce this again, and once I find a solution, I'll post an update.

I'll inform you if I found something new in this issue.

[Mattrizzle]

Likely related to this issue, on Windows 11 Home 25H2 with WinPaletter 1.0.9.7-stable, I notice several of the Classic Color settings are not retained when locking and unlocking my login session.

1. On a fresh login session, before locking my computer (Classic Scheme - Rainy Day applied):

2. After locking and unlocking my session without closing the program's window (notice how some colors are already changed/messed up, such as the menu border and highlight color as well as the resize handle at the bottom right corner):

3. In the same unlocked session after closing and reopening the program:

Logging out and logging in again does properly reapply the settings.

[Abdelrhman-AK]

The issue is that I couldn’t reproduce it when it first happened. I’ll try fixing it again.

[MuscularPuky]

Oh, is this resumed? XD
When WinPaletter had been discontinued I tried to solve this registry issue with https://github.com/mcdenis/AccentApplicator as startup and works well. It would also work as Task Scheduler (or Service: #184) and 4 Win8 UWP Color registries (StartMenuColor, AppColor, etc...) must require Task (or Service)
But sometimes awaking from sleep loses AccentApplicator's 4 colors #231 (comment) but wasn't big problem for me and just reopenning (not relaunch) AccentApplicator from Tray solves it. Maybe registry Task (or Service) for every log on or unlock evades it

+edit: URL correct

[Abdelrhman-AK]

Regarding a Task Scheduler task or Windows Service:

It is a valid approach and would work, but it comes with real limitations:

• A logon task covers cold boot but not sleep/resume — which is exactly the issue you described with AccentApplicator losing the 4 colors on wake. A task on unlock would cover both, since Windows fires an unlock event on wake from sleep too.
• A Service is always running and is the most reliable.
• On uninstall, any registered task or service must be removed, and the accent must be restored to whatever Windows Settings last had — otherwise the user is stuck with WinPaletter's colors and no way to reset them without manually going into Settings.
• If the user changes their accent color in Windows Settings while a startup task is active, WinPaletter's task will fight and overwrite their intentional change on next logon — which is a bad experience.

---

Note

I cannot reproduce this issue at all on either of my 2 test devices!!! This makes it very difficult to verify the fix before releasing.

What I am implementing instead (no task or service needed):

I traced the reset to Windows replaying the active .theme file on every logon — overwriting whatever WinPaletter wrote to the registry. The fix is to patch the .theme file itself after applying, so Windows replays WinPaletter's values instead of its own defaults. I am also writing the full accent pipeline to HKU\.DEFAULT and SystemProtectedUserData so DWM gets the correct color before the user hive even loads.

---

Could you help me test the .theme patching part manually before I release the update? Here is what to do:

1. Find your active .theme file — open Registry Editor and check:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\CurrentTheme
2. Open that file in Notepad
3. Manually add or edit these sections with your desired accent color (replace the RGB values with whatever color you want):

[Control Panel\Colors]
ActiveTitle=0 120 215
InactiveTitle=180 180 180
Hilight=0 120 215

[Personalize]
ColorPrevalence=0
SystemUsesLightTheme=0
AppsUseLightTheme=0

[VisualStyles]
ColorizationColor=0XC400FF00
AutoColorization=0
SystemMode=Dark
AppMode=Dark

4. Save the file (you may need to take ownership first if it is under C:\Windows\)
5. Restart and check if the colors survive the reboot

If they do, the fix works and the new update will handle all of this automatically. If they do not, it tells us the reset is happening from a different source (possibly Settings sync or a wallpaper auto-color pipeline (although WinPaletter automatically disables wallpaper auto-color but not settings sync))

[MuscularPuky]

Regarding a Task Scheduler task or Windows Service:

It is a valid approach and would work, but it comes with real limitations:

• A logon task covers cold boot but not sleep/resume — which is exactly the issue you described with AccentApplicator losing the 4 colors on wake. A task on unlock would cover both, since Windows fires an unlock event on wake from sleep too.
• A Service is always running and is the most reliable.
• On uninstall, any registered task or service must be removed, and the accent must be restored to whatever Windows Settings last had — otherwise the user is stuck with WinPaletter's colors and no way to reset them without manually going into Settings.
• If the user changes their accent color in Windows Settings while a startup task is active, WinPaletter's task will fight and overwrite their intentional change on next logon — which is a bad experience.

Note

I cannot reproduce this issue at all on either of my 2 test devices!!! This makes it very difficult to verify the fix before releasing.

What I am implementing instead (no task or service needed):

I traced the reset to Windows replaying the active .theme file on every logon — overwriting whatever WinPaletter wrote to the registry. The fix is to patch the .theme file itself after applying, so Windows replays WinPaletter's values instead of its own defaults. I am also writing the full accent pipeline to HKU\.DEFAULT and SystemProtectedUserData so DWM gets the correct color before the user hive even loads.

Could you help me test the .theme patching part manually before I release the update? Here is what to do:

1. Find your active .theme file — open Registry Editor and check:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\CurrentTheme
2. Open that file in Notepad
3. Manually add or edit these sections with your desired accent color (replace the RGB values with whatever color you want):

[Control Panel\Colors]
ActiveTitle=0 120 215
InactiveTitle=180 180 180
Hilight=0 120 215

[Personalize]
ColorPrevalence=0
SystemUsesLightTheme=0
AppsUseLightTheme=0

[VisualStyles]
ColorizationColor=0XC400FF00
AutoColorization=0
SystemMode=Dark
AppMode=Dark
4. Save the file (you may need to take ownership first if it is under C:\Windows\)
5. Restart and check if the colors survive the reboot

If they do, the fix works and the new update will handle all of this automatically. If they do not, it tells us the reset is happening from a different source (possibly Settings sync or a wallpaper auto-color pipeline (although WinPaletter automatically disables wallpaper auto-color but not settings sync))

You mean this?:


*[EventData[Data[@name='LogonType']='7'] and (System[(EventID='4624')]) ]

And hoiw about making Service checks WinPaletter is installed then delete or switch to Manual Start itself if not?

I modified custom.theme as ytou said but nothing happened and any colors're not changed after reboot. I tried twice

[Abdelrhman-AK]

OK. I'll try solving this by using either a scheduled task or a service.