BleepingComputer.com: Windows Explorer text has turned blue

I'm using a Dell Dimension 5100 desktop running Windows XP, SP2. I've been using Windows Explorer since it first came out and have never had this problem happen before. I don't know if this was the cause or not, but after adjusting the color of a paragraph style in Serif's WebPlus X4 from black to blue, the next time I opened Windows Explorer I found that all the file names and details (I always use the "Details" setting in the Folder Options)were now shown in blue type. The folder names are still shown in black type, but within each folder, all the file names and details are now in blue.

What I just now noticed, however, as I went to check it again, is that MOST but NOT ALL of the file names are in blue, but SOME are still in black. What makes it even weirder is that in one folder I looked at, even just within files of the same type (i.e., with a common extension) there were most in blue but some in black. Go figure! [See attached screen shot]

It had never even occurred to me that it was possible to change the color of the typeface in Windows Explorer, let alone figure out how to do it. I find it disconcerting and strange to have this blast of blue color every time I use Windows Explorer, so I'd really appreciate it if anyone can tell me how to change the color of the file names back to black. I tried going into Tools/Folder Options to see if I could change it there, but no luck.

Any and all help in getting the type back to black will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Al

SP2? Why havent you applied SP3? You are way vulnerable to security exploits with SP2!

Regarding the blue filenames, did you run disk cleanup and have it compress old files?

Further info to add to my original post:

In checking further, I noticed that my Desktop and C: drive both show ALL their files in black. However, most of the subfolders appear to have all the file names and details in blue, with the only exception I've found so far being the My Documents folder, with file names in both black and blue, as shown in the .JPG image attached to my original post.

I'm stumped. Any helpful ideas will be hugely welcome.

Thanks,
Al

Thanks for your reply. To answer your questions:

A) As to SP2 vs. SP3, when SP3 came out I started to hear all kinds of horror stories about problems it caused. After reading articles like this one (http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/dont-let-xp-service-pack-3-hose-your-system/), I decided I'd stay with SP2, at least for the time being. I don't have endless time to fool around with my computer in order to make sure that SP3 doesn't cause me problems on installation or to fix an SP3-induced problem later on, and if SP3 causes a problem with my computer, my business will be absolutely and totally in the toilet. As a result, I've stayed with SP2 ever since then and have been doing fine, at least as far as I'm aware. Who knows, maybe I've just been lucky.

Regarding compressing of files, bingo, you're dead right. At about the same time this happened, I had indeed compressed files on my drive for the first time in order to save space and create smaller and faster backups. Am I correct in assuming therefore that compressed files are shown in blue, and if so, is that optional or changeable?

Thanks for your help.

Al

HealingHands33, on 26 September 2011 - 10:27 PM, said:

Yes. You can compress/uncompress a file or folder anytime by going to properties, advanced.

Thanks again for your reply. I'm afraid, however, that I didn't express my question clearly. When I said, "Is that optional or changeable?", I meant is it possible to change the color in which compressed or uncompressed files are shown in Windows Explorer, or is that absolutely fixed in the OS. I'm not sure it's important to me to have the compressed files in a different color, so if it's possible to change the color from blue back to black, I'd like to know how to do it.

Many thanks,
Al

You can change them. Download TweakUI. Go to Explorer, Colors.

Thanks for the great tip about TweakUI. It's an excellent utility and can help me sort out a number of issues when they arise.

I appreciate the excellent help.

Cheers,
Al