The blinding white background of Outlook 2013 is causing trouble with some of my end users. The options in Outlook only change parts of the window, but the message list and preview pane are still bright white. In my own research, I have found that when the Windows theme is changed to High Contrast Black, it changes Outlook as well. I have tried to isolate the registry settings that affect this change, but have only been successful in changing the "window" color, which still leaves the message list as white, no matter what color I change the window color to, it only changes the preview pane.

So, to spare millions of Outlook 2013 users from the headache of bright white message lists, who can identify what changing the theme to High Contrast Black does that directly affects Outlook's Message list color so Outlook 2013 users can enjoy it without the headache? I have used registry monitoring tools to attempt to identify a registry change that does it, but it doesn't stick out.

We've encountered a lot of the Office 2013 display issue recently. Please firstly update your display adapther to the latest version to have a try.

Please also try to "Disable hardware graphics acceleration" under Outlook File > Options > Advanced tab > Display section to check if the problem still persists. Thanks.

Cheers,
Tony Chen
Forum Support
________________________________________
Come back and mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help.
If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tnmff@microsoft.com.

Sorry for inconvenience brings to you.

I would involve someone who is more familiar with this kind of issue to deal with this problem.

Hi,

This color is hard coded in outlook and there is no way to change this color. We have received many requests with regards to the same and Microsoft PG is aware of the same . However we do not have any information regarding if this would be changed or not.

At this point of time there is no fix for it.

Hope this helps

Thanks

• Marked as answer by Microsoft Outlook Forum SupportMicrosoft employee, Editor Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:11 PM
• Unmarked as answer by bltechnical Monday, October 07, 2013 12:00 PM

Hi,

This color is hard coded in outlook and there is no way to change this color. We have received many requests with regards to the same and Microsoft PG is aware of the same . However we do not have any information regarding if this would be changed or not.

At this point of time there is no fix for it.

Hope this helps

Thanks

• Marked as answer by Microsoft Outlook Forum SupportMicrosoft employee, Editor Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:11 PM
• Unmarked as answer by bltechnical Monday, October 07, 2013 12:00 PM

Hi,

This color is hard coded in outlook and there is no way to change this color. We have received many requests with regards to the same and Microsoft PG is aware of the same . However we do not have any information regarding if this would be changed or not.

At this point of time there is no fix for it.

Hope this helps

Thanks

• Marked as answer by Microsoft Outlook Forum SupportMicrosoft employee, Editor Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:11 PM
• Unmarked as answer by bltechnical Monday, October 07, 2013 12:00 PM

So if there is lots of requests for it, why doesn't this company respond to the ma

High Contrast Black, why didn't I think of that. :-)

My outlook now looks like it was created by a hack back in the 90's, but at least that horrible grey is gone. My disgust with Microsoft & their approach to consumer choice has encouraged me to start looking at alternatives to Office in general... We need more options, because for what I use Office for I've come to realise, there really isn't any choices for us Exchange Users.

Microsoft, please add the ability to have a little colour/color in our Office life. I spend 3 hours+ per day around this program & I don't need the bland interface that you've 'graced' us with.

• Edited by Sí Monday, October 07, 2013 6:40 AM

High Contrast Black, why didn't I think of that. :-)

My outlook now looks like it was created by a hack back in the 90's, but at least that horrible grey is gone. My disgust with Microsoft & their approach to consumer choice has encouraged me to start looking at alternatives to Office in general... We need more options, because for what I use Office for I've come to realise, there really isn't any choices for us Exchange Users.

Microsoft, please add the ability to have a little colour/color in our Office life. I spend 3 hours+ per day around this program & I don't need the bland interface that you've 'graced' us with.

• Edited by Sí Monday, October 07, 2013 6:40 AM

High Contrast Black, why didn't I think of that. :-)

My outlook now looks like it was created by a hack back in the 90's, but at least that horrible grey is gone. My disgust with Microsoft & their approach to consumer choice has encouraged me to start looking at alternatives to Office in general... We need more options, because for what I use Office for I've come to realise, there really isn't any choices for us Exchange Users.

Microsoft, please add the ability to have a little colour/color in our Office life. I spend 3 hours+ per day around this program & I don't need the bland interface that you've 'graced' us with.

• Edited by Sí Monday, October 07, 2013 6:40 AM

Just another pat answer I'd guess.

I don't understand why in this century Microsoft doesn't release products with full color configurability. The F12 Developer Tools in Internet Explorer is worse.

Decades ago X11 provided such capability...

Zap,

Yes, MS likes everyone to be uniform. They are easier to control that way!

Apart from that I have an idea for those who cannot handle the white background in Office. Albeit a poor solution it can work: Install a second screen and dim it. Drag all Office programs to that screen and use the other for "normal" work.

Agreed - The contrast in office 2013 is horrendous.  How do people at Microsoft accept such awful design changes as good ideas?  Even the High Contrast theme offers minimal contrast.

Researching this issue for a coworker who has vision problems, I came across this link.  The only workable way to make this disgusting interface have enough contrast is to go into one of Windows High Contrast monitor modes , as the original poster noted. Playing around with that, I found a way that might help some users. Once you're in that High Contrast mode, a "Window Color" button at the bottom of the Personalization/Theme dialog allows you to change dialog colors the way you could in the old days before Aero.  These color changes affect Outlook 2013.  Unfortunately, they affect every app, even ones that have nice interfaces.  So while it can make Outlook's interface usable, it may negatively impact other applications.

(Tried to upload an image, but my account needs to be "verified" first, whatever that means.  I've "confirmed" my email address; guess that's enough.)

• Edited by CT__ Tuesday, October 14, 2014 3:48 PM

Agreed - The contrast in office 2013 is horrendous.  How do people at Microsoft accept such awful design changes as good ideas?  Even the High Contrast theme offers minimal contrast.

Researching this issue for a coworker who has vision problems, I came across this link.  The only workable way to make this disgusting interface have enough contrast is to go into one of Windows High Contrast monitor modes , as the original poster noted. Playing around with that, I found a way that might help some users. Once you're in that High Contrast mode, a "Window Color" button at the bottom of the Personalization/Theme dialog allows you to change dialog colors the way you could in the old days before Aero.  These color changes affect Outlook 2013.  Unfortunately, they affect every app, even ones that have nice interfaces.  So while it can make Outlook's interface usable, it may negatively impact other applications.

(Tried to upload an image, but my account needs to be "verified" first, whatever that means.  I've "confirmed" my email address; guess that's enough.)

• Edited by CT__ Tuesday, October 14, 2014 3:48 PM

Agreed - The contrast in office 2013 is horrendous.  How do people at Microsoft accept such awful design changes as good ideas?  Even the High Contrast theme offers minimal contrast.

Researching this issue for a coworker who has vision problems, I came across this link.  The only workable way to make this disgusting interface have enough contrast is to go into one of Windows High Contrast monitor modes , as the original poster noted. Playing around with that, I found a way that might help some users. Once you're in that High Contrast mode, a "Window Color" button at the bottom of the Personalization/Theme dialog allows you to change dialog colors the way you could in the old days before Aero.  These color changes affect Outlook 2013.  Unfortunately, they affect every app, even ones that have nice interfaces.  So while it can make Outlook's interface usable, it may negatively impact other applications.

(Tried to upload an image, but my account needs to be "verified" first, whatever that means.  I've "confirmed" my email address; guess that's enough.)

• Edited by CT__ Tuesday, October 14, 2014 3:48 PM

Hey guys, This is Vishal from great land India. i am able to resolve this issue. Hope it works for you guys as well.

Go to File-->Options--> Mail--->'Stationery and Fonts' --> There is a option called 'Theme' where you can change that white to some other colour.  After you set your theme click on Ok. its done. Now just click on 'New Email' you can see that boring white background disappears.  It worked for me. 

Let me know guys.

Best Regards,

Vishal T

Here we are in 2015 and Microsoft has done nothing to address this accessibility and usability issue. Why would Microsoft's accessibility and usability teams accept the extremely limited option of blinding white and two shades of gray?  

Who knows how many thousands of users with light sensitivity issues and color blindness, and power users who use Office apps 6+ hours a day are affected by this junk of a color scheme!  I sit in front of my computer for hours, working in Outlook, Word, Excel, and have to dim my display to try to curb eye strain when using these apps. 

Everything else I use  gives me the option of a color scheme more eye friendly than this Office 2013 mess...

As an IT professional who has to support over 300 people, I am making it very clear to my staff and coworkers that this is a limitation with no acceptable solution and that Microsoft has done nothing to address this issue in over two years.  As we have Volume Licensing with SA, we have the option of sticking with 2010, and most do.

So Office 2010 will continue being the choice until hopefully Office 2016 makes it right.

I agree with the vast majority of people here with the monstrosity colour scheme that is Office 2013.

I spend 10 hours a day using Microsoft products, and have resisted using 2013, even though I have it installed.

For years, Microsoft have been giving us the flexibility to change options, colours, icons etc to suit various needs.  Now it seems some Apple people have migrated into the MS camp and enforcing the 'one size fits all' policy that Apple adopt.

To add further insult by dictating the stupid colour schemes that everyone must conform to, they also change the icons.  After years of improving the quality and colours from 16bit, to millions, they take a 15 year step backwards and just give us flat icons.  Why?  something to do?  Why not make it optional?????

MS had to back down big time with Windows, when they gave us the ridiculous one-size-fits-all Windows 8, and then backpeddled with 8.1, by which time most people had already been pissed off enough to look at other options.  This after adamantly insisting the start button would never come back.

I took a look at Windows 10, and it doesnt seem much better. The tile platform and desktop should be two seperate product lines.  MS were able to do that with all of their previous products by giving a enterprise, developer, standard etc etc - so why not now?  At least make it optional on installation.

MS have had a huge part to play for the so called demise of the PC, and most people are opting to use the Android/IOS OS. They will continue to lose sales with this unconfigurable crap they insist on rolling out.  How many professional businesses have adopted Windows 8?  None that I know - because Windows 8 like the rest of the products tries to force you to start using the products in a totally alien way to the ones you have come to learn in the last 15 years.  Its a bit like taking the steering wheel away in your car and asking people to steer with the accelerator and gear stick.

Come on MS, Balmer balls'd it up, but Nadal should know better

• Edited by Ammo999 16 hours 41 minutes ago

I agree with the vast majority of people here with the monstrosity colour scheme that is Office 2013.

I spend 10 hours a day using Microsoft products, and have resisted using 2013, even though I have it installed.

For years, Microsoft have been giving us the flexibility to change options, colours, icons etc to suit various needs.  Now it seems some Apple people have migrated into the MS camp and enforcing the 'one size fits all' policy that Apple adopt.

To add further insult by dictating the stupid colour schemes that everyone must conform to, they also change the icons.  After years of improving the quality and colours from 16bit, to millions, they take a 15 year step backwards and just give us flat icons.  Why?  something to do?  Why not make it optional?????

MS had to back down big time with Windows, when they gave us the ridiculous one-size-fits-all Windows 8, and then backpeddled with 8.1, by which time most people had already been pissed off enough to look at other options.  This after adamantly insisting the start button would never come back.

I took a look at Windows 10, and it doesnt seem much better. The tile platform and desktop should be two seperate product lines.  MS were able to do that with all of their previous products by giving a enterprise, developer, standard etc etc - so why not now?  At least make it optional on installation.

MS have had a huge part to play for the so called demise of the PC, and most people are opting to use the Android/IOS OS. They will continue to lose sales with this unconfigurable crap they insist on rolling out.  How many professional businesses have adopted Windows 8?  None that I know - because Windows 8 like the rest of the products tries to force you to start using the products in a totally alien way to the ones you have come to learn in the last 15 years.  Its a bit like taking the steering wheel away in your car and asking people to steer with the accelerator and gear stick.

Come on MS, Balmer balls'd it up, but Nadal should know better

• Edited by Ammo999 Friday, March 06, 2015 3:39 PM

I agree with the vast majority of people here with the monstrosity colour scheme that is Office 2013.

I spend 10 hours a day using Microsoft products, and have resisted using 2013, even though I have it installed.

For years, Microsoft have been giving us the flexibility to change options, colours, icons etc to suit various needs.  Now it seems some Apple people have migrated into the MS camp and enforcing the 'one size fits all' policy that Apple adopt.

To add further insult by dictating the stupid colour schemes that everyone must conform to, they also change the icons.  After years of improving the quality and colours from 16bit, to millions, they take a 15 year step backwards and just give us flat icons.  Why?  something to do?  Why not make it optional?????

MS had to back down big time with Windows, when they gave us the ridiculous one-size-fits-all Windows 8, and then backpeddled with 8.1, by which time most people had already been pissed off enough to look at other options.  This after adamantly insisting the start button would never come back.

I took a look at Windows 10, and it doesnt seem much better. The tile platform and desktop should be two seperate product lines.  MS were able to do that with all of their previous products by giving a enterprise, developer, standard etc etc - so why not now?  At least make it optional on installation.

MS have had a huge part to play for the so called demise of the PC, and most people are opting to use the Android/IOS OS. They will continue to lose sales with this unconfigurable crap they insist on rolling out.  How many professional businesses have adopted Windows 8?  None that I know - because Windows 8 like the rest of the products tries to force you to start using the products in a totally alien way to the ones you have come to learn in the last 15 years.  Its a bit like taking the steering wheel away in your car and asking people to steer with the accelerator and gear stick.

Come on MS, Balmer balls'd it up, but Nadal should know better

• Edited by Ammo999 Friday, March 06, 2015 3:39 PM

I agree with the vast majority of people here with the monstrosity colour scheme that is Office 2013.

I spend 10 hours a day using Microsoft products, and have resisted using 2013, even though I have it installed.

For years, Microsoft have been giving us the flexibility to change options, colours, icons etc to suit various needs.  Now it seems some Apple people have migrated into the MS camp and enforcing the 'one size fits all' policy that Apple adopt.

To add further insult by dictating the stupid colour schemes that everyone must conform to, they also change the icons.  After years of improving the quality and colours from 16bit, to millions, they take a 15 year step backwards and just give us flat icons.  Why?  something to do?  Why not make it optional?????

MS had to back down big time with Windows, when they gave us the ridiculous one-size-fits-all Windows 8, and then backpeddled with 8.1, by which time most people had already been pissed off enough to look at other options.  This after adamantly insisting the start button would never come back.

I took a look at Windows 10, and it doesnt seem much better. The tile platform and desktop should be two seperate product lines.  MS were able to do that with all of their previous products by giving a enterprise, developer, standard etc etc - so why not now?  At least make it optional on installation.

MS have had a huge part to play for the so called demise of the PC, and most people are opting to use the Android/IOS OS. They will continue to lose sales with this unconfigurable crap they insist on rolling out.  How many professional businesses have adopted Windows 8?  None that I know - because Windows 8 like the rest of the products tries to force you to start using the products in a totally alien way to the ones you have come to learn in the last 15 years.  Its a bit like taking the steering wheel away in your car and asking people to steer with the accelerator and gear stick.

Come on MS, Balmer balls'd it up, but Nadal should know better

• Edited by Ammo999 Friday, March 06, 2015 3:39 PM

Non the less, it can be changed if you know which library to edit, look around Google and you'll find it.

Hi,

This color is hard coded in outlook and there is no way to change this color. We have received many requests with regards to the same and Microsoft PG is aware of the same . However we do not have any information regarding if this would be changed or not.

At this point of time there is no fix for it.

Hope this helps

Thanks

I completely understand what you are going through and what you have tried to fix it.  Unfortunately, Microsoft only allows the themes of White, Light and Dark Gray.  All of them are horrible and cause severe eye strain.  I have two solutions, one of which is a step back in time a good 30 years, and the other is a semi-workaround. 

• First, the archaic solution:  Adjust the brightness and contrast of your monitor.  This may seem like a joke (but in reality the Microsoft Developers are the jokers), however I have found this is the best, workable solution for me. Unfortunately, I spend 90% of my time not only in Outlook 2013 but the entire Office 365 Suite, all of which have the same blinding glare problem.
• Here's the second, semi-workaround:  As someone else mentioned, you can change the theme of your stationery and fonts and stationery (File Options Mail then [Stationery and Fonts]).  Some of the themes are horrific, yet there are a couple that are soothing, such as Concrete, Sky and Soft Blue.  Within my section, we have all changed to one of these themes, because the majority of the email we read is from each other.  This is only a semi-workaround because you cannot control the background of email you receive from outside your workgroup, plus the other panes on the screen are still that blinding white.

It's embarrassing that Microsoft would have so horribly failed a basic feature such as this.  My employer recently upgraded to O365 and for the first few days I went home with killer migraine headaches.  I finally figured out it was the glare from the look of the new software applications.  Really, Microsoft, you should be ashamed of yourselves!  I am tempted to send you the bill for the pricy migraine medication refill that I needed because of your poorly designed software!

If Microsoft is reading this (doubtful), I just want to let them know that for YEARS I defended them against Apple.  But finally about a year ago I had enough and switched over all Apple products for my personal use.  I absolutely detest Microsoft but am forced to use it at work, although I do have a request in to replace my PC with a Mac when we do a hardware refresh in the next few months.

Sadly, Microsoft continues to blindside its customers, literally in this particular case.  Perhaps the ADA-related complaints and lawsuits will become a large enough liability for them to fix this issue sooner rather than later.

:(

The topic of background color options in Microsoft Office 2013, or more appropriately the lack thereof, has been an ongoing end user concern for 2 years. I am befuddled by Microsoft's pat answers and overall lack of concern over this. I would have expected an upgrade or patch by now! Unfortunately, I recently had a hard drive failure requiring a Windows system recovery. While awaiting the warranty repair, I was "forced" to us a Mac with Outlook 2011 for Mac installed. The colors and contrast are awesome on the Mac. It was really difficult to go back to the Windows 2013 version on my Windows PC. So, here is yet another request to fix what has been a real issue for many.

Make no mistake about this design decision.  Microsoft on with the rest of the cloud backers is loosing the campaign to get people to embrace the cloud voluntarily and so they've switched tactics so as to forcibly move users to the cloud via stealth and deception.  Outlooks color scheme change is part of this covert cloud move.  By forcing all users to a common look/GUI that matches the cloud based version Microsoft will be able to query move users to the cloud without there realizing it.  one day you'll go from a festooned based version of Office 2013 to the cloud based version and you want realize it because everything will look,feel and act the same as before.  Unless you're a lawyer who reads and understood those changes made to use agreements you'll have no idea that you've been moved to the cloud.