Windows 11 tiptoes further into dark mode with new dialogs
(2025/10/20)
- Reference: 1760991785
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/20/windows_11_more_dark_mode_dialogs/
- Source link:
Windows 11 launched way back in October 2021 and has become Microsoft’s must-have OS thanks to the impending end-of-life for Windows 10. After all that time, there are still significant portions of the OS that don’t do dark mode. However, Redmond is making significant progress, bringing a couple of key dialog boxes into compliance.
As of Windows Insider Build 26120.6972 (beta channel) and 26220.6972 (dev channel) or higher, you can now get the Run and Folder Options dialog boxes to appear in dark mode. However, to make them dark, you need to use the ViVeTool, a utility that enables hidden features.
To enable dark mode in the first place, navigate to Settings->Personalization->Colors and select Dark from the “Choose your mode” menu.
[1]
Enable dark mode - Click to enlarge
Now, [2]download ViVeTool if you don’t have the utility already. Create a folder called C:\vive and unzip the ViVeTool’s contents to it.
Launch an elevated command prompt by searching for cmd, right-clicking on it, and selecting “Run as administrator.”
[3]
Launch elevated cmd prompt - Click to enlarge
In the command prompt terminal that appears, change your directory to C:\vive. cd \vive
Then enter the following command, which will enable dark mode for the Run Dialog, Folder Options, and also for File progress windows and “are you sure” popups that appear when you try to delete or rename certain files or folders. The latter two dark mode instances were [4]added as hidden features back in August, but they still aren’t part of Windows 11’s default setup. vivetool /enable /id:57857165,57994323,48433719,49453572,58383338,59270880,59203365
[5]
Use vivetool to enable dark mode - Click to enlarge
[6]No account? No Windows 11, Microsoft says as another loophole snaps shut
[7]Make Windows 11 more useful and less annoying with these 11 Registry hacks
[8]Nano11 cuts Windows 11 down to size, grabbing just 2.8 GB of disk space
[9]Microsoft keeps adding stuff into Windows we don't want – here's what we actually need
After you’ve entered the command, reboot your computer. You should now be able to see dark mode when you hit Windows + R to open the Run dialog box and in Explorer when you select Options from the … menu.
[10]
Run and Folder Options in dark mode - Click to enlarge
You’ll also see dark mode in action when you’re copying files and watching the progress bar.
[11]
File progress bar in dark mode - Click to enlarge
And you’ll see dark mode when you try to rename or delete a folder that requires a higher level of permissions.
[12]
Folder access denied in dark mode - Click to enlarge
But no, you still won’t see dark mode when you right click on a file or folder and select Properties.
[13]
Folder properties does not have dark mode - Click to enlarge
And you don’t see it when you attempt to rename something you do have permission to access but which requires a confirmation. For example, when I tried to rename cmd.exe to cmd.ex, I got a dialog box warning me about the dangers of changing a file extension, but it was in white.
[14]
Rename confirmation does not have dark mode - Click to enlarge
It’s clear that some of the Windows features that don’t obey dark mode are legacy apps that Microsoft doesn’t really want you to use anymore - all of Control Panel has a white background for this reason. However, we expect Microsoft to roll out more dark mode features to File Explorer and to make those features work in the production builds of Windows in the near future, because the company has no plans to replace its tried-and-trusted file management utility. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark1.jpg
[2] https://github.com/thebookisclosed/ViVe/releases
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark2.jpg
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/19/windows_11_insider_builds_file_explorer_dark_mode/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark3.png
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/windows_11_local_account_loophole/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/21/windows_11_registry_hacks_regedit/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/nano11_cuts_windows_11_down/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/16/microsoft_windows_features_help_productivity/
[10] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark4.jpg
[11] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark5.png
[12] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark6.png
[13] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark7.png
[14] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark8.png
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
As of Windows Insider Build 26120.6972 (beta channel) and 26220.6972 (dev channel) or higher, you can now get the Run and Folder Options dialog boxes to appear in dark mode. However, to make them dark, you need to use the ViVeTool, a utility that enables hidden features.
To enable dark mode in the first place, navigate to Settings->Personalization->Colors and select Dark from the “Choose your mode” menu.
[1]
Enable dark mode - Click to enlarge
Now, [2]download ViVeTool if you don’t have the utility already. Create a folder called C:\vive and unzip the ViVeTool’s contents to it.
Launch an elevated command prompt by searching for cmd, right-clicking on it, and selecting “Run as administrator.”
[3]
Launch elevated cmd prompt - Click to enlarge
In the command prompt terminal that appears, change your directory to C:\vive. cd \vive
Then enter the following command, which will enable dark mode for the Run Dialog, Folder Options, and also for File progress windows and “are you sure” popups that appear when you try to delete or rename certain files or folders. The latter two dark mode instances were [4]added as hidden features back in August, but they still aren’t part of Windows 11’s default setup. vivetool /enable /id:57857165,57994323,48433719,49453572,58383338,59270880,59203365
[5]
Use vivetool to enable dark mode - Click to enlarge
[6]No account? No Windows 11, Microsoft says as another loophole snaps shut
[7]Make Windows 11 more useful and less annoying with these 11 Registry hacks
[8]Nano11 cuts Windows 11 down to size, grabbing just 2.8 GB of disk space
[9]Microsoft keeps adding stuff into Windows we don't want – here's what we actually need
After you’ve entered the command, reboot your computer. You should now be able to see dark mode when you hit Windows + R to open the Run dialog box and in Explorer when you select Options from the … menu.
[10]
Run and Folder Options in dark mode - Click to enlarge
You’ll also see dark mode in action when you’re copying files and watching the progress bar.
[11]
File progress bar in dark mode - Click to enlarge
And you’ll see dark mode when you try to rename or delete a folder that requires a higher level of permissions.
[12]
Folder access denied in dark mode - Click to enlarge
But no, you still won’t see dark mode when you right click on a file or folder and select Properties.
[13]
Folder properties does not have dark mode - Click to enlarge
And you don’t see it when you attempt to rename something you do have permission to access but which requires a confirmation. For example, when I tried to rename cmd.exe to cmd.ex, I got a dialog box warning me about the dangers of changing a file extension, but it was in white.
[14]
Rename confirmation does not have dark mode - Click to enlarge
It’s clear that some of the Windows features that don’t obey dark mode are legacy apps that Microsoft doesn’t really want you to use anymore - all of Control Panel has a white background for this reason. However, we expect Microsoft to roll out more dark mode features to File Explorer and to make those features work in the production builds of Windows in the near future, because the company has no plans to replace its tried-and-trusted file management utility. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark1.jpg
[2] https://github.com/thebookisclosed/ViVe/releases
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark2.jpg
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/19/windows_11_insider_builds_file_explorer_dark_mode/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark3.png
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/windows_11_local_account_loophole/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/21/windows_11_registry_hacks_regedit/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/nano11_cuts_windows_11_down/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/16/microsoft_windows_features_help_productivity/
[10] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark4.jpg
[11] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark5.png
[12] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark6.png
[13] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark7.png
[14] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/10/20/dark8.png
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
And (experimental) forced dark mode for edge...
Candy
If you're feeling brave and don't mind the odd site having issues, you can force dark mode on most sites (even those that don't support it) by setting this flag:
edge://flags/#enable-force-dark
Why the caution? Well, it doesn't have an exceptions function so if it borks a site you rely on, you need to disable the feature again. It is experimental at this stage, after all.
I've been fortunate that it works for everything I need to do and, to be honest, for almost every site I have visited. Let's hope MS ship this one without forgetting to add that override list.
Launch admin MMC's, you get blinded by the white
mikus
I've been tinkering with server 2025 for a customer, and refreshingly most is dark mode ala other windoze, until you hit the circa 1998 admin MMC's that still dominate any real Active Directory or windoze service administration use at all.
Almost microsoft, almost. Fix the admin tools, please!
Command lines
Boris the Cockroach
what is this ? Linux ?
alkasetzer
I may be remembering it wrong, but I'm pretty sure Windows Classic (i.e. up to XP) allowed you to have dark everything the just by going to settings.
It's sad that the mid 2000's appear to be the pinnacle of personal computing :(
Seriously - A Mode That Makes the Colours Dark ?
I am using Fedora KDE, and this specialist Dark Mode poop in Windows has been in KDE for ages. There are a vast number of themes for KDE.
And yet Microsoft still has not implemented it full either.
Microsoft behaves like a slothful monopoly all the time, but with monkeys at the programming terminal.