# Getting rid of ugly PC Desktop "caption boxes"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-ugly-pc-desktop-caption-boxes/299641>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-ugly-pc-desktop-caption-boxes/299641 "2005-04-16T15:44:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-ugly-pc-desktop-caption-boxes/299641/1 "2005-04-16T15:44:45Z")

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Somehow, I managed to screw up my father’s Windows PC so that the names under the icons on the desktop appear in contrasting colored boxes rather than just “floating” on top of the wallpaper picture, if you know what I mean. This drives me NUTS! I have made repeated stabs at straightening this out in “Appearance and Themes” “Display Properties,” but to no avail.

My eternal gratitude will be your reward for assistance in straightening this out.

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-ugly-pc-desktop-caption-boxes/299641/2 "2005-04-16T15:55:17Z")

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Forgot to mention that it’s running XP. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-ugly-pc-desktop-caption-boxes/299641/3 "2005-04-16T23:32:02Z")

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(From [this page](http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article02-137).)  
Try this:  
[ol]  
[li]Open System Properties in the control panel. (A shortcut is Windows key + Pause)[/li][li]Go to the Advanced tab, and then click on Settings button in the Performance section.[/li][li]In that big list of effects that you see, make sure “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop” is checked. It should be near the bottom.[/li][li]Click ok a few times and see if that fixes anything.[/li][/ol]