# (Win XP)Creating an icon that enables high contrast mode

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 30, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990 "2010-08-30T12:30:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![VanillaGorilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990/1 "2010-08-30T12:30:49Z")

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Hello

So, I have this PC hooked up to my TV, and I use it to watch movies, streamed from a NAS on my network. Movies work fine and everything, only problem is, it’s kind of hard to navigate to the right folder, because my TV is old and crappy, and making out the folder names is hard, as resolution is too low. A workaround I found is to enable high contrast mode, which makes it a bit easier to read.  
High contrast mode is activated by pressing **alt+Lshit+ prt scr** , but what I would like to do is to put that shortcut into a clickable shortcut (icon) on the desktop, as the keyboard will be stowed away by the TV, and I would prefer to use only the cordless mouse. Anybody know how to do that? 🙂

Thanks in advance.  
/VanillaGorilla

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**Author:** ![komolono](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/komolono/32/532_2.png) [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990/2 "2010-08-30T13:14:22Z")

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> [@VanillaGorilla](#):
>
> Hello
> 
> I would prefer to use only the cordless mouse. Anybody know how to do that? 🙂  
> /VanillaGorilla

If your computer is always on, you can just leave Control Panel | Accessibility Options window on - otherwise

Make a shortcut on the desktop containing

control access.cpl @0,3

And toggle Use High Contrast everytime you need it. You can test it  
Start | Run control access.cpl @0,3\<ENTER\>

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**Author:** ![komolono](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/komolono/32/532_2.png) [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990/3 "2010-08-30T13:25:05Z")

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> [@komolono](#):
>
> Make a shortcut on the desktop containing  
> control access.cpl @0,3

To make it shorter just  
access.cpl @0,3

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990/4 "2010-08-31T04:17:35Z")

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You can also increase the font size for Explorer Icons in Display Properties \> Appearance \> Advanced, as well as change the colors and fonts. That’s what I always did–making the fonts always legible.

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**Author:** ![VanillaGorilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-creating-an-icon-that-enables-high-contrast-mode/551990/5 "2010-08-31T06:58:56Z")

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**BigT** , cool, that might be an option. Will try that.

**komolono** , that wasn’t _exactly_ what I was looking for, but I noticed that checking the box in that window does activate high contrast permanently, so problem solved, I guess. 🙂

Thanks to you both.