TC 9.50RC1: "Dark<->Normal" isn't hidden

[Slavic]

From history.txt:

20.01.20 Added: Menu item "Dark<->Normal" to "Configuration" menu, hidden if dark mode is disabled (32/64)

I remind, in Windows 8.1 dark mode isn't supported on the system level, it may exist only as internal setting in the programs which support it.
If the Configuration, Color, Dark mode is set to "Always disabled", this menu item is still shown. Any change of the Dark mode setting doesn't affect its visibility. In other words, "Dark<>Normal" (btw, no dash in menu) cannot be hidden.

[Flint]

I guess, it's a bit of a confusion over the terms. "Always disabled" in the configuration dialog means just "turned off". The word "Always" is not an "absolutely always", but is simply opposed to the "as for Win10 apps". (As in "disabled, only if disabled in Windows Settings" versus "disabled always, no matter what Windows tells".)

I could get the described behavior when I added ForceDarkModeOptions=0 in wincmd.ini. But I'm not sure if it's the only way, the history entry is, indeed, a bit vague in that respect.

[petermad]

I agree the history text should be changed to:

20.01.20 Added: Menu item "Dark<->Normal" to "Configuration" menu, hidden if dark mode is disabled with ForceDarkModeOptions=0 or not supported for the OS (32/64)

[ghisler(Author)]

Indeed the wording was a bit unclear, I mean when the dark mode option is disabled.

[Slavic]

hidden if dark mode is disabled with ForceDarkModeOptions=0 or not supported for the OS (32/64)

It would be nice to implement it exactly this way: menu item should be hidden by default for all OSes before Windows 10, like my Windows 8.1. It would be unreasonable to require manual insertion of the ForceDarkModeOptions=0 line on such OSes, because ordinary users, unlike advanced ones, should not be advised to manipulate ini files.

[petermad]

2slavic

menu item should be hidden by default for all OSes before Windows 10, like my Windows 8.1.

But Dark mode IS supported for Windows 8.1.

It is for OS's BEFORE Windows XP that it is not supported

[Slavic]

Apparently we use different meaning of the word "supported". If you mean an option to switch to "High Contrast Black" theme which is mostly black and white, then yes, this can be called "dark mode". Windows 8.1 has such theme too. After switching to this theme, TC, as well as most of other Windows programs, becomes dark, even if its internal "Dark mode" is set to "Always disabled". But as I suppose, the term "dark mode" is used most recently in different sense, as an option specific to Windows 10. Windows 8.1 doesn't support it on the system level in Windows API or in user-defined colour-specific settings (switches), while Windows 10 has a specific function SetWindowTheme() and switches in Settings.

TC is able to support both "thematic" dark mode, which is a result of applying the dark Windows theme in any version where it exists, and system (or internal) dark mode, which is a new option in Windows 10 and can be either followed or ignored in Configuration, Color, Dark mode setting. Interestingly, the "thematic" and internal TC dark modes in Windows 8.1 look slightly differently, internal dark (Dark) is a bit more greyish, i.e. lighter that "thematic" dark (Normal), but it's not very noticeable. So, in Windows 8.1 and earlier, TC doesn't need the "Dark<->Normal" option by default. Those users who switched to the dark theme, already have it regardless to TC settings, while users with non-dark themes will not see any change, as before.

I hope it's clear enough.

[petermad]

When I write that it should be changed to:

20.01.20 Added: Menu item "Dark<->Normal" to "Configuration" menu, hidden if dark mode is disabled with ForceDarkModeOptions=0 or not supported for the OS (32/64)

notice it says "supported for the OS" NOT "supported by the OS".

TC supports a Dark mode for OS's from Windows XP and up. From Windows 10 1803 it is for a great part using functions from the OS to implement the Dark mode whereas for older OS's like Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.1 TC uses a ownerdrawn implementation of Dark mode (compatibility mode). Under Windows 10 you can even chose which implementation you want TC to use:

07.01.20 Added: wincmd.ini [Configuration] ForceDarkModeOptions=3 disables Windows 10-specific dark mode functions and uses compatibility mode from older versions (32/64)
07.01.20 Added: wincmd.ini [Configuration] ForceDarkModeOptions=2: Same as 3, but use dark title bar (32/64)

---

Interestingly, the "thematic" and internal TC dark modes in Windows 8.1 look slightly differently, internal dark (Dark) is a bit more greyish, i.e. lighter that "thematic" dark (Normal), but it's not very noticeable.

Perhaps your first TC beta in Windows 8.1 was lower than version 6 and in your Windows 10 it was higher than beta 5, because the default Background color was changed in beta 6:

18.11.19 Added: Default dark mode background color is now a bit brighter (RGB=32,32,32), the same as in the Explorer (32/64)

So, check your setting for "Color" -> "Others:" -> "Dark Mode" -> "Background color"

[Flint]

2petermad

TC supports a Dark mode for OS's from Windows XP and up.

But it displays all the options and menu command in all Windows versions. At least, they were there when I tested in Windows 2000 and 98 SE. (Although, trying dark mode in Win98 did not end well…)

[DrShark]

But it displays all the options and menu command in all Windows versions. At least, they were there when I tested in Windows 2000 and 98 SE. (Although, trying dark mode in Win98 did not end well…)

AFAIK with ForceDarkModeOptions=1 TC should allow to use dark mode on all Windows supported by Total Commander. So if there are some troubles with dark mode on Win9x, it OK make reports about such issues in TC bug reports forum.

[Flint]

I'm not sure it's worth spending time on. I looked at it simply out of curiosity, and I'm not even sure it's a TC bug and not, say, VirtualBox issue.

<Added>
On the second thought, probably better have it reported anyway. The effects are too harsh to ignore…

[ghisler(Author)]

It's indeed a bug in the Windows version detection. It happened when I added the detection whether a system supports the Darkmode_Explorer theme or not.

[Flint]

Confirm the OS detection fix in 9.50rc2 (tested in Win98SE and Win2000: dark mode is blocked by default; WinXP and Win7: dark mode is allowed by default).

[Slavic]

Current situation in TC 9.50RC2 (as seen in Windows 8.1)
If we have ForceDarkModeOptions=1 (this option came with installer, TC doesn't create in on its own), then
"Dark<>Normal" menu item is active and it copies the behaviour of Options, Color, Dark mode setting: they change synchronously, so this menu item is essentially the shortcut to this setting.
If we set ForceDarkModeOptions=0 then "Dark<>Normal" exists but is inactive (grey) and Dark mode setting in the Options disappears.

If this is an expected behaviour, then problem can be counted resolved.
Whether inactive is better than hidden, is another question...

[petermad]

26.01.20 Fixed: Show all dark mode menu items as disabled instead of hiding them when ForceDarkModeOptions=0 (which is the default on Windows versions older than XP) (32/64)

Confirmed changed on TC 9.5rc2