How to Change the Drag Selection Color in Windows 10

Windows 10 has no dedicated Settings switch for the translucent rectangle that appears when you click and drag across the desktop or an open folder. A common workaround is to edit two color strings under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors. The change is limited to the signed-in user, and its appearance can vary by Windows theme and app.

This is a registry customization, not a setting Microsoft promises will affect every Windows 10 surface. Microsoft documents Hilight among legacy theme colors; its Win32 color reference describes highlight and hot-tracked colors in general terms. Back up the key first, then test the result before changing other color values.

Before you edit the registry

• Save your work. Registry edits can change how Windows and some older desktop controls display colors.
• Keep a backup. Microsoft’s registry backup instructions recommend exporting the key before you change it.
• Choose a color in RGB. Each red, green, and blue component is a decimal number from 0 to 255. Separate the three numbers with spaces, not commas. For example, the coral value #FF6666 is 255 102 102.

In Windows, Hilight and HotTrackingColor are string values. Microsoft’s theme-file reference lists Hilight in the Control Panel\Colors section and describes how these older RGB theme entries are used. The Win32 system-color reference identifies highlight color with selected items and hotlight color with hyperlinks or hot-tracked items. That documentation does not guarantee that every Windows 10 theme or app will use the registry values for a drag rectangle.

How to change the drag-selection color

1. Open Registry Editor. Press Windows+R, type regedit, and press Enter. If Windows asks for confirmation or an administrator password, approve it only if you are comfortable continuing. The Run dialog is shown above.
2. Export the Colors key. In Registry Editor, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors. Select the Colors folder in the left pane, choose File > Export, and save the file somewhere you can find it. Also note the current data for Hilight and HotTrackingColor; the two original values may be different.

3. Edit both strings. In the right pane, double-click HotTrackingColor. In the Edit String dialog, replace Value data with your three-number RGB value and select OK. Repeat for Hilight. For a consistent color, enter the same RGB triplet in both values. Do not type a leading #, commas, or parentheses. The example below uses 255 102 102; choose another triplet if you prefer a different color.
4. Reload your Windows session. Close Registry Editor, save open files, then sign out and sign back in or restart the PC. A full restart is a straightforward way to reload the user’s color settings; closing and reopening File Explorer alone may not refresh every surface.

Test the new color

After signing in again, click and drag over an empty area of the desktop or File Explorer’s file pane. The translucent selection rectangle should appear while the mouse button is held. You can also select an item or text to check whether other highlight colors changed. These registry values may influence related system colors, so the effect is not necessarily limited to the drag rectangle.

If the color does not change

• Confirm that both values are spelled exactly Hilight and HotTrackingColor, and that the data has three decimal numbers separated by spaces.
• Sign out and back in, or restart once more. If a theme or contrast setting is active, it may take precedence over legacy color values.
• Try another RGB value with stronger contrast against your desktop or folder background. Very pale colors can be hard to see through the translucent fill.

If your goal is to make interface elements easier to distinguish, Windows also includes contrast themes. In Windows 10, open Settings > Ease of Access > High contrast. Microsoft explains this built-in option in its guide to changing color contrast.

Restore the previous colors

To undo the edit, use the exact RGB strings you recorded before changing them, or import the Colors key backup from Registry Editor with File > Import. Importing the backup restores the values captured when you exported it and may overwrite later changes in that key. Restart or sign out and back in again after restoring. Avoid assuming both entries should use one universal default: restore the values that were on your PC before the edit.