Windows 7 Tutorial

Change a gadget transparency/opacity settings on Windows 7 desktop

Change a gadget from transparent to opaque with your mouse By default, desktop gadgets in Windows 7 are fully opaque (not transparent), and behave just like any other, regular program window; but in addition to the standard gadget settings some gadgets have, Windows 7 lets you control the opacity and transparency levels of all gadgets on your desktop. While some intermediate states of transparency can make your desktop gadgets look annoyingly translucent (read "blurry"), the near full transparency can be very useful when you use it with the "Always on top" setting turned on, since all gadgets will become fully opaque (no transparency) as soon as you move your mouse and hover above a gadget, as shown on the screenshot.

 

Customize how transparent / opaque a gadget is in Windows 7

Follow these steps to configure the transparency of your gadgets:

Note: We are using the Windows 7 clock gadget as example throughout this tutorial, but the same applies to any desktop gadget in Windows 7 - the transparent / opaque option is controlled by Windows itself, and isn't part of the gadget itself.

Final Note: remember that whatever transparent / opaque setting you use for your desktop gadgets in Windows 7, moving your mouse over the gadget will immediately restore its full opacity (100%, and 0% transparency).

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