Change Your Visual Studio Color Scheme

  • Article

Menu:  Tools -> Import and Export Settings
Command:  Tools.ImportandExportSettings
Versions:  2008,2010
Published:  8/13/2010
Code:  vstipEnv0034

 

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Ever see a cool set of colors your friend or co-worker has and wish you could get it too?  Ever go to https://studiostyles.info/ and want some of those cool color schemes?

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Well you can get the colors you want!  Let's walk through how it's done:

 

Seeing What You Like

First, you see a seriously cool color scheme on someone's screen or at the Studio Styles site:

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Getting the Goods

 

On Someone's Computer

Now that you see what you like, get them to export their Fonts and Colors.  Go to Tools -> Import and Export Settings:

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Click Next and ONLY export the Fonts and Colors NOTHING ELSE:

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Click Next then give the settings a cool name and click Finish:

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On the Studio Styles Site

Find the style you want and click on it:

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Pick your Visual Studio version

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Click on "Download this scheme" then follow the instructions in the next section.

 

 

Changing Your Colors

Put the settings file on a USB key or somewhere you can get to it from your computer.  While you can put the file anywhere you want on your system, I prefer to put it with the other settings files located at "C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Visual Studio <version>\Settings":

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Now just go to Tools -> Import and Export Settings on your machine:

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Click Next.  If you haven't backed up your settings in a while, feel free to do so.  Check out vstipEnv0034 if you want more information on exporting your settings:

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Pick the settings file that has the color scheme you want:

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Click Next.  Verify that the file is ONLY importing Fonts and Colors then click Finish:

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Danger Will Robinson

That's it!  You should have your new colors.  If things get bad (i.e. you get funky colors and don't have a backup) and you need to get the default colors back all you have to do is go to Tools -> Options -> Fonts and Colors and click "Use Defaults".  Be warned this is a nuclear option for your colors and wipes out any custom colors used:

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