How to Change PowerShell Background Color

How-To Windows
How To Change Powershell Background Color

If you spend a lot of time using PowerShell, you might find that the default blue background with white text starts to feel a bit monotonous after a while. Luckily, PowerShell is highly customizable, and you can easily change the background color to suit your aesthetic or make things easier on the eyes. Whether you want to go dark mode, neon green, or just need something a little more personalized, it’s a quick tweak. Let’s walk through how to change your PowerShell background color and make it your own!

Step 1: Open PowerShell

First, open PowerShell. You can do this by:

  1. Typing PowerShell in the Windows search bar and hitting Enter.
  2. Alternatively, press Windows + R, type powershell, and hit Enter.

Step 2: Access PowerShell Properties

Once PowerShell is open, the next step is to access the settings where you can change the background color:

  1. Right-click the title bar of the PowerShell window (the bar at the top that says “Windows PowerShell”).
  2. From the dropdown menu, click on Properties.

Step 3: Navigate to the Colors Tab

In the Properties window, you’ll see several tabs across the top. To change the background color, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the Colors tab. This is where the magic happens!
  2. Under the Background Colors section, you’ll see a grid of different color options. You can choose from the pre-set colors by clicking one of the color options in the grid.
  3. Want more customization? Below the grid, you can use the Red, Green, and Blue sliders to create a custom color. This is where you can go crazy if you have a specific color in mind.

Step 4: Apply and Save Changes

Once you’ve selected your desired background color, you’ll notice that the preview of your PowerShell window changes to reflect your new choice. Before finalizing, follow these steps:

  1. If you like what you see, click OK to save the changes.
  2. If you’re not happy with the new background color, you can always click Cancel to keep the default settings.

Step 5: Adjust the Text Color (Optional)

To make sure your text is still readable after changing the background, you might want to tweak the text color as well:

  1. In the same Colors tab, look under Screen Text.
  2. Choose a color that provides good contrast with your new background. For instance, if you’ve selected a darker background, consider using lighter text colors like white or light gray. Conversely, darker text works well with light backgrounds.
  3. After making your text selection, click OK to apply both the background and text color changes.

PowerShell Shortcut: Command-Line Way to Change Background Color

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous and want to change the background color directly from the command line (because, why not?), you can do so using PowerShell commands.

Here’s how:

  1. Open PowerShell.
  2. Run the following command:$Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = "ColorName" Clear-Host Replace "ColorName" with the name of the color you want. PowerShell supports a variety of color names, such as Black, DarkBlue, DarkGreen, Cyan, Red, Yellow, White, etc. Here’s an example to change the background to black:$Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor = "Black" Clear-Host

This command will temporarily change the background color for the current session. If you want it to be permanent, you’ll need to adjust the properties using the method above.

Popular Color Schemes to Try

If you’re not sure what colors to use, here are some popular combinations that users find both visually pleasing and easy on the eyes:

  1. Dark Mode:
    • Background: Black
    • Text: White
  2. Retro Green Terminal:
    • Background: Black
    • Text: Green
  3. Oceanic Theme:
    • Background: DarkCyan
    • Text: White
  4. Minimalist Gray:
    • Background: Gray
    • Text: Black
  5. Solarized Dark:
    • Background: DarkBlue
    • Text: LightYellow

Resetting to Default Settings

If you ever get too creative and want to reset PowerShell back to its original blue background and white text:

  1. Right-click on the title bar and go to Properties again.
  2. In the Colors tab, select the original blue color from the Background Colors section.
  3. Choose White for the text color.
  4. Click OK to save the default settings.

Alternatively, you can reinstall PowerShell or remove your customizations from the settings.

Final Thoughts

Changing the background color of PowerShell is a simple yet effective way to personalize your workspace. Whether you prefer something calm and soothing or a vibrant splash of color to make those long scripting sessions more bearable, customizing your terminal environment is fun and easy. And hey, who said coding and command lines had to be boring? Now your PowerShell can look as cool as the scripts you’re writing in it.

Happy customizing!

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