Question about themes and db display

[baadams]

I've designed a Access 2003 db on a machine with the XP theme. When others use the db with a windows classic theme, it looks pretty bad. The fields are sunk and the buttons are square (versus the slightly rounded corners). Is there a way on start up to specify which theme to use? This is a multiple user db, so I can't set the themes for each computer. I didn't notice the issue until walking by someone’s desk while they were working on it. It doesn't look nearly as clean as designed. All of the machines being used are XP Pro w/ SP2. Thanks for the help.

 

[xenou]

I guess you must assume that people using an XP Classic theme actually think it looks good. I suppose vultures also find other vultures attractive, and so on. It would be too intrusive to change a users theme without their say-so - my 2 cents.

 

[baadams]

I don't want to change the users theme, but I'd like the db to look the same on every computer. Maybe I could have worded it slightly different in the first post.
Some user may use 3 different computers during the day and the db looks different on one computer and they don't know (and shouldn't need to know) that the theme needs to be changed if he/she wants the db to look the same everywhere. I'm just looking to standardize the look of the db.

 

[xenou]

Windows themes don't change only Access but the entire desktop and other applications windows. So I'm afraid you can't change just the look of Access by changing a theme, and you can't stop Access from looking differently if the user has changed the theme.

 

[boblarson]

As xenou has said, sometimes it isn't about what you think looks good. If someone wants to use the Windows Classic Theme then they like it for a reason. And your program should play nice with them. But if you want to avoid the changes, then you can set the database's USED WINDOWS THEMED CONTROLS checkbox to no and then you can try to make it look as good as you can (it won't look any better than the Windows Classic Theme, that's for sure but it won't change on each user's machine).

 

[baadams]

Thanks for the help. I guess I'll leave it alone. I don't want to re-design it to look worse.