Using an application manifest to disable window theming

Question

Using an application manifest to disable window theming

RLWA32 50,826

According to application-manifests the disableTheming element is available. I added the necessary xml to my application manifest for a Win32 desktop application but it seems that disableTheming is ignored by the system.
The xml that was added to the application manifest was as follows

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>  
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">  
    <asmv3:application>  
        <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">  
            <disableTheming>true</disableTheming>  
        </asmv3:windowsSettings>  
    </asmv3:application>  
</assembly>

The documentation at manifest-file-schema indicates that disableTheming belongs to the http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2011/WindowsSettings namespace but this is erroneous. An application using this namespace in the manifest fails to start with an SxS error that disableTheming is not registered. Inspection of the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SMI\WinSxS Settings\x86_microsoft-windows-settings_31bf3856ad364e35_none_025c648fcaefab55 indicates that the 2005 namespace is the correct one.

Regardless of the manifest contents dialog windows and their controls continue to be themed. Has anyone gotten disableTheming to work?

Viorel 124.9K Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:09:49.61+00:00

Maybe calling SetThemeAppProperties(0) before creating windows has almost the same effect.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:23:59.287+00:00

My experiment with the manifest is related to the problems caused by SetThemeAppProperties that are discussed in cfiledialog-has-empty-view-dropdown.html. The questioner in that thread wanted to disable themed windows while still using the V6 common controls. Alternatives to SetThemeAppProperties that came to mind were 1) call SetWindowTheme for every window, including all controls (not very practical) and 2) disableTheming using a manifest.
Viorel 124.9K Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:32:02.907+00:00

I think that if an application uses SetThemeAppProperties to disable themes, then it was not successfully ported.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2021-08-08T10:29:36.407+00:00

Well, the purpose of the manifest experiment was to find an alternative to SetThemeAppProperties. Microsoft's pathetic documentation of the disableTheming element hasn't helped.
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-09-01T01:43:27.707+00:00

I have escalated the question. Please wait for possible explanations.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-16T21:02:40.3333333+00:00

@Xiaopo Yang - MSFT Several years have passed and no response to this question has been made. You indicated that the question was escalated. Will any answer be forthcoming?
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-02-19T02:52:13.8966667+00:00

I haven't received any update about question. That's why I said possible explanations...
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-19T04:53:00.1933333+00:00

I suppose that after so many years patiently waiting it's reasonable to conclude that Microsoft will not address this question and that the documentation it refers to is incorrect.
David Lowndes 2,745 Reputation points MVP

2024-02-19T13:55:09.9866667+00:00

Have you tried adding feedback to the documentation questioning whether that disableTheming element actually does anything (when you use the correct namespace)?
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-19T14:57:41.04+00:00

Have you tried adding feedback to the documentation...

Nope. Every time I've added feedback in the past it gets ignored.
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-02-20T06:11:24.8633333+00:00

Now the disableTheming element shows the correct namespace. I have sent new feedback(https://aka.ms/AAp7lwn) about the disableTheming element.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-20T09:46:46.0333333+00:00

@Xiaopo Yang - MSFT Yes, I see that the docs at manifest-file-schema now reflect the correct namespace. While this is a welcome change it does not alter the results of my prior tests which used the correct namespace.

Thank you for your continued follow-up.
Anonymous

2025-10-01T13:49:07.46+00:00

I think that if an application uses SetThemeAppProperties to disable themes, then it was not successfully ported.

Viorel, yes, it probably is badly ported, badly written, and everything. But people need it to works.

ComCtl32 version 5.82, that windows injects, has TaskDialog API zeroed out for no good reason.
ComCtl32 version 6.1 that has correct Export section then comes bundled with the UxThemes, which ruin the program. I am not happy about it, but there is little that can be done.

Loading ComCtl32 6.1 without the themes is an avenue to explore... But turns out the Windows public API is completely broken.

And the Microsoft documentation fails to even warn developers about it after FOUR YEARS after being notified.

Another "pleasant" surprise is that CreateWindowA function became broken in Windows 10 when the Window title is started with ASCII(255) character. As usual, the documentation does not even mention the failure of the API contract.

After Windows 7 the quality of Windows family runs downhill and soon would reach the ReactOS level.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Darran Rowe 2,451 Reputation points

2025-10-01T18:03:17.02+00:00

@Arioch

The Windows documentation only documents contractual behaviour. Implementation defined behaviour and bugs aren't documented. What you mentioned appears to be bugs to me, so have you reported them?
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2025-10-02T09:00:56.88+00:00

Another "pleasant" surprise is that CreateWindowA function became broken in Windows 10 when the Window title is started with ASCII(255) character.

@Arioch, Perhaps you'll be relieved to know that for decades CreateWindowA has produced an empty window title when the passed parameter string begins with ASCII(255), the Extended ASCII nbsp character. I haven't gone back to the beginning of time but the behavior reproduces since at least Windows 2000. :)
Darran Rowe 2,451 Reputation points

2025-10-06T19:57:01.4733333+00:00

I forgot to mention, there is a really useful workaround available for the codepage character 255 issue. It requires some care depending on use case, but if you are using the later builds of Windows 10, the work around is to use Unicode.

Windows 10 1903 added the activeCodePage element to the application manifest file, this allows the developer to force the application to run using the UTF-8 codepage. This gives an option to use alternate codepoints where the original codepage has a valid 255 value. Windows 1250 maps to U+0307, Windows 1251 maps to U+044F, Windows 1252 can be decomposed to lower case y + U+0308 and so on.

This does require care because the process is set to codepage 65001, so if there is a codepage dependence for input or output files then the application now has to codepage convert.

Your answer

Viorel 124.9K Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:09:49.61+00:00

Maybe calling SetThemeAppProperties(0) before creating windows has almost the same effect.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:23:59.287+00:00

My experiment with the manifest is related to the problems caused by SetThemeAppProperties that are discussed in cfiledialog-has-empty-view-dropdown.html. The questioner in that thread wanted to disable themed windows while still using the V6 common controls. Alternatives to SetThemeAppProperties that came to mind were 1) call SetWindowTheme for every window, including all controls (not very practical) and 2) disableTheming using a manifest.
Viorel 124.9K Reputation points

2021-08-07T20:32:02.907+00:00

I think that if an application uses SetThemeAppProperties to disable themes, then it was not successfully ported.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2021-08-08T10:29:36.407+00:00

Well, the purpose of the manifest experiment was to find an alternative to SetThemeAppProperties. Microsoft's pathetic documentation of the disableTheming element hasn't helped.
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-09-01T01:43:27.707+00:00

I have escalated the question. Please wait for possible explanations.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-16T21:02:40.3333333+00:00

@Xiaopo Yang - MSFT Several years have passed and no response to this question has been made. You indicated that the question was escalated. Will any answer be forthcoming?
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-02-19T02:52:13.8966667+00:00

I haven't received any update about question. That's why I said possible explanations...
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-19T04:53:00.1933333+00:00

I suppose that after so many years patiently waiting it's reasonable to conclude that Microsoft will not address this question and that the documentation it refers to is incorrect.
David Lowndes 2,745 Reputation points MVP

2024-02-19T13:55:09.9866667+00:00

Have you tried adding feedback to the documentation questioning whether that disableTheming element actually does anything (when you use the correct namespace)?
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-19T14:57:41.04+00:00

Have you tried adding feedback to the documentation...

Nope. Every time I've added feedback in the past it gets ignored.
Xiaopo Yang - MSFT 12,736 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2024-02-20T06:11:24.8633333+00:00

Now the disableTheming element shows the correct namespace. I have sent new feedback(https://aka.ms/AAp7lwn) about the disableTheming element.
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2024-02-20T09:46:46.0333333+00:00

@Xiaopo Yang - MSFT Yes, I see that the docs at manifest-file-schema now reflect the correct namespace. While this is a welcome change it does not alter the results of my prior tests which used the correct namespace.

Thank you for your continued follow-up.
Anonymous

2025-10-01T13:49:07.46+00:00

I think that if an application uses SetThemeAppProperties to disable themes, then it was not successfully ported.

Viorel, yes, it probably is badly ported, badly written, and everything. But people need it to works.

ComCtl32 version 5.82, that windows injects, has TaskDialog API zeroed out for no good reason.
ComCtl32 version 6.1 that has correct Export section then comes bundled with the UxThemes, which ruin the program. I am not happy about it, but there is little that can be done.

Loading ComCtl32 6.1 without the themes is an avenue to explore... But turns out the Windows public API is completely broken.

And the Microsoft documentation fails to even warn developers about it after FOUR YEARS after being notified.

Another "pleasant" surprise is that CreateWindowA function became broken in Windows 10 when the Window title is started with ASCII(255) character. As usual, the documentation does not even mention the failure of the API contract.

After Windows 7 the quality of Windows family runs downhill and soon would reach the ReactOS level.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Darran Rowe 2,451 Reputation points

2025-10-01T18:03:17.02+00:00

@Arioch

The Windows documentation only documents contractual behaviour. Implementation defined behaviour and bugs aren't documented. What you mentioned appears to be bugs to me, so have you reported them?
RLWA32 50,826 Reputation points

2025-10-02T09:00:56.88+00:00

Another "pleasant" surprise is that CreateWindowA function became broken in Windows 10 when the Window title is started with ASCII(255) character.

@Arioch, Perhaps you'll be relieved to know that for decades CreateWindowA has produced an empty window title when the passed parameter string begins with ASCII(255), the Extended ASCII nbsp character. I haven't gone back to the beginning of time but the behavior reproduces since at least Windows 2000. :)
Darran Rowe 2,451 Reputation points

2025-10-06T19:57:01.4733333+00:00

I forgot to mention, there is a really useful workaround available for the codepage character 255 issue. It requires some care depending on use case, but if you are using the later builds of Windows 10, the work around is to use Unicode.

Windows 10 1903 added the activeCodePage element to the application manifest file, this allows the developer to force the application to run using the UTF-8 codepage. This gives an option to use alternate codepoints where the original codepage has a valid 255 value. Windows 1250 maps to U+0307, Windows 1251 maps to U+044F, Windows 1252 can be decomposed to lower case y + U+0308 and so on.

This does require care because the process is set to codepage 65001, so if there is a codepage dependence for input or output files then the application now has to codepage convert.

Share via

Using an application manifest to disable window theming

Your answer