SystemParametersInfoA function (winuser.h)
Important
Some information relates to a prerelease product which may be substantially modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.
Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. This function can also update the user profile while setting a parameter.
Syntax
BOOL SystemParametersInfoA(
[in] UINT uiAction,
[in] UINT uiParam,
[in, out] PVOID pvParam,
[in] UINT fWinIni
);
Parameters
[in] uiAction
Type: UINT
The system-wide parameter to be retrieved or set. The possible values are organized in the following tables of related parameters:
- Accessibility parameters
- Desktop parameters
- Icon parameters
- Input parameters
- Menu parameters
- Power parameters
- Screen saver parameters
- Time-out parameters
- UI effect parameters
- Window parameters
The following are the accessibility parameters.
| Accessibility parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
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Retrieves information about the time-out period associated with the accessibility features. The pvParam parameter must point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT).
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Determines whether audio descriptions are enabled or disabled. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to an AUDIODESCRIPTION structure. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(AUDIODESCRIPTION).
While it is possible for users who have visual impairments to hear the audio in video content, there is a lot of action in video that does not have corresponding audio. Specific audio description of what is happening in a video helps these users understand the content better. This flag enables you to determine whether audio descriptions have been enabled and in which language. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether animations are enabled or disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animations are enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering, and moving content can cause seizures in users with photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to determine whether such animations have been disabled in the client area. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether overlapped content is enabled or disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Display features such as background images, textured backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast between the foreground and background, making it harder for users with low vision to see objects on the screen. This flag enables you to determine whether such overlapped content has been disabled. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves information about the FilterKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a FILTERKEYS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS).
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Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the top and bottom edges of the focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT value.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the left and right edges of the focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves information about the HighContrast accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a HIGHCONTRAST structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST).
For a general discussion, see Remarks. |
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Retrieves a value that determines whether Windows 8 is displaying apps using the default scaling plateau for the hardware or going to the next higher plateau. This value is based on the current "Make everything on your screen bigger" setting, found in the Ease of Access section of PC settings: 1 is on, 0 is off.
Apps can provide text and image resources for each of several scaling plateaus: 100%, 140%, and 180%. Providing separate resources optimized for a particular scale avoids distortion due to resizing. Windows 8 determines the appropriate scaling plateau based on a number of factors, including screen size and pixel density. When "Make everything on your screen bigger" is selected (SPI_GETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE returns a value of 1), Windows uses resources from the next higher plateau. For example, in the case of hardware that Windows determines should use a scale of SCALE_100_PERCENT, this override causes Windows to use the SCALE_140_PERCENT scale value, assuming that it does not violate other constraints. Note You should not use this value. It might be altered or unavailable in subsequent versions of Windows. Instead, use the GetScaleFactorForDevice function or the DisplayProperties class to retrieve the preferred scaling factor. Desktop applications should use desktop logical DPI rather than scale factor. Desktop logical DPI can be retrieved through the GetDeviceCaps function.
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Retrieves the time that notification pop-ups should be displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG that receives the message duration.
Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time to read the text in notification messages. This flag enables you to retrieve the message duration. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the state of the Mouse ClickLock feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the time delay before the primary mouse button is locked. The pvParam parameter must point to DWORD that receives the time delay, in milliseconds. This is only enabled if SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCK is set to TRUE. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves information about the MouseKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a MOUSEKEYS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS).
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Retrieves the state of the Mouse Sonar feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the state of the Mouse Vanish feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether a screen reviewer utility is running. A screen reviewer utility directs textual information to an output device, such as a speech synthesizer or Braille display. When this flag is set, an application should provide textual information in situations where it would otherwise present the information graphically.
The pvParam parameter is a pointer to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if a screen reviewer utility is running, or FALSE otherwise. Note Narrator, the screen reader that is included with Windows, does not set the SPI_SETSCREENREADER or SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.
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This parameter is not supported.
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The user should control this setting through the Control Panel. |
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Determines whether the Show Sounds accessibility flag is on or off. If it is on, the user requires an application to present information visually in situations where it would otherwise present the information only in audible form. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off.
Using this value is equivalent to calling GetSystemMetrics with SM_SHOWSOUNDS. That is the recommended call. |
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Retrieves information about the SoundSentry accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a SOUNDSENTRY structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY).
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Retrieves information about the StickyKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a STICKYKEYS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS).
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Retrieves information about the ToggleKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a TOGGLEKEYS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS).
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Sets the time-out period associated with the accessibility features. The pvParam parameter must point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT).
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Turns the audio descriptions feature on or off. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to an AUDIODESCRIPTION structure.
While it is possible for users who are visually impaired to hear the audio in video content, there is a lot of action in video that does not have corresponding audio. Specific audio description of what is happening in a video helps these users understand the content better. This flag enables you to enable or disable audio descriptions in the languages they are provided in. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Turns client area animations on or off. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable animations and other transient effects in the client area, or FALSE to disable them.
Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering, and moving content can cause seizures in users with photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to enable or disable all such animations. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Turns overlapped content (such as background images and watermarks) on or off. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to disable overlapped content, or FALSE to enable overlapped content.
Display features such as background images, textured backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast between the foreground and background, making it harder for users with low vision to see objects on the screen. This flag enables you to enable or disable all such overlapped content. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the parameters of the FilterKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a FILTERKEYS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS).
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Sets the height of the top and bottom edges of the focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the value of the pvParam parameter.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the height of the left and right edges of the focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the value of the pvParam parameter.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the parameters of the HighContrast accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a HIGHCONTRAST structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST).
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Do not use. |
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Sets the time that notification pop-ups should be displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter specifies the message duration.
Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time to read the text in notification messages. This flag enables you to set the message duration. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Turns the Mouse ClickLock accessibility feature on or off. This feature temporarily locks down the primary mouse button when that button is clicked and held down for the time specified by SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME. The pvParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. The default is off. For more information, see Remarks and AboutMouse Input.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Adjusts the time delay before the primary mouse button is locked. The uiParam parameter should be set to 0. The pvParam parameter points to a DWORD that specifies the time delay in milliseconds. For example, specify 1000 for a 1 second delay. The default is 1200. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the parameters of the MouseKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a MOUSEKEYS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS).
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Turns the Sonar accessibility feature on or off. This feature briefly shows several concentric circles around the mouse pointer when the user presses and releases the CTRL key. The pvParam parameter specifies TRUE for on and FALSE for off. The default is off. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Turns the Vanish feature on or off. This feature hides the mouse pointer when the user types; the pointer reappears when the user moves the mouse. The pvParam parameter specifies TRUE for on and FALSE for off. The default is off. For more information, see Mouse Input Overview.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether a screen review utility is running. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.
Note Narrator, the screen reader that is included with Windows, does not set the SPI_SETSCREENREADER or SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.
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This parameter is not supported.
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The user should control this setting through the Control Panel. |
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Turns the ShowSounds accessibility feature on or off. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
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Sets the parameters of the SoundSentry accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a SOUNDSENTRY structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY).
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Sets the parameters of the StickyKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a STICKYKEYS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS).
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Sets the parameters of the ToggleKeys accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a TOGGLEKEYS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS).
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The following are the desktop parameters.
| Desktop parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
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Determines whether ClearType is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if ClearType is enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
ClearType is a software technology that improves the readability of text on liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the full path of the bitmap file for the desktop wallpaper. The pvParam parameter must point to a buffer to receive the null-terminated path string. Set the uiParam parameter to the size, in characters, of the pvParam buffer. The returned string will not exceed MAX_PATH characters. If there is no desktop wallpaper, the returned string is empty. |
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Determines whether the drop shadow effect is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that returns TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether native User menus have flat menu appearance. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that returns TRUE if the flat menu appearance is set, or FALSE otherwise.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether the font smoothing feature is enabled. This feature uses font antialiasing to make font curves appear smoother by painting pixels at different gray levels.
The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the feature is enabled, or FALSE if it is not. |
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Retrieves a contrast value that is used in ClearType smoothing. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT that receives the information. Valid contrast values are from 1000 to 2200. The default value is 1400.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the font smoothing orientation. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT that receives the information. The possible values are FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-green-red) and FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-green-blue).
Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported until Windows XP with SP2. |
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Retrieves the type of font smoothing. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT that receives the information. The possible values are FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD and FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the size of the work area on the primary display monitor. The work area is the portion of the screen not obscured by the system taskbar or by application desktop toolbars. The pvParam parameter must point to a RECT structure that receives the coordinates of the work area, expressed in physical pixel size. Any DPI virtualization mode of the caller has no effect on this output.
To get the work area of a monitor other than the primary display monitor, call the GetMonitorInfo function. |
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Turns ClearType on or off. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable ClearType, or FALSE to disable it.
ClearType is a software technology that improves the readability of text on LCD monitors. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Reloads the system cursors. Set the uiParam parameter to zero and the pvParam parameter to NULL. |
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Sets the current desktop pattern by causing Windows to read the Pattern= setting from the WIN.INI file. |
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Note When the SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER flag is used, SystemParametersInfo returns TRUE unless there is an error (like when the specified file doesn't exist).
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Enables or disables the drop shadow effect. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the drop shadow effect or FALSE to disable it. You must also have CS_DROPSHADOW in the window class style.
Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Enables or disables flat menu appearance for native User menus. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable flat menu appearance or FALSE to disable it.
When enabled, the menu bar uses COLOR_MENUBAR for the menubar background, COLOR_MENU for the menu-popup background, COLOR_MENUHILIGHT for the fill of the current menu selection, and COLOR_HILIGHT for the outline of the current menu selection. If disabled, menus are drawn using the same metrics and colors as in Windows 2000. Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Enables or disables the font smoothing feature, which uses font antialiasing to make font curves appear smoother by painting pixels at different gray levels.
To enable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to TRUE. To disable the feature, set uiParam to FALSE. |
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Sets the contrast value used in ClearType smoothing. The pvParam parameter is the contrast value. Valid contrast values are from 1000 to 2200. The default value is 1400.
SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE must also be set to FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE. Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the font smoothing orientation. The pvParam parameter is either FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-green-red) or FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-green-blue).
Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported until Windows XP with SP2. |
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Sets the font smoothing type. The pvParam parameter is either FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD, if standard anti-aliasing is used, or FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE, if ClearType is used. The default is FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD.
SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHING must also be set. Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the size of the work area. The work area is the portion of the screen not obscured by the system taskbar or by application desktop toolbars. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to a RECT structure that specifies the new work area rectangle, expressed in virtual screen coordinates. In a system with multiple display monitors, the function sets the work area of the monitor that contains the specified rectangle. |
The following are the icon parameters.
| Icon parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
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Retrieves the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ICONMETRICS).
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Retrieves the logical font information for the current icon-title font. The uiParam parameter specifies the size of a LOGFONT structure, and the pvParam parameter must point to the LOGFONT structure to fill in. |
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Determines whether icon-title wrapping is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise. |
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Sets or retrieves the width, in pixels, of an icon cell. The system uses this rectangle to arrange icons in large icon view.
To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than SM_CXICON. To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer that receives the current value. |
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Sets or retrieves the height, in pixels, of an icon cell.
To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than SM_CYICON. To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer that receives the current value. |
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Sets the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ICONMETRICS).
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Reloads the system icons. Set the uiParam parameter to zero and the pvParam parameter to NULL. |
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Sets the font that is used for icon titles. The uiParam parameter specifies the size of a LOGFONT structure, and the pvParam parameter must point to a LOGFONT structure. |
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Turns icon-title wrapping on or off. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
The following are the input parameters. They include parameters related to the keyboard, mouse, touchpad, pen, input language, and the warning beeper.
| Input parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
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Determines whether the warning beeper is on.
The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the beeper is on, or FALSE if it is off. |
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Retrieves a BOOL indicating whether an application can reset the screensaver's timer by calling the SendInput function to simulate keyboard or mouse input. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the simulated input will be blocked, or FALSE otherwise. |
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Retrieves the current contact visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that receives the setting. For more information, see Contact Visualization. |
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Retrieves the input locale identifier for the system default input language. The pvParam parameter must point to an HKL variable that receives this value. For more information, see Languages, Locales, and Keyboard Layouts. |
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Retrieves the current gesture visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that receives the setting. For more information, see Gesture Visualization. |
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Determines whether menu access keys are always underlined. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if menu access keys are always underlined, and FALSE if they are underlined only when the menu is activated by the keyboard. |
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Retrieves the keyboard repeat-delay setting, which is a value in the range from 0 (approximately 250 ms delay) through 3 (approximately 1 second delay). The actual delay associated with each value may vary depending on the hardware. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer variable that receives the setting. |
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Determines whether the user relies on the keyboard instead of the mouse, and wants applications to display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be hidden. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the user relies on the keyboard; or FALSE otherwise. |
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Retrieves the keyboard repeat-speed setting, which is a value in the range from 0 (approximately 2.5 repetitions per second) through 31 (approximately 30 repetitions per second). The actual repeat rates are hardware-dependent and may vary from a linear scale by as much as 20%. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the setting. |
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Retrieves the two mouse threshold values and the mouse acceleration. The pvParam parameter must point to an array of three integers that receives these values. See mouse_event for further information. |
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Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within which the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives the height. |
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Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse pointer has to stay in the hover rectangle for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives the time. |
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Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within which the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives the width. |
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Retrieves the current mouse speed. The mouse speed determines how far the pointer will move based on the distance the mouse moves. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer that receives a value which ranges between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A value of 10 is the default. The value can be set by an end-user using the mouse control panel application or by an application using SPI_SETMOUSESPEED. |
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Determines whether the Mouse Trails feature is enabled. This feature improves the visibility of mouse cursor movements by briefly showing a trail of cursors and quickly erasing them.
The pvParam parameter must point to an integer variable that receives a value. if the value is zero or 1, the feature is disabled. If the value is greater than 1, the feature is enabled and the value indicates the number of cursors drawn in the trail. The uiParam parameter is not used. Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the routing setting for mouse wheel input. The routing setting determines whether mouse wheel input is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the app under the mouse cursor.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the routing option. The uiParam parameter is not used. If the value is zero (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus. If the value is 1 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus (desktop apps) or the app under the mouse pointer (Windows Store apps). Starting with Windows 10: If the value is 2 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_MOUSE_POS), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app under the mouse pointer. This is the new default, and MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID is no longer available in Settings. |
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Retrieves the current pen gesture visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that receives the setting. For more information, see Pen Visualization. |
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Determines whether the snap-to-default-button feature is enabled. If enabled, the mouse cursor automatically moves to the default button, such as OK or Apply, of a dialog box. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off. |
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Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the system language bar is enabled or disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the language bar is enabled, or FALSE otherwise. |
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Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable. |
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Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2: Retrieves details about the Precision Touchpad, including user settings and system information related to the touchpad.
The pvParam parameter must point to a TOUCHPAD_PARAMETERS structure. The uiParam parameter must specify the size of the structure. The value of the versionNumber field in the TOUCHPAD_PARAMETERS structure must be set to the appropriate value for the version of the structure being used. |
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Retrieves the number of characters to scroll when the horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives the number of lines. The default value is 3. |
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Retrieves the number of lines to scroll when the vertical mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives the number of lines. The default value is 3. |
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Turns the warning beeper on or off. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
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Determines whether an application can reset the screensaver's timer by calling the SendInput function to simulate keyboard or mouse input. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE if the screensaver will not be deactivated by simulated input, or FALSE if the screensaver will be deactivated by simulated input. |
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Sets the current contact visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that identifies the setting. For more information, see Contact Visualization.
Note If contact visualizations are disabled, gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.
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Sets the default input language for the system shell and applications. The specified language must be displayable using the current system character set. The pvParam parameter must point to an HKL variable that contains the input locale identifier for the default language. For more information, see Languages, Locales, and Keyboard Layouts. |
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Sets the double-click time for the mouse to the value of the uiParam parameter. If the uiParam value is greater than 5000 milliseconds, the system sets the double-click time to 5000 milliseconds.
The double-click time is the maximum number of milliseconds that can occur between the first and second clicks of a double-click. You can also call the SetDoubleClickTime function to set the double-click time. To get the current double-click time, call the GetDoubleClickTime function. |
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Sets the height of the double-click rectangle to the value of the uiParam parameter.
The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within which the second click of a double-click must fall for it to be registered as a double-click. To retrieve the height of the double-click rectangle, call GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDOUBLECLK flag. |
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Sets the width of the double-click rectangle to the value of the uiParam parameter.
The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within which the second click of a double-click must fall for it to be registered as a double-click. To retrieve the width of the double-click rectangle, call GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CXDOUBLECLK flag. |
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Sets the current gesture visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that identifies the setting. For more information, see Gesture Visualization.
Note If contact visualizations are disabled, gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.
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Sets the underlining of menu access key letters. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to always underline menu access keys, or FALSE to underline menu access keys only when the menu is activated from the keyboard. |
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Sets the keyboard repeat-delay setting. The uiParam parameter must specify 0, 1, 2, or 3, where zero sets the shortest delay approximately 250 ms) and 3 sets the longest delay (approximately 1 second). The actual delay associated with each value may vary depending on the hardware. |
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Sets the keyboard preference. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE if the user relies on the keyboard instead of the mouse, and wants applications to display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be hidden; uiParam is FALSE otherwise. |
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Sets the keyboard repeat-speed setting. The uiParam parameter must specify a value in the range from 0 (approximately 2.5 repetitions per second) through 31 (approximately 30 repetitions per second). The actual repeat rates are hardware-dependent and may vary from a linear scale by as much as 20%. If uiParam is greater than 31, the parameter is set to 31. |
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Sets the hot key set for switching between input languages. The uiParam and pvParam parameters are not used. The value sets the shortcut keys in the keyboard property sheets by reading the registry again. The registry must be set before this flag is used. the path in the registry is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Toggle. Valid values are "1" = ALT+SHIFT, "2" = CTRL+SHIFT, and "3" = none. |
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Sets the two mouse threshold values and the mouse acceleration. The pvParam parameter must point to an array of three integers that specifies these values. See mouse_event for further information. |
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Swaps or restores the meaning of the left and right mouse buttons. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE to swap the meanings of the buttons, or FALSE to restore their original meanings.
To retrieve the current setting, call GetSystemMetrics with the SM_SWAPBUTTON flag. |
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Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within which the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the uiParam parameter to the new height. |
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Sets the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse pointer has to stay in the hover rectangle for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. This is used only if you pass HOVER_DEFAULT in the dwHoverTime parameter in the call to TrackMouseEvent. Set the uiParam parameter to the new time.
The time specified should be between USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is less than USER_TIMER_MINIMUM, the function will use USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is greater than USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM, the function will be USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: The operating system does not enforce the use of USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and USER_TIMER_MINIMUM until Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and Windows XP with SP2. |
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Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within which the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the uiParam parameter to the new width. |
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Sets the current mouse speed. The pvParam parameter is an integer between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A value of 10 is the default. This value is typically set using the mouse control panel application. |
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Enables or disables the Mouse Trails feature, which improves the visibility of mouse cursor movements by briefly showing a trail of cursors and quickly erasing them.
To disable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to zero or 1. To enable the feature, set uiParam to a value greater than 1 to indicate the number of cursors drawn in the trail. Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the routing setting for mouse wheel input. The routing setting determines whether mouse wheel input is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the app under the mouse cursor.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the routing option. Set the uiParam parameter to zero. If the value is zero (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus. If the value is 1 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus (desktop apps) or the app under the mouse pointer (Windows Store apps). Starting with Windows 10: If the value is 2 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_MOUSE_POS), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app under the mouse pointer. This is the new default, and MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID is no longer available in Settings. |
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Sets the current pen gesture visualization setting. The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable that identifies the setting. For more information, see Pen Visualization. |
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Enables or disables the snap-to-default-button feature. If enabled, the mouse cursor automatically moves to the default button, such as OK or Apply, of a dialog box. Set the uiParam parameter to TRUE to enable the feature, or FALSE to disable it. Applications should use the ShowWindow function when displaying a dialog box so the dialog manager can position the mouse cursor. |
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Starting with Windows 8: Turns the legacy language bar feature on or off. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the legacy language bar, or FALSE to disable it. The flag is supported on Windows 8 where the legacy language bar is replaced by Input Switcher and therefore turned off by default. Turning the legacy language bar on is provided for compatibility reasons and has no effect on the Input Switcher. |
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Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter must be a BOOL variable, casted by PVOID. |
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Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2: Sets details about the Precision Touchpad, including user settings and system information related to the touchpad.
The pvParam parameter must point to a TOUCHPAD_PARAMETERS structure. The uiParam parameter must specify the size of the structure. The value of the versionNumber field in the TOUCHPAD_PARAMETERS structure must be set to the appropriate value for the version of the structure being used. |
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Sets the number of characters to scroll when the horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The number of characters is set from the uiParam parameter. |
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Sets the number of lines to scroll when the vertical mouse wheel is moved. The number of lines is set from the uiParam parameter.
The number of lines is the suggested number of lines to scroll when the mouse wheel is rolled without using modifier keys. If the number is 0, then no scrolling should occur. If the number of lines to scroll is greater than the number of lines viewable, and in particular if it is WHEEL_PAGESCROLL (#defined as UINT_MAX), the scroll operation should be interpreted as clicking once in the page down or page up regions of the scroll bar. |
The following are the menu parameters.
| Menu parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
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Determines whether pop-up menus are left-aligned or right-aligned, relative to the corresponding menu-bar item. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if right-aligned, or FALSE otherwise. |
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Determines whether menu fade animation is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE when fade animation is enabled and FALSE when it isdisabled. If fade animation is disabled, menus use slide animation. This flag is ignored unless menu animation is enabled, which you can do using the SPI_SETMENUANIMATION flag. For more information, see AnimateWindow. |
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Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the system waits before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse cursor is over a submenu item. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the time of the delay. |
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Sets the alignment value of pop-up menus. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for right alignment, or FALSE for left alignment. |
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Enables or disables menu fade animation. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the menu fade effect or FALSE to disable it. If fade animation is disabled, menus use slide animation. he The menu fade effect is possible only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. This flag is ignored unless SPI_MENUANIMATION is also set. For more information, see AnimateWindow. |
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Sets uiParam to the time, in milliseconds, that the system waits before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse cursor is over a submenu item. |
The following are the power parameters.
Beginning with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, these power parameters are not supported. Instead, to determine the current display power state, an application should register for GUID_MONITOR_POWER_STATE notifications. To determine the current display power down time-out, an application should register for notification of changes to the GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting. For more information, see Registering for Power Events.
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: To determine the current display power state, use the following power parameters.
The following are the screen saver parameters.
The following are the time-out parameters for applications and services.
The following are the UI effects. The SPI_SETUIEFFECTS value is used to enable or disable all UI effects at once. This table contains the complete list of UI effect values.
| UI effects parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Determines whether the slide-open effect for combo boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for disabled. |
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Determines whether the cursor has a shadow around it. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the shadow is enabled, FALSE if it is disabled. This effect appears only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. |
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Determines whether the gradient effect for window title bars is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for disabled. For more information about the gradient effect, see the GetSysColor function. |
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Determines whether hot tracking of user-interface elements, such as menu names on menu bars, is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for disabled.
Hot tracking means that when the cursor moves over an item, it is highlighted but not selected. You can query this value to decide whether to use hot tracking in the user interface of your application. |
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Determines whether the smooth-scrolling effect for list boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for disabled. |
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Determines whether the menu animation feature is enabled. This master switch must be on to enable menu animation effects. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animation is enabled and FALSE if it is disabled.
If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates whether menus use fade or slide animation. |
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Same as SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES. |
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Determines whether the selection fade effect is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled.
The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading out after the menu is dismissed. |
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Determines whether ToolTip animation is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled. If ToolTip animation is enabled, SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates whether ToolTips use fade or slide animation. |
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If SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION is enabled, SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates whether ToolTip animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide animation. For more information on slide and fade effects, see AnimateWindow. |
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Determines whether UI effects are enabled or disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if all UI effects are enabled, or FALSE if they are disabled. |
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Enables or disables the slide-open effect for combo boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the gradient effect, or FALSE to disable it. |
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Enables or disables a shadow around the cursor. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the shadow or FALSE to disable the shadow. This effect appears only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. |
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Enables or disables the gradient effect for window title bars. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or FALSE to disable it. The gradient effect is possible only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. For more information about the gradient effect, see the GetSysColor function. |
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Enables or disables hot tracking of user-interface elements such as menu names on menu bars. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or FALSE to disable it.
Hot-tracking means that when the cursor moves over an item, it is highlighted but not selected. |
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Enables or disables the smooth-scrolling effect for list boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the smooth-scrolling effect, or FALSE to disable it. |
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Enables or disables menu animation. This master switch must be on for any menu animation to occur. The pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable; set pvParam to TRUE to enable animation and FALSE to disable animation.
If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates whether menus use fade or slide animation. |
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Same as SPI_SETKEYBOARDCUES. |
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Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the selection fade effect or FALSE to disable it.
The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading out after the menu is dismissed. The selection fade effect is possible only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. |
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Set pvParam to TRUE to enable ToolTip animation or FALSE to disable it. If enabled, you can use SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to specify fade or slide animation. |
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If the SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION flag is enabled, use SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to indicate whether ToolTip animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. Set pvParam to TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide animation. The tooltip fade effect is possible only if the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. For more information on the slide and fade effects, see the AnimateWindow function. |
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Enables or disables UI effects. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable all UI effects or FALSE to disable all UI effects. |
The following are the window parameters.
| Window parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Determines whether active window tracking (activating the window the mouse is on) is on or off. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
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Determines whether windows activated through active window tracking will be brought to the top. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
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Retrieves the active window tracking delay, in milliseconds. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the time. |
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Retrieves the animation effects associated with user actions. The pvParam parameter must point to an ANIMATIONINFO structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO).
|
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Retrieves the border multiplier factor that determines the width of a window's sizing border. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer variable that receives this value. |
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Retrieves the caret width in edit controls, in pixels. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives this value. |
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Determines whether a window is docked when it is moved to the top, left, or right edges of a monitor or monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether a maximized window is restored when its caption bar is dragged. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether dragging of full windows is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise. |
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Retrieves the number of times SetForegroundWindow will flash the taskbar button when rejecting a foreground switch request. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the value. |
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Retrieves the amount of time following user input, in milliseconds, during which the system will not allow applications to force themselves into the foreground. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the time. |
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Retrieves the metrics associated with minimized windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS).
|
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that receives the value.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window from the edge of a monitor or a monitor array toward the center. The default threshold is 20.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a monitor or a monitor array where a vertically maximized window is restored when dragged with the mouse. The default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the metrics associated with the nonclient area of nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS).
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: See Remarks for NONCLIENTMETRICS. |
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default is 30.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window from the edge of a monitor or monitor array toward its center. The default threshold is 30.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a monitor or monitor array where a vertically maximized window is restored when dragged with the mouse. The default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether the IME status window is visible (on a per-user basis). The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the status window is visible, or FALSE if it is not. |
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Determines whether a window is vertically maximized when it is sized to the top or bottom of a monitor or monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether this behavior is enabled. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Determines whether window arrangement is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.
Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse, pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior of a window when it is dragged or sized. The following parameters retrieve individual window arrangement settings:
|
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Sets active window tracking (activating the window the mouse is on) either on or off. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off. |
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Determines whether or not windows activated through active window tracking should be brought to the top. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off. |
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Sets the active window tracking delay. Set pvParam to the number of milliseconds to delay before activating the window under the mouse pointer. |
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Sets the animation effects associated with user actions. The pvParam parameter must point to an ANIMATIONINFO structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO).
|
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Sets the border multiplier factor that determines the width of a window's sizing border. The uiParam parameter specifies the new value. |
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Sets the caret width in edit controls. Set pvParam to the desired width, in pixels. The default and minimum value is 1. |
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Sets whether a window is docked when it is moved to the top, left, or right docking targets on a monitor or monitor array. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets whether a maximized window is restored when its caption bar is dragged. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets dragging of full windows either on or off. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. |
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Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle used to detect the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the new value. To retrieve the drag height, call GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDRAG flag. |
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Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle used to detect the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the new value. To retrieve the drag width, call GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CXDRAG flag. |
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Sets the number of times SetForegroundWindow will flash the taskbar button when rejecting a foreground switch request. Set pvParam to the number of times to flash. |
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Sets the amount of time following user input, in milliseconds, during which the system does not allow applications to force themselves into the foreground. Set pvParam to the new time-out value.
The calling thread must be able to change the foreground window, otherwise the call fails. |
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Sets the metrics associated with minimized windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS).
|
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Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window from the edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center. The default threshold is 20. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor where a vertically maximized window is restored when dragged with the mouse. The default threshold is 50. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the metrics associated with the nonclient area of nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS). Also, the lfHeight member of the LOGFONT structure must be a negative value.
|
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Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default threshold is 30. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window from the edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center. The default threshold is 30. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor where a vertically maximized window is restored when dragged with a pen. The default threshold is 50. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new value.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
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Sets whether the IME status window is visible or not on a per-user basis. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on or FALSE for off. |
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Sets whether a window is vertically maximized when it is sized to the top or bottom of the monitor. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.
SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this behavior. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported. |
|
Sets whether window arrangement is enabled. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.
Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse, pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior of a window when it is dragged or sized. The following parameters set individual window arrangement settings:
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[in] uiParam
Type: UINT
A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter. If not otherwise indicated, you must specify zero for this parameter.
[in, out] pvParam
Type: PVOID
A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter. If not otherwise indicated, you must specify NULL for this parameter. For information on the PVOID datatype, see Windows Data Types.
[in] fWinIni
Type: UINT
If a system parameter is being set, specifies whether the user profile is to be updated, and if so, whether the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message is to be broadcast to all top-level windows to notify them of the change.
This parameter can be zero if you do not want to update the user profile or broadcast the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message, or it can be one or more of the following values.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Writes the new system-wide parameter setting to the user profile. |
|
Broadcasts the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message after updating the user profile. |
|
Same as SPIF_SENDCHANGE. |
Return value
Type: BOOL
If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
This function is intended for use with applications that allow the user to customize the environment.
A keyboard layout name should be derived from the hexadecimal value of the language identifier corresponding to the layout. For example, U.S. English has a language identifier of 0x0409, so the primary U.S. English layout is named "00000409". Variants of U.S. English layout, such as the Dvorak layout, are named "00010409", "00020409" and so on. For a list of the primary language identifiers and sublanguage identifiers that make up a language identifier, see the MAKELANGID macro.
There is a difference between the High Contrast color scheme and the High Contrast Mode. The High Contrast color scheme changes the system colors to colors that have obvious contrast; you switch to this color scheme by using the Display Options in the control panel. The High Contrast Mode, which uses SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST and SPI_SETHIGHCONTRAST, advises applications to modify their appearance for visually-impaired users. It involves such things as audible warning to users and customized color scheme (using the Accessibility Options in the control panel). For more information, see HIGHCONTRAST. For more information on general accessibility features, see Accessibility.
During the time that the primary button is held down to activate the Mouse ClickLock feature, the user can move the mouse. After the primary button is locked down, releasing the primary button does not result in a WM_LBUTTONUP message. Thus, it will appear to an application that the primary button is still down. Any subsequent button message releases the primary button, sending a WM_LBUTTONUP message to the application, thus the button can be unlocked programmatically or through the user clicking any button.
This API is not DPI aware, and should not be used if the calling thread is per-monitor DPI aware. For the DPI-aware version of this API, see SystemParametersInfoForDPI. For more information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.
Examples
The following example uses SystemParametersInfo to double the mouse speed.
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")
void main()
{
BOOL fResult;
int aMouseInfo[3]; // Array for mouse information
// Get the current mouse speed.
fResult = SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETMOUSE, // Get mouse information
0, // Not used
&aMouseInfo, // Holds mouse information
0); // Not used
// Double it.
if( fResult )
{
aMouseInfo[2] = 2 * aMouseInfo[2];
// Change the mouse speed to the new value.
SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETMOUSE, // Set mouse information
0, // Not used
aMouseInfo, // Mouse information
SPIF_SENDCHANGE); // Update Win.ini
}
}
Note
The winuser.h header defines SystemParametersInfo as an alias that automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that is not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.
Requirements
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum supported client | Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only] |
| Minimum supported server | Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only] |
| Target Platform | Windows |
| Header | winuser.h (include Windows.h) |
| Library | User32.lib |
| DLL | User32.dll |
| API set | ext-ms-win-ntuser-sysparams-ext-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8) |