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127 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
127 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
# Auto Theme + Wallpaper Switcher (Windows)
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This is a lightweight Windows tray app that **automatically switches between light and dark mode** based on the time of day (6 AM to 6 PM), and optionally changes your desktop wallpaper. It also silently restarts `explorer.exe` after theme changes to force a full UI refresh (taskbar, Start menu, etc.).
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Runs quietly in the background with a tray icon and auto-starts on login (via `shell:startup`).
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---
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## Features
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- Automatically switches between **light** and **dark** mode
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- Optionally changes wallpaper to match the theme
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- Gracefully skips if wallpaper is missing (no crashes)
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- Runs silently with a **tray icon** and no console window
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- Uses native Windows APIs (registry + wallpaper)
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- Automatically **restarts `explorer.exe`** for full theme refresh
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---
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## Setup Instructions
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Place these files in the same directory:
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```
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themechanger.exe ← compiled binary
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icon.ico ← tray icon (required)
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light.jpg/png/bmp/... ← optional day wallpaper
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dark.jpg/png/bmp/... ← optional night wallpaper
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```
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Supported image formats: `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.png`, `.bmp`, `.webp`
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The app will look for `light.*` and `dark.*` in its own folder. If no image is found, it simply skips the wallpaper change.
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---
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## Auto-Start on Login
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To launch the app automatically when you log in:
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1. Press `Win + R`
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2. Type: `shell:startup` and press Enter
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3. **Create a shortcut to `themechanger.exe`:**
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* Right-click on `themechanger.exe`.
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* Select "Create shortcut".
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4. **Move the shortcut you just created into the Startup folder.** The Startup folder is the one that opened in step 2.
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Done! It will now auto-start silently every time.
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> No need to edit the registry or install anything!
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---
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## Build It Yourself
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If you'd like to compile from source:
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### 1. Install Go
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[https://go.dev/dl](https://go.dev/dl)
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### 2. Initialize your Go module
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```bash
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go mod init themechanger
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go mod tidy
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```
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### 3. Build the executable
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```bash
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go build -ldflags="-H windowsgui" -o themechanger.exe
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```
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This produces a GUI app (no console window).
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---
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## Technical Details
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- Uses Go and the [`systray`](https://github.com/getlantern/systray) library for tray UI
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- Theme switching via registry keys:
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- `AppsUseLightTheme`
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- `SystemUsesLightTheme`
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- Wallpaper changes with `SystemParametersInfoW` API
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- Explorer restart via:
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```bash
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taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe
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```
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---
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## 🖼 Tray Preview
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You must provide your own `icon.ico` in the same folder — this will be used as the tray icon.
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> Tip: You can create `.ico` files from PNGs using online converters like [icoconvert.com](https://icoconvert.com)
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---
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## Notes
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- You can manually quit the app from the tray menu
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- Time check runs every 60 seconds
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- Changing the clock or timezone will trigger a switch automatically
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- No admin rights needed
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---
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## Optional Ideas
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- Add GUI to configure start/stop time
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- Manual override options in tray menu
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- Geo-based sunrise/sunset switching
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---
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## License
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MIT — free for personal and commercial use.
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---
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Made with Go, Windows quirks, and coffee ☕
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