Force a specific background and accent color (Windows 11 Group Policy)

What it does

Forces Windows to use the specified colors for the background and accent. The color values are specified in hex as #RGB. By default, users can change the background and accent colors. If this setting is enabled, the background and accent colors of Windows will be set to the specified colors and users cannot change those colors. This setting will not be applied if the specified colors do not meet a contrast ratio of 2:1 with white text.

What it writes

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry key: Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization

Why it needs changes for Intune

Policy references a Windows supportedOn definition.
ADMX-INTUNE-WINDOWS-SUPPORTEDON-REFERENCE

In Intune

Native Intune setting: Yes — Policy CSP

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay/CPL_Personalization_PersonalColorsADMX_ControlPanelDisplay on Microsoft LearnADMX-backed: Windows ships this template, so it is set with the template's own values, without an import.Windows builds listed: 10.0.22000, 10.0.19043.1202, 10.0.19042.1202, 10.0.19041.1202.

From Microsoft's Policy CSP DDF files (DDF v2 Files, February 2026), read 18 Oct 2026.

Options

Option	Type	Registry value	Allowed values
Start background colorRequired	Text	`PersonalColors_Background`	Up to 255 characters
Accent colorRequired	Text	`PersonalColors_Accent`	Up to 255 characters

Configure and deploy

Choose a state and the option values; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.

Fix the highlighted options to generate output.

History 5 retained releases

22H2 · 1.015 Jul 2024
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.

4 later releases left it unchanged.

Template

Internal name: CPL_Personalization_PersonalColors
Namespace: Microsoft.Policies.ControlPanelDisplay
Template file: ControlPanelDisplay.admx
Release: Windows 11 25H2 · 1.0 · file set de4e49983ebd651f…

Definition, editor controls and support

Definition

<policy class="Machine" displayName="$(string.CPL_Personalization_PersonalColors)" explainText="$(string.CPL_Personalization_PersonalColors_Help)" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization" name="CPL_Personalization_PersonalColors" presentation="$(presentation.PersonalColors)" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.ControlPanelDisplay:Personalization" />
      <supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" />
      <elements>
        <text id="PersonalColors_Background" required="true" valueName="PersonalColors_Background" />
        <text id="PersonalColors_Accent" required="true" valueName="PersonalColors_Accent" />
      </elements>
    </policy>

Editor controls

<presentation id="PersonalColors" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <textBox refId="PersonalColors_Background">
          <label>Start background color:</label>
        </textBox>
        <textBox refId="PersonalColors_Accent">
          <label>Accent color:</label>
        </textBox>
      </presentation>

Supported platforms and category

Microsoft.Policies.ControlPanelDisplay:category:Personalization
<category displayName="$(string.Personalization)" name="Personalization" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:ControlPanel" />
    </category>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:ControlPanel
<category displayName="$(string.ControlPanel)" explainText="$(string.ControlPanel_Help)" name="ControlPanel" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <or>
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
        </or>
      </definition>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
Microsoft.Policies.ControlPanelDisplay:category:Personalization
<category displayName="$(string.Personalization)" name="Personalization" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:ControlPanel" />
    </category>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.ControlPanelDisplay:Personalization">Personalization</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:ControlPanel
<category displayName="$(string.ControlPanel)" explainText="$(string.ControlPanel_Help)" name="ControlPanel" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:ControlPanel">Control Panel</string><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:ControlPanel_Help">Contains settings to allow configuration of Control Panel, including the items that it does or does not display.</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <or>
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
        </or>
      </definition>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only">Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only</string></strings>