How can I enable Vista/Win 7 theming/style for a ToolTip control?

Question

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, ToolTips have a new visual style or theme, they are shiny grey metallic. How can I enable the new style for a ToolTip control?

Some controls, like ListViews and ToolBars, use the new tooltips automatically, but other tooltips are rendered with the old yellow XP style.

I've tried sending an TTM_SETWINDOWTHEME message but nothing happens and I'm not sure what string I am supposed to use for the visual style name.

SetWindowTheme doesn't work either, I've used it successfully on ListViews and TreeViews to set the "Explorer" style (see http://www.danielmoth.com/Blog/TreeViewVista.aspx), but that doesn't seem to work on ToolTips.

I'm using the plain win32 C API.

Answer 1

I can't help you very much as I know little C++, but I recently learned about Visual Styles and the Common Controls Library.

The XP/Vista/7 styles for controls are located in UxTheme.dll

The following pages may be of use to you:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb776779%28VS.85%29.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa289524%28VS.71%29.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb773175%28VS.85%29.aspx
• http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/vcgeneral/thread/0bcf558a-1207-4288-845a-a087ec993282

Answer 2

Have you specified TTS_USEVISUALSTYLE as the window style on your tooltips?