SQL Server Management Studio in Dark Theme.

In SQL Server Management Studio 2016, Microsoft introduced a visual setting option to choose between the Blue and Light color theme. In SSMS 2016, SSMS 2017 and the latest SSMS 18, the user can switch between the Blue or Light theme by going to Tools | Options | Environment | General | Color theme:

To achieve the same, we have to follow the below steps - 

1. Search for ssms.pkgundef file under SSMS binaries. Below table for reference.

SSMS VersionSsms.pkgundef File Location
16C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\130\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio
17C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\140\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio
18C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE

2. Open the file ssms.pkgundef 


3. Scroll until you get to '// Remove Dark theme'

4. Add '//' to the beginning of the '[$RootKey$\Themes\{1ded0138-47ce-435e-84ef-9ec1f439b749}]' line to comment it out and save it.

5. Now open the SSMS and change the color theme to dark.



                                                                            Here you have achieved the same.









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How data is replicated from the Primary Replica to the Secondary Replica in a SQL Server Always On Availability Group

Image
When it comes to high availability in SQL Server, Always On Availability Groups offer a robust solution for ensuring data resilience and fault tolerance. At the heart of this technology is a sophisticated log-based replication mechanism distinct from traditional database mirroring or snapshot replication. Let’s walk through exactly how data moves from the Primary Replica to the Secondary Replica, step by step. High-Level Process Flow  Primary Replica → Log Generation → Log Transport → Log Reception → Redo → Acknowledgement. Step-by-Step Explanation 1. Client Writes Data to Primary Replica * A client application sends a transaction (e.g., INSERT, UPDATE) to the Primary Replica. * SQL Server writes this transaction to the transaction log of the primary database. * This log write is made to the log buffer and flushed to disk before the transaction is considered committed. 2. Log Block is Captured by the Always On Transport Manager * The HADR_LOG_SEND_MANAGER process monitors the trans...
Read more

Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR) in SQL Server

Image
Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR) is one of the most transformative features in recent SQL Server releases, and with SQL Server 2025, it’s more powerful and flexible than ever. ADR is a SQL Server feature designed to drastically improve database availability by reengineering the recovery process. Traditional recovery could take a long time, especially with long-running transactions, because SQL Server had to scan the transaction log from the oldest uncommitted transaction. ADR changes this by introducing a new architecture that makes recovery and rollback nearly instantaneous, regardless of transaction length or database activity. Key Benefits : Fast and consistent recovery : Recovery time is no longer affected by the number or size of active transactions. Instantaneous rollback : Even very long-running transactions can be rolled back instantly. Aggressive log truncation : The transaction log is truncated more aggressively, preventing log growth even with active long transactions. H...
Read more

Standard Developer and Enterprise Developer edition in SQL Server 2025

Image
Standard Developer and Enterprise Developer edition in SQL Server 2025 In SQL Server 2025, two new Developer editions are introduced: Standard Developer and Enterprise Developer. These editions are designed for development and testing purposes and are licensed for free. The Standard Developer edition includes all the features of the Standard edition, while the Enterprise Developer edition offers the complete functionality of the Enterprise edition.  Standard Developer Edition Free licensing: It can be used without incurring any licensing costs.  Matches Standard edition: It mirrors the features and capabilities of the SQL Server Standard edition.  Ideal for teams: It's particularly valuable for teams whose production workloads run on Standard edition.  Narrowing the gap: It helps to minimize the difference between development and production environments, especially for applications that rely on Standard or Web/Express editions.  Improves code predictability: It ...
Read more