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How to change MSSQL Management Studio theme?

Submitted by: @import:stackexchange-dba·Mar 10, 2026·

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howmssqlthemestudiomanagementchange

Problem

Different from:
How to apply a theme to SQL Server Management Studio 2008?

What I want is to change the theme not colour scheme of the editor.

I want it to look as close as possible as Dark in 2015.

Solution

Install the 2010 Color Theme Editor in VS 2010.

Find the files somehwere in C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\xx.x\Extensions\ .. for me, it was in \shvn3avp.com for the current version of the plugin.

Copy those files to a new folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\xxx\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\Extensions\VSTheme

-
Replace extension.vsixmanifest contents with:



  Visual Studio Color Theme Editor
  Microsoft
  1.3
  Allows users to customize the color palette used for menus, toolbars, tabs, title bars, and other environment colors.
  1033
  ThemeManagerIcon.png
  ThemeManagerPreview.png
  true
  
    ssms
    
      Ultimate
      Premium
      Pro
      IntegratedShell
    
  
  
  true

  ThemeManagerPackage.pkgdef

-
Import this setting:
http://studiostyl.es/schemes/vs2012-dark-theme-for-vs2010

-
On the Customize Color dialog that opens on the Theme menu provided by the extension import his theme

Result:

For 2015 and SQL Management Studio 17RC1

Install the extension on VS2015 instead. Follow the above steps.

The folder on my computer was C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\Extensions\owbugenu.gif

The xml is:


  
    Visual Studio 2015 Color Theme Editor
    Microsoft
    2.0
    Allows users to create and edit Visual Studio themes.  Themes can customize colors used for menus, toolbars, tabs, titlebars, the text editor, and other environment colors.
    1033
    true
    
      ssms
    
    
    true
  
  
  
    ColorThemeEditor.pkgdef
    Colors\Red.pkgdef
    Colors\Purple.pkgdef
    Colors\Green.pkgdef
    Colors\Tan.pkgdef
    Colors\DarkWithLightEditor.pkgdef
    Colors\LightWithDarkEditor.pkgdef
    Colors\SolarizedDark.pkgdef
    Colors\SolarizedLight.pkgdef
    ColorThemeEditor.dll  
    Colors\ThemeNames.pkgdef
    PkgDefAssemblyCodeBase.pkgdef

Code Snippets

<!-- language: lang-xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Vsix xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" Version="1.0.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vsx-schema/2010">
  <Identifier Id="B8CED2B3-FF48-4204-88E9-036CA39B83C8">
    <Name>Visual Studio 2015 Color Theme Editor</Name>
    <Author>Microsoft</Author>
    <Version>2.0</Version>
    <Description xml:space="preserve">Allows users to create and edit Visual Studio themes.  Themes can customize colors used for menus, toolbars, tabs, titlebars, the text editor, and other environment colors.</Description>
    <Locale>1033</Locale>
    <InstalledByMsi>true</InstalledByMsi>
    <SupportedProducts>
      <IsolatedShell Version="1.0">ssms</IsolatedShell>
    </SupportedProducts>
    <SupportedFrameworkRuntimeEdition MinVersion="4.0" MaxVersion="4.0" />
    <SystemComponent>true</SystemComponent>
  </Identifier>
  <References />
  <Content>
    <VsPackage>ColorThemeEditor.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\Red.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\Purple.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\Green.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\Tan.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\DarkWithLightEditor.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\LightWithDarkEditor.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\SolarizedDark.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>Colors\SolarizedLight.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <MefComponent>ColorThemeEditor.dll</MefComponent>  
    <VsPackage>Colors\ThemeNames.pkgdef</VsPackage>
    <VsPackage>PkgDefAssemblyCodeBase.pkgdef</VsPackage>
  </Content>
</Vsix>

Context

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#112379, answer score: 4

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