407342 - Scrollbar width change made in Windows' Display Properties is not reflected in custom Firefox themes

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: Shell Integration, defect)

Description

[dan]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

When using custom Firefox themes, the scrollbar width doesn't inherit changed settings made in Window's Display Properties/Appearance menu; when using the default Firefox theme, however, they do. 

Source of the problem: when running a high-resolution monitor setting, Window's standard scrollbar width becomes uncomfortably narrow to navigate in, and requires widening in Window's Display Properties / Appearance menu. (At 1600 x 1200 rez, the default scrollbar width is reduced to barely 1/8 inch wide.)

Most all Windows programs inherit this wider setting, including Firefox running its default theme. But not when running custom Firefox themes: every theme I've tested has very skinny scrollbars at higer-rez settings (above 1024 x 768). The themer I talked to about this said that's because "scrollbar width as defined in the Windows control panel is not available / accessible from the theme code"; ie, Mozilla does not make this available to themers.

Mozilla should do so, because it cripples the functionality of custom themes, which they seem to like to promote. Lots of folks run high-rez monitors and tweak the scrollbar width accordingly, and plenty of those folks love using Firefox running customized downloaded themes that Mozilla itself promotes. Navigating in web pages with multiple embedded scrollbars such as this Enter A Bug page or Gmail's Compose page are especially problematic.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
3. Start Firefox with its default theme running a page long enough to initiate the vertical scrollbar.
2. Set the display monitor to a higher resolution -- eg, 1280 x 1024, 1600 x 1200.
2. In Windows Control Panel, Display Properties, Appearance tab, increase the Scrollbar item size to 40 to make the scrollbar width comfortable to navigate to.
3. Observe how the vertical scrollbar in default-theme Firefox reflects this wider setting.
4. Apply a custom theme (eg, Walnut) to Firefox and restart. Observe how the vertical scrollbar has shrunk to tediously narrow proportions, not inheriting the custom Display Properties / Appearance setting.
Actual Results:  
Vertical scrollbars become exceedingly tedious to navigate to and within.

Expected Results:  
Scrollbar width should display the same as it does using the default Firefox theme.

Several custom themes posted on the Firefox Add-ons: Browse Themes were tested; none reflected scrollbar-width changes made in Window's Display Properties menu.

Comment 1

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This bug was reported on Firefox 2.x or older, which is no longer supported and will not be receiving any more updates. I strongly suggest that you update to Firefox 3.6.3 or later, update your plugins (flash, adobe, etc.), and retest in a new profile. If you still see the issue with the updated Firefox, please post here. Otherwise, please close as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
http://www.mozilla.com
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+mode

Comment 2

[dan]

Good lord, Tyler, of course the bug was reported on Firefox 2.x or older, that's all the newer version that existed when this bug was posted TWO YEARS AGO!

Comment 3

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

please retest with firefox 3.6.3 or later to see if the issue still exists.

Comment 4

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 3.6.x or later and a new profile (http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). If you continue to see this issue with the newest firefox and a new profile, then please comment on this bug.