Try a different Firefox theme (Tools > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes):

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/use-themes-change-look-of-firefox
• Themes: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/themes/

• Firefox 3 theme for Firefox 4: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/firefox-3-theme-for-firefox/
• Firefox 3 Aero theme for Firefox 4+: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/firefox-3-aero-theme-for-fi/

You can also try a solid persona with a color that suits you. Personas for Firefox | Gallery: http://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/gallery/Solid

Thanks! I appreciate your effort to present a full range of options. However, my needs are simple-- I want to restore the original desert-tan color theme to both sidebar and top menu areas, a color scheme which was removed by the Firefox 13 update.

Interestingly, that version 13 update did not merely disable my original theme, but completely removed it, leaving behind only a default theme ("Strata"), a metal-grey theme which makes it more difficult to see the lettering on each of my tabs and menu items. Since the version 13 update left no trace of the original theme, I have no idea how to restore it, or even to locate it-- the only hint is the theme was part of the Firefox default for years, which I never changed.

Since I use two Firefox extensions by Japan-based coder Piro ("Tree Style Tab" and "Open Link in New Tab"-- http://piro.sakura.ne.jp/xul/_openlinkintab.html.en) I have an extensive, vertically-stacked list of small, open tabs on the extreme left margin of my wide LCD screen. An appropriate color scheme makes all the tabs easily readable, but the current grey default reduces visibility..

In search of that appropriate color adjustment, I already have gone through a number of themes, but the process is much too time-consuming to find a good remedy. Some 743 themes appeared, and evaluation of the most promising themes requires about five minutes for each-- loading, restarting, unloading, followed by the next candidate. There must be a better way.

To find a better approach than playing with dozens of themes (and theme managers), I decided to hack the appearance values under Help / Troubleshooting Information / Show Folder / Chrome / userChrome.css. Although I managed to select a color close to desert tan, this met with limited success, since I do not know the appropriate name for the part of the Firefox screen at issue. I attempted to use the label "sidebar", but that did not work in my code.

You came closest to my needs with the Persona-- and after failing to edit my userChrome.css file properly, I reverted to a persona that is better than anything else I have found, so far.

In any case, the core problem remains. Although Firefox updates should not do damage, they still break things. If Firefox considers updates an important security issue, then bringing most users on board by increasing their confidence in updates is a critical priority.

Likewise, Firefox appearance should not be difficult for the average user to manipulate. Windows already provides appearance options for each portion of the screen, including message panels inset in the screen. Firefox should emulate that easy access, if not improve it.

Since you understand I am still ready to hack away at the userChrome.css, already have my color of choice and understand the basics of the CSS-style syntax, all I need is a nudge with the right information about how to edit userChrome.css for sidebar color adjustment. (BTW-- is it called a "sidebar" or something else?)

Hi alphaa100, if you don't already have the DOM Inspector extension, you might want to try it out. Open it up with Ctrl+Shift+i and use File > Inspect Chrome document to examine the toolbar and sidebar areas. Use the first icon on the toolbar to navigate the DOM tree to a particular UI element by clicking on that element. Using its id or class name, or a combination of selectors, you can create rules in userChrome.css.

You might also consider using the Stylish extension because you can more dynamically test userstyles and iterate using a Preview button (with userChrome.css, you have to restart Firefox to see the change).

Happy Hacking!

Regarding the new tab page, it is easy to set to blank or to the URL of your choice when you decide to catch up with a newer version of Firefox. The steps are listed in this article:

New Tab Page > How do I turn the new tab page off?.

You can try a solid persona.

• Personas for Firefox | Gallery: http://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/gallery/Solid

For the sidebar treechildren you need this selector:

.sidebar-placesTreechildren {}

Thanks to jscher2000 and cor-el for some solid, constructive improvements in my options. I'll post here about the outcome as soon as I can.

Posting a reply, as promised, on my progress.

NewPageTab feature-- Yes, that fixed the problem with the NewPageTab feature.

DOM inspector extension-- When I have more time, I'll look further into the DOM inspector extension. I started that utility, but could not make immediate sense of the particular UI element selected. I clicked on the DOM toolbar at page bottom, extreme left item (blue checkbox), and then clicked on my FF plugin, "Tree Style Tabs" to designate the UI element, but no information appeared. Perhaps the DOM inspector does not work with Tree Style Tabs, although the problem is probably something else.

The Stylish extension-- This is likely to become a huge help, and timesaver, but it is 3:00am, and I must sleep occasionally, so more on that later.

Thanks for all your help.

Cor-el, thanks for designating the UI selector for sidebar tree children-- that saved me a lot of time.

BTW, I did find a Persona I liked and applied Albook, a faint blue-grey horizontal gradient which fades to white at bottom, allowing the bookmark folder titles to be read more easily.

Eventually, perhaps I can create my own personas. Firefox internal maintenance and adjustment features are mind-boggling.

The DOM Inspector (DOMi) has a menu item (Search > Select Element By Click) and a button to "Find a node to inspect by clicking on it" (left icon on the toolbar).
You first need to open the browser window in the DOMi (File > Inspect Chrome Document) and choose the first from the list.
Click the Find button and use the keyboard (Alt Tab) or the Task bar to go back to the browser window (do not click in the browser window).
Click that element with the mouse and keep the button pressed until you see a red border to indicate the the DOMi has located that element in the DOM tree.
If you want to inspect a (context) menu entry then you need to use the keyboard to open that menu (Alt + F for the menu bar) or the context menu key on the bottom right hand side of the keyboard. You may need to use the Tab key or F6 to go to the browser window.
If you go back to the DOMi then that element should be selected in the left pane of the DOM Inspector.
You can click the header icon in the right pane to switch the display (e.g. CSS Style Rules, Computed Style).

• https://developer.mozilla.org/En/DOM_Inspector
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Introduction_to_DOM_Inspector