How do you remove the icon from the controlbar of a window?

[Drazzakia]

How do you remove the icon from the controlbar of a window while leaving the min/max/close buttons intact? The ControlBox option removes everything so its not good...

Perhaps some one knows some tricks with messing the window handle.

I want it so the icon of an MDI child won't interrupt the MDI menus (Basically remove the icon altogether.)

Cheers~

(I see programs have certain windows in this state so i know its possible.)

[dglienna]

Just go to the ICON property and select it, and press the DELETE button.
I think that's what you are asking.

[Drazzakia]

Just go to the ICON property and select it, and press the DELETE button.
I think that's what you are asking.

This just removes the vb defaut icon. I want to remove the icon, to get the same effect as turning off ClipControls.

Cheers ~

[dee-u]

Set the Form's border style to Fixed Dialog and remove the Icon...

[Drazzakia]

Aha dee-u

your method works but i can't resize my form :P
any ideas?

cheers~

[Drazzakia]

... and the icon reappears besides the menu when maximized.

[dee-u]

I believe you can't remove the icons of resizable forms.

[dee-u]

Just disable the ControlBox, and the icon will be gone. I think you will still be able to resize your form.

That would be possible but it will also remove Minimize, Close and Restore buttons...

[penagate]

It's not the easiest of operations but what you need to do is

1) Set your form's BorderStyle to Fixed Dialog, and

2) remove the icon by pressing Delete (this is the only way to get rid of it through VB);

3) at runtime, add the WS_THICKFRAME style so that you can resize your form, and

4) send a WM_NCPAINT message to redraw the form's border.

Now you have a sizable form with no icon!

Option Explicit
 
Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" ( _
    ByVal hWnd As Long, _
    ByVal nIndex As Long _
) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" ( _
    ByVal hWnd As Long, _
    ByVal nIndex As Long, _
    ByVal dwNewLong As Long _
) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" ( _
    ByVal hWnd As Long, _
    ByVal uMsg As Long, _
    ByVal wParam As Long, _
    ByRef lParam As Any _
) As Long
 
Private Const GWL_STYLE = -16
Private Const WS_THICKFRAME = &H40000
Private Const WS_MINIMIZEBOX = &H20000
Private Const WS_MAXIMIZEBOX = &H10000
Private Const WM_NCPAINT = &H85
'
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    SetWindowLong Me.hWnd, _
                  GWL_STYLE, _
                  GetWindowLong(Me.hWnd, _
                                GWL_STYLE _
                                ) Or WS_THICKFRAME Or _
                                     WS_MINIMIZEBOX Or _
                                     WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
 
    SendMessage Me.hWnd, WM_NCPAINT, 0, 0
End Sub

[penagate]

I noticed that in addition to no icon you also are left with no minimise or maximise buttons. I fixed that by adding the WS_MINIMIZEBOX and WS_MAXIMISEBOX styles.

There is also an ugly 1 px rectangle left from the old border which I am trying to get rid of.

[tbener]

use an empty - transparent icon (16x16).

[SuperDre]

I know this is an old topic, but I was in need for this fix.

The transparent icon is a good solution, but it will give you a large empty space on the left of the window and the title.

The BorderStyle at SizableToolWindow is also a good solution, but it will give you an ugly small X and the borders seem to be cut off at the side (at least in windows 10)

The API solution is a good option, BUT as it is shown it has a big problem, the first time you start resizing the window it will jump a few pixels to the right and to the bottom, which can be very annoying, AND in that case it will also change the actual clientrectangle.
(At least on Windows 10 and Windows 11)

So based on the API solution, I created the following procedure.
It will fix the jump when first resizing as it will change the size of the window with one pixel and restore it back to the original size after that, and then it will change the windowsize so the ClientRectangle should be the same as before the change of the border.
I did add some extra checks like only doing it when the BorderStyle is FixedDialog, as in our code it's part of a FormExtender class we wrote. You could also change it to only need a hWnd.

All you need to do is:
Put the following code into a module

Add a Form
Set BorderStyle to FixedDialog
And call function p_SetBorderStyleDialogToSizable from Form_Load or any event after that one is triggered (not from Form_Initialize as the form hasn't been created yet)

'--------------------------------------------------------------
'GetWindowLong/SetWindowLong nIndex
'Public Const GWL_EXSTYLE    As Long = (-20)
'Public Const GWL_HINSTANCE  As Long = (-6)
'Public Const GWL_HWNDPARENT As Long = (-8)
'Public Const GWL_ID         As Long = (-12)
Public Const GWL_STYLE      As Long = (-16)
'Public Const GWL_USERDATA   As Long = (-21)
'Public Const GWL_WNDPROC    As Long = (-4)
'Public Const DWL_DLGPROC    As Long = 4     'also available if hWnd is a Dialog
'Public Const DWL_MSGRESULT  As Long = 0     'also available if hWnd is a Dialog
'Public Const DWL_USER       As Long = 8     'also available if hWnd is a Dialog
'--------------------------------------------------------------
'CreateWindow/CreateWindowEx dwStyle
'Public Const WS_BORDER            As Long = &H800000
'Public Const WS_CAPTION           As Long = &HC00000
'Public Const WS_CHILD             As Long = &H40000000
'Public Const WS_CHILDWINDOW       As Long = WS_CHILD
'Public Const WS_CLIPCHILDREN      As Long = &H2000000
'Public Const WS_CLIPSIBLINGS      As Long = &H4000000
'Public Const WS_DISABLED          As Long = &H8000000
'Public Const WS_DLGFRAME          As Long = &H400000
'Public Const WS_GROUP             As Long = &H20000
'Public Const WS_HSCROLL           As Long = &H100000
'Public Const WS_MAXIMIZE          As Long = &H1000000
Public Const WS_MAXIMIZEBOX       As Long = &H10000
'Public Const WS_MINIMIZE          As Long = &H20000000
Public Const WS_MINIMIZEBOX       As Long = &H20000
'Public Const WS_OVERLAPPED        As Long = &H0&
'Public Const WS_POPUP             As Long = &H80000000
'Public Const WS_SYSMENU           As Long = &H80000
'Public Const WS_TABSTOP           As Long = &H10000
Public Const WS_THICKFRAME        As Long = &H40000
'Public Const WS_VISIBLE           As Long = &H10000000
'Public Const WS_VSCROLL           As Long = &H200000
'Public Const WS_ICONIC            As Long = WS_MINIMIZE
'Public Const WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW  As Long = (WS_OVERLAPPED Or WS_CAPTION Or WS_SYSMENU Or WS_THICKFRAME Or WS_MINIMIZEBOX Or WS_MAXIMIZEBOX)
'Public Const WS_POPUPWINDOW       As Long = (WS_POPUP Or WS_BORDER Or WS_SYSMENU)
'Public Const WS_SIZEBOX           As Long = WS_THICKFRAME
'Public Const WS_TILED             As Long = WS_OVERLAPPED
'Public Const WS_TILEDWINDOW       As Long = WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW

Public Type RECT
  Left    As Long
  Top     As Long
  Right   As Long
  Bottom  As Long
End Type

'===================================================
'==               USER32.DLL
'===================================================
'- G -
Public Declare Function GetClientRect Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByRef lpRect As RECT) As Long
Public Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32.dll" Alias "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByRef lpRect As RECT) As Long
'- L -
Public Declare Function LockWindowUpdate Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWndLock As Long) As Long
'- M -
Public Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
'- S -
Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32.dll" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByRef lParam As Any) As Long
Public Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32.dll" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long


'##############################################################################
'##
'##     Sub p_SetBorderStyleDialogToSizable
'##
'##############################################################################
Public Sub p_SetBorderStyleDialogToSizable(ByVal frm As Form, _
                                           Optional ByVal bMaximizeBox As Boolean = False, _
                                           Optional ByVal bMinimizeBox As Boolean = False, _
                                           Optional ByVal bKeepClientRect As Boolean = True)
  Dim lReturn           As Long
  Dim lStyle            As Long
  Dim lStyleNew         As Long
  Dim tRectClient       As RECT
  Dim tRectClientAfter  As RECT
  Dim tRectWindow       As RECT
  '--------------------------------------------------------------
  'Was a valid form passed?
  If Not frm Is Nothing Then
    '--------------------------------------------------------------
    'Only change if borderstyle IS dialog
    If frm.BorderStyle = vbFixedDialog Then
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Get current Style
      lStyle = GetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, GWL_STYLE)
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Set base for new style
      lStyleNew = lStyle
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Set Resize frame
      lStyleNew = lStyleNew Or WS_THICKFRAME
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Show MaximizeBox?
      If bMaximizeBox Then
        lStyleNew = lStyleNew Or WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Need to turn off MaximizeBox?
      ElseIf (lStyleNew And WS_MAXIMIZEBOX) = WS_MAXIMIZEBOX Then
        lStyleNew = lStyleNew Xor WS_MAXIMIZEBOX
      End If 'ELSE [If bMaximizeBox]
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Show MinimizeBox?
      If bMinimizeBox Then
        lStyleNew = lStyleNew Or WS_MINIMIZEBOX
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Need to turn off MaxinizeBox?
      ElseIf (lStyleNew And WS_MINIMIZEBOX) = WS_MINIMIZEBOX Then
        lStyleNew = lStyleNew Xor WS_MINIMIZEBOX
      End If 'ELSE [If bMinimizeBox]
      '--------------------------------------------------------------
      'Did the Style Change? if not we don't need to do anything
      If lStyleNew <> lStyle Then
'Call LockWindowUpdate(frm.hWnd)
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Get current Window rectangle
        lReturn = GetWindowRect(frm.hWnd, tRectWindow)
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Need to keep the same ClientRect? Then get current Client rectangle
        If bKeepClientRect Then lReturn = GetClientRect(frm.hWnd, tRectClient)
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Send New Style
        lReturn = SetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, GWL_STYLE, lStyleNew)
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Trigger a resize by adding 1 pixel to the height to persist the new style
        lReturn = MoveWindow(frm.hWnd, _
                             tRectWindow.Left, _
                             tRectWindow.Top, _
                             tRectWindow.Right - tRectWindow.Left, _
                             tRectWindow.Bottom - tRectWindow.Top + 1, _
                             1)
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Need to change windowsize to keep the same ClientRect?
        If bKeepClientRect Then
          '--------------------------------------------------------------
          'Get new Client rectangle
          lReturn = GetClientRect(frm.hWnd, tRectClientAfter)
          '--------------------------------------------------------------
          'Need to resize width of window to keep same ClientRect?
          If tRectClient.Right <> tRectClientAfter.Right Then tRectWindow.Right = tRectWindow.Right + (tRectClient.Right - tRectClientAfter.Right)
          '--------------------------------------------------------------
          'Need to resize height of window to keep same ClientRect?
          If tRectClient.Bottom <> tRectClientAfter.Bottom Then tRectWindow.Bottom = tRectWindow.Bottom + (tRectClient.Bottom - tRectClientAfter.Bottom)
        End If 'If bKeepClientRect
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        'Restore original position and (new, if clientrect was changed) size
        lReturn = MoveWindow(frm.hWnd, _
                             tRectWindow.Left, _
                             tRectWindow.Top, _
                             tRectWindow.Right - tRectWindow.Left, _
                             tRectWindow.Bottom - tRectWindow.Top, _
                             1)
'Call LockWindowUpdate(0)
      End If 'If lStyleNew<>lStyle
    End If 'If frm.BorderStyle=vbFixedDialog
  End If 'If fnFormAvailable
End Sub

[DaveDavis]

I know this is an old topic, but I was in need for this fix.

What is it? I can't understand.

[SuperDre]

What is it? I can't understand.

a fix for having sizable window but without the icon or minimize/maximize but keeping the close button, and normal borders, not the toolwindow with its small close button.

[DaveDavis]

a fix for having sizable window but without the icon or minimize/maximize but keeping the close button, and normal borders, not the toolwindow with its small close button.

Thank you explanations.
Have you studied how to park the Form at exact position considering the thickness of Aero edge?

Sub Main()
    
    'standard code not considering Aero borders
    Form2.Left = Form1.Left + Form1.Width '- 8 * 2 * Screen.TwipsPerPixelX
    Form2.Top = Form1.Top
    Form2.Width = Form1.Width
    Form2.Height = Form1.Height
       
    Form1.Show
    Form2.Show
   
End Sub

[SuperDre]

I have some extra code for that in our FormExtender class, but when I was doing this fix I think I created it while my dev machine still was Windows 7 and it behaves differently, so I removed it from this fix (getting the window size was originally a routine that first got the windowsize through GetWindowSize and then it got the windowsize through DMW and did some logic to decide which windowsize it would return. I know it's a pain in the butt and it requires some extra API code to get the actual size of the aero borders.

[DaveDavis]

I have some extra code for that in our FormExtender class, but when I was doing this fix I think I created it while my dev machine still was Windows 7 and it behaves differently, so I removed it from this fix (getting the window size was originally a routine that first got the windowsize through GetWindowSize and then it got the windowsize through DMW and did some logic to decide which windowsize it would return. I know it's a pain in the butt and it requires some extra API code to get the actual size of the aero borders.

How to get GetWindowSize?
GetWindowRect can do so but... because it requires the window has been shown at least once. This is a REAL headache.

Calling GetWindowRect will have different behavior depending on whether the window has ever been shown or not. If the window has not been shown before, GetWindowRect will not include the area of the drop shadow.

To get the window bounds excluding the drop shadow, use DwmGetWindowAttribute, specifying DWMWA_EXTENDED_FRAME_BOUNDS. Note that unlike the Window Rect, the DWM Extended Frame Bounds are not adjusted for DPI. Getting the extended frame bounds can only be done after the window has been shown at least once.