Mica4U

A GUI tool to add background Blur, Acrylic, or Mica effects to Windows Explorer for Windows 10 and 11.

NOTICE

Please note that I am not liable for any damage or harm this application may cause to your system, whether during installation, usage, or any other circumstances.

Features

• Multiple effects available:
  • Acrylic: Blur with noise (Windows 10/11)
  • Blur: Classic blur (Windows 11 22H2 or earlier)
  • Blur (Clear): Clean blur without noise (Windows 10/11)
  • Mica: System-colored background (Windows 11 only)
  • Mica Alt: Alternative system colors (Windows 11 only)
• Customizable transparency and colors
• Light/Dark mode presets
• Easy-to-use graphical interface

Installation

Method 1: Using the Installer (Recommended)

1. Download the latest installer from the Releases page
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts
3. Launch Mica4U from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

Method 2: Portable Version

1. Download the standalone executable from the Releases page
2. Extract the ZIP file to your desired location
3. Run Mica4U.exe

Note: Both methods require administrator privileges for installation and usage.

Usage

Basic Setup

1. Launch Mica4U
2. Choose your desired effect:
   • Acrylic: Blur with noise (Windows 10/11)
   • Blur: Classic blur (Windows 11 22H2 or earlier)
   • Blur (Clear): Clean blur without noise (Windows 10/11)
   • Mica: System-colored background (Windows 11 only)
   • Mica Alt: Alternative system colors (Windows 11 only)

Customization

1. Effect Options:

   • Clear Address Bar: Makes address bar transparent
   • Clear Toolbar: Makes toolbar transparent
   • Clear Background: Makes window background transparent
   • Show Separator: Shows line between toolbar and content

2. Color Settings:

   • Use the color picker to customize background colors
   • Adjust transparency with the alpha slider
   • Save custom color combinations as presets

3. Presets:

   • Choose from built-in Light/Dark mode presets
   • Create custom presets for quick switching
   • Delete unwanted custom presets

Applying Changes

1. After adjusting settings, click "Install" to apply changes
2. Windows Explorer will restart automatically
3. Your new settings will take effect immediately

Troubleshooting

• If Explorer crashes, hold the ESC key while opening Explorer to bypass the effect
• Use the "Uninstall" button to remove effects if issues persist
• Check the Settings dialog for compatibility options

Uninstallation

Method 1: Using Windows Settings (Recommended)

1. Open Windows Settings
2. Go to Apps > Apps & features
3. Search for "Mica4U"
4. Click "Uninstall"
5. Follow the prompts to complete uninstallation

Method 2: Manual Cleanup

1. Uninstall effects using the "Uninstall" button in Mica4U
2. Delete the program files
3. Delete the configuration folder at %APPDATA%\Mica4U (optional)

Compatibility

• Windows 10/11
• Compatible with StartAllBack, Rectify11, and multitudes of other software

Credits

This project builds upon ExplorerBlurMica by Maplespe, which provides the core functionality for applying visual effects to Windows Explorer. The additional user-friendly graphical interface is powered by PyQt6.

Building from source

To compile Mica4U from source, you'll need:

• Python 3.10 or higher
• PyQt6
• PyInstaller
• Inno Setup 6

Steps:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/DRKCTRL/Mica4U.git
   cd Mica4U

2. Install required Python packages:

   pip install PyQt6 pyinstaller

3. Download and install Inno Setup 6

4. Run the build script:

   • Double-click build.cmd, or
   • Run from command line:

     build.cmd

The build process will:

1. Clean previous builds (optional)
2. Create executable using PyInstaller
3. Create installer using Inno Setup
4. Output files will be in:
   • compiled/dist/ - Standalone executable
   • compiled/installer/ - Windows installer

Manual Compilation

If you prefer to compile manually:

1. Build executable:

   pyinstaller compiled/Mica4U.spec

2. Create installer:

   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Inno Setup 6\ISCC.exe" "compiled\installer.iss"

This project uses GNU LGPL v3 license.