This article describes how to alter the appearance of individual SharePoint sites or new SharePoint sites on a specific server by modifying the style sheet template, which is the Ows.css file.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

Code Samples

This article includes the following two examples:

• The first example describes how to change the appearance of specific SharePoint sites. This procedure only affects those specific sites where you open the Ows.css file.
• The second example describes how to change the appearance of sites that will be created on a specific server in the future. Using the procedure in the second example does not affect any sites that are already created.

WARNING: Microsoft does not recommend altering any documents contained in the _layouts folder of a SharePoint site; doing so can potentially destroy SharePoint Team Services and Windows SharePoint Services on that server. Always make a backup of your documents before you make any changes.

Example 1: Modify on a Site-by-Site Basis

1. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, and browse to the SharePoint site that you want to modify.
2. On the File menu, click Edit with Microsoft FrontPage.
3. When the site opens in Microsoft FrontPage 2002, click Web Settings on the Tools menu.
4. Select the Advanced tab.
5. Click to select the Show hidden files and folders check box, and then click OK.
6. Click Yes when prompted to refresh the Web.
7. Open the _layouts folder, and then open the Styles folder.
8. Create a backup copy of the Ows.css file.
9. Double-click Ows.css to open it in FrontPage.
10. As an example only, search for "5f8ac5" (without the quotation marks). You should find this text within the following style code:

    .ms-main{
       border-right: 50px solid #5f8ac5;
    }
    					

11. Modify the code so that it resembles the following:

    .ms-main{
       border-right: 50px solid #999999;
    }
    					

12. Save this page and then refresh the page in Internet Explorer.

In the preceding example, you changed the color of the right margin to gray. By changing colors and font in the Ows.css file, you can dramatically alter the styles that are applied to your SharePoint site.

Example 2: Modify the Style for All Future SharePoint Sites on One Server

1. Open the folder where the Ows.css file is located on the server. By default, the file is located in the following folder:
   C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\50\Templates\1033\Styles
2. Create a backup copy of Ows.css.
3. Double-click Ows.css to open it in FrontPage.
4. As an example only, search for "5f8ac5" (without the quotation marks). You should find this text within the following style code:

   .ms-main{
      border-right: 50px solid #5f8ac5;
   }
   					

5. Modify the code so that it resembles the following:

   .ms-main{
      border-right: 50px solid #999999;
   }
   					

6. Save and close the page.

The next time that you configure a site as a SharePoint site, the site will have a gray right border.