In KSP’s VAB, the recoloring GUI is usually closed by clicking the X on its window, or by pressing Esc if the UI has focus. If it gets stuck and won’t close, that usually points to a mod/UI conflict rather than a normal control issue.

What usually works

  • Click the close button on the recoloring window.
  • Press Esc once or twice.
  • Right-click the part again and toggle the recoloring panel off.
  • Switch away from the part or exit and re-enter the editor if the panel is frozen.

If it is stuck

People reporting the same issue with Textures Unlimited / recolor tools often mention the GUI becoming unclosable and forcing a restart, especially when the install is broken or conflicting with another mod. A common fix is to check the mod setup, make sure dependencies are correct, and remove outdated bundled files if the recolor mod includes its own copy of Textures Unlimited.

Common fixes

  1. Verify the recolor mod and its dependencies are installed correctly.
  2. Remove duplicate or outdated Textures Unlimited files if present.
  3. Check for conflicts with other visual mods, especially ReStock-related setups.
  1. If the problem keeps happening, do a clean reinstall of the mod package.

In practice

One user described the exact symptom as the recolor GUI opening but refusing to close, making the game unusable until task manager was used. That makes the main takeaway simple: if normal close controls do nothing, it is probably a mod issue rather than a hidden VAB shortcut.

The fastest path is usually: close it with X/Esc , and if that fails, inspect the mod install for a conflict or bad dependency.

TL;DR: Try the window X or Esc first; if the GUI is frozen, it is likely a Textures Unlimited / recolor mod conflict and needs a mod cleanup.