How to enable Glass and other graphics effects on Windows 7?

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mindoka

62 posts

Master Geek

#59756 11-Apr-2010 21:42

i installed win7 64bit ultimate.

but i think the aero top bars have lame looking minimize, maximize and close buttons. how the heck can i change these?

i can find screenshots from google where people have clearly done this. so there has to be a way.

freitasm

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#317134 11-Apr-2010 21:45

Can you post a screenshot please?

Remember "Glass" will only work if the graphics adapter is capable - some old hardware and first gen mini notebooks, or on board graphics adapter may not have the "power" for that.

Also if you set Windows for "performance" it may disable Glass and default to the old window management system.

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Lurch

1054 posts

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#317148 11-Apr-2010 22:52

As per above the card may not be up to the task, you can also try:

1) Make sure that Windows Experience Index has been calculated and computed.
2) Click on Start menu.
3) Type the following text into the Start Search box:

Aero

Click on a search result listing under Control Panel group that named as the following:

Find and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects

Lurch

1054 posts

Uber Geek

#317149 11-Apr-2010 22:53

You can also force it on...

1. Open Registry Editor (RegEdit).
2. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM

If the DWM registry key is not found, right click on Windows and then select New -> Key to create new branch and name it as DWM.
3. In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit value) named UseMachineCheck, and set its value to 0.
4. In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named Blur, and set its value to 0.
5. In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named Animations, and set its value to 0.
6. Restart the Desktop Window Manager Session Manager in Services in Control Panel (type Services.msc in Start Search), or run the following commands in a command prompt with administrator privileges:

net stop uxsms
net start uxsms
7. Attempt to enable and apply Windows Aero in Windows 7. Restart the computer if required.

mindoka

62 posts

Master Geek

#317169 11-Apr-2010 23:47

thanks, i'll try to play more tomorrow. i'm not running win7 now, i multibooted back to xp.

clarification what i meant. the standard win7 aero look which i was able to start easily (card is ATI 5770 with 1GB) does not look appealing to me. i mean, it does except the minimize, maximize and close button in the top right which i'd want to replace.

googling showed some people have gotten the top bars look like MacOSX etc.

standard: http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/soft4all/DL4ALL/Windows7-AeroGlass-Ultimate.jpg

another standard: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/Vista-visual-styles-comparison.png

macosx-style: http://www.technobuzz.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/windows-7-mac-osx-leopard.jpg

another maxos: http://windows7themes.net/themes/windows-7-mac-theme-1.jpg

just different: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/068/1/c/1c533327c044307d97b83b793d8f55c0.jpg

so there has to be a way to do it. standard settings that i could think of did not give anything to change the look of those. no, i dont want macosx either, just an example to shows peope have done significantly different styles. even googling did not reveal how they've done it...

Batman

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#317190 12-Apr-2010 06:42

you can't just MAKE it become like those from within OS config buttons.

they've created special theme packs which MAY stuff up the OS theme skeleton ... you could give their special packs a try though

the answer to how to enable glass: adjust transparency from rightclick Desktop -> personalize -> windows color

teasp00n

28 posts

Geek

#318815 15-Apr-2010 14:30

Joker is right, these are themes.

By default you can only use themes that have Microsofts digital signature (correct me if I'm wrong).

If you really want to do this then you will need to patch the uxtheme.dll and two others i can't remember at the moment in order to use third party themes. Just googe it and you will find walkthroughs.

Incedentally I did this the other day and installed a full glass theme. While explorer now looks epic the "paper" in word is grey which is less than ideal so just be aware that there may be some sideaffects. (You can change back to one of the default themes at any time.)