Microsoft decided that The Aero interface would not be available for Windows Vista Home Basic users. I personally dislike the new trend to offer several versions of a program with different functionality. The names, basic, premium and ultimate, do not really tell the user much about what the operating system is offering, and what is not included. It confuses consumers who have enough troubles to work with the operating system less alone deciding which of the many versions of Windows Vista would suit their needs.
It is apparently not a big problem to enable the Vista Aero interface in Windows Vista Home Basic even though it is officially not included in that version. All you need to do is to change the values of two registry keys and restart Windows Vista afterwards. Open the registry by pressing Windows + R, typing regedit and hitting enter afterwards.
Navigate to the key Hkey_Current_User \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ DWM \ and change the value of the entry Composition to 1 and the value of CompositionPolicy to 0.
Now you can select the Aero interface by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Personalize from the menu. Switch to Colors and Appearance and click on Classic Appearance Properties.. and choose Windows Vista Aero from the menu.
Update: Microsoft has continued the naming confusion with the release of Vista’s successor, Windows 7. Windows 7 did ship with a professional edition that replaced Vista’s business edition. The breakdown in Home Basic and Home Premium has not been changed though, and Windows 7 Home Basic users face the same restrictions that Windows Vista owners faced when the operating system comes out.
Related Articles:
Enable Windows Aero In Unsupported Windows EditionsWindows 7 Starter And Home Basic Personalization Panel
Windows XP Aero
Aero Peek For XP And Vista
Aero Shake For Windows XP And Windows Vista
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No, Windows Vista Standard is enabled right out of the Vista Home Basic box in Personalize -> Window Color and Appearance. On a default install, it’s the topmost selection in the Color Scheme box, right above Basic. No hack required for that.
What this reg hack does is enable the Glass window composition and colour scheme picker under Vista Standard, something that isn’t there right out of the box.
Before you call people idiots, try to determine if you yourself actually know what you’re talking about.
Er, change that to “Right hand corner” sorry…it was about 3:00 AM my time…had my directions messed up :P
The border is supposed to darken. It does it on all Vista machines using Aero.
This isn’t Aero and it doesn’t enable anything that wouldn’t otherwise be available in Windows Vista Basic. If you log on the Guest account, this theme is enabled by default without doing all these things
Hallo Everybody!
i had the same problem too,tried all,there is a change in colors after enabling aero in vista basic,but the windows are not transparent.
Here i got one solution for all !!!
search the net or torrent and download a program called TrueTransparency !!!
it is great and has more sckins ,it really works !!!
The point is, that these people buy Vista Basic because it’s the cheapest choice. Since they can only afford the cheapest choice
hahahahaha it;s so funny to reading it,only a33hole like u give ££££££ to the almighty microsft, people who own the 8800 ultra don,t give a S,,t to buy , they just get it for free,hahahaha
two SLI 8800 ultra, and u,mhhh, maybe some geforce 2
I tried everything,but it have no change
OMFG every SINGLE one of you here are a bunch of numnuts! if you want the glass feature on basic just freaken download windows blinds! -.- it sickens me to see so MANY NUBZ!!!
The Glass window composition is NOT transparent and is NOT available in the Guest account by default or at all in Home Basic without either manually changing CompositionPolicy to 2 for the active user or using some scriptkiddie software to do that simple regedit for you.
If you try to do the edit and afterward don’t see the sliders for picking the Glass window composition color under Personaliuze -> Window Color and Appearance, or if it still looks exactly the same as the default solid blue theme in the Guest account, then you did something wrong. Start over or give it up, face your own incompetence and use the scriptkiddie software.
Mine changed to Vista standard automatically after upgrading my RAM above 1gb.
its not work!!!!!! only on betas and rc’s. gosh…are you noobz!!!!
hey you. this is just the default theme of vista basic. you all suck!! i want the fucking transparent theme!! fuckers!!
well tis does work but i my brand new acer aspire i just bought is slower than anything ive ever seen..
I can’t comment if this “hack” works because I don’t have VHB. Its a method of enableing a feature of Vista that should otherwise be disabled, if you don’t like it don’t use it, simple as.
On a side note those why do some people get so angry towards users who need a bit of help or looking for a solution to a problem. Time and time again users slander others they consider “noobz” (should be “|\|00|32″ anyway, now who is a |\|oo|3 dropi). Get a grip because no-one wants you so please leave our blogs, comment spaces and forums along.
I hope my message gets through because
this whole mess is exacly that– a fucking
mess (areo in vista basic is NOT POSSIBLE),
it’s this shit that clogs up the net with
computer fucking geeks and nerds whaterver,
bullshiting around and wasteing real peoples
time. Well I know its my fault for casually
surfing the web and seeing areo in BASIC and
actually thingking its possible.
Say what you want, you know I’m right.
–to moderator, please allow just this once.
Is the black vista theme availible to download to ordinary windows? if it is. can someone please send me a download-link to me.. been searching for a while now and cant find it.. Please: Mikk-kkie@hotmail.com
i think i have an idea but u need access to a vista premium or ultimate go into the folder c:/windows/resources/themes. and copy the themes folder to a flash drive or what ever and replace your folder of the same location
if any 1 has tried this yet let us know
This is hilarious. All of you people doing the namecalling and claiming it doesn’t work or only works on beta and RC versions, how would you know if it doesn’t work? Just because you didn’t do it correctly and it didn’t work for you doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for those who did follow the instructions:
Use regedit to modify:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM]
Composition = 1
CompositionPolicy = 2
Then, either use an administrative command prompt (right-click on Command Prompt and choose ‘Run as administrator’) to enter:
net stop uxsms
net start uxsms
or simply reboot.
After that, go to Personalize -> Window Color and Appearance and play with the sliders.
Aero won’t work in Home Basic?!
I bought a new laptop about 2 weeks ago because my old one suddenly died:(
My new laptop (Acer) has Vista Home Basic pre-enabled. And with Aero enabled on default!
So stop saying that it won’t work because it DOES WORK. Most of y’all wore just not lucky enough to have it pre-enabled.
what if i use my (dual boot )ubuntu to modify and/or get some files from a nother vista with aero and copy and/or replace the ones needed for aero?? would that work?
not the reg key but the actual aero files because i don’t think basic has aero at all well at least not mine i have integrated version (came with my pc) i tried every forum i could find and i could not get it working
my reg was all ready set that way but aero is not in the list i know my pc can run aero (performance) what can i do next?
ok.. if you checked C:\Windows\Resources for the aero and it’s not there then you should try to copy the aero theme file. (I hope I’m right) If that doesnt work you might need to use the uxtheme.dll patch to enable 3rd party theming. I’m also using themes that are not included in Vista and they don’t appear without the patch.
good luck!;)
wher do i get the aero theme file if i dont
have it
Do the same registry tweaks but search for CompositionPolicy there should be one specified under HKEY_Users do same things that u done in the instructions for this then enable your theme then it will work i had the same problem but im am reli good at this stuff lol
its actually ment to be Composition set to 1 and CompositionPolicy set to 2 didnt know he done that wrong
Cheers Guyswill play around tonight
and to u lot who slg us off, im Cisco VP qualified im not thick, i just bought the wrong version and would like to know how to enable if i cant then i cant if i can then i can,,, but guys and gals who want to slag everyone off,,, got 2 words for u… “GET BENT”
hi there, i did all the steps but it still seems to be not working.. also i checked my C:\Windows\Resources folder and i do see Aero, but y is it still not working? please help!
(screencap of the folder)
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1627/folderqs0.jpg
To enable the full aero theme including transparancy you have to edit
Regedit:
HKCU/Software/Microsoft/Windows/DWM/
Composition = 1
CompositionPolicy = 2
and then go to the next registry entry the second directorie in the registry hack S-1-5-21-2570785041-229298284-3903479328-500 may vairy between computer though its normally the longest entrie.
Regedit:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2570785041-229298284-3903479328-500\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
Composition = 1
CompositionPolicy = 2
I have vista home and tried this last one, it still doesn’t enable the full aero…any more ideas??