Enable Aero Like Interface Without Meeting Requirements

This is going to be handy for those who have old machines and don’t meet the requirements to run Aero Glass Effect, because the graphic card isn’t released with the WDDM driver and is of less memory. I am going to write an alternative to somehow bring the aero like transparent effects in the basic windows seven also. Please, note that I shall use some third party software's to achieve so and will write my own experience using them.

Making Explorer.exe Transparent Or I may say Windows Transparent:-

You can achieve this by variety of ways, I shall describe a simple one here by using a third party software True Transparency. Which is capable of overlapping all the upper parts of the explorer.exe/ Windows with the transparent png’s which can be designed by you also If you know how to use Photoshop.

Download True Transparency

How to use True Transparency:-

After downloading, extract using Winrar and then run the application. It will start to run in the taskbar and you will notice that all the windows tops have turned transparent and shadow is also being dropped. Lets know how to customize it:-

• If you want any program not to show transparent tops like Aero hen simply run that program and then go to True Transparency by right clicking its icon at task bar. Open Exclude manager, there you will find the name of the running program, right click that and click Add to exclude list.
• If you want to change theme then simple go to Skins like the way described above, i-e right clicking the icon TL in task bar.
• If you want to add more skins then simple design one by seeing the skins already added in the downloaded files, or else download any skin from Google and then paste that in the directory of the downloaded archive. (Assuming that you are using that downloaded archive at the running application since application doesn’t need any kind of installation)

Making Taskbar Transparent:-

In case of Windows Seven:-

Well windows seven still hasn’t any well written hack to do so, but I am going to use a third party software using which you can satisfy your need to much extent . Its Fade Taskbar. Download FadeTaskbar and then run it. It will also run in the taskbar, after that right click it and then you can set the transparency level at you own.

Note:- In this application taskbar is not always transparent i-e when you bring your mouse over taskbar it get opaque but when you don’t its transparent because it uses fade out effects. If you want permanent transparent taskbar then search for any other application like this one.

In Case of Xp Or any Other Windows:-

You can use variety of software's two of them are:-

Vistart By Crystal Xp – To have Seven Like Start Menu With transparent Aero Theme

You can use the above provided Taskbar Software's also. And can use Trans bar too. Google For other related software in XP case you can find many.

Changing Your Default Windows Seven Theme:-

Are you bored of your default theme? so lets have a combo of Black theme with Black Transparent skin of True Transparency to match with, I have provided one the in TL above.

Download the theme package (Provided by Devian Art)

Just run the take owner ship registry script present in the downloaded package. After that copy Aero present in the Aero Folder and go toC:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero there findaero.msstyles , right click it and click Take Ownershipand after that rename it as aero.backup (So, that you may restore it by renaming aero.msstyles again in case of any wrong doing) and then paste there the copied aero file from downloaded package. Now in the downloaded package go to :- patcher and then run the Universal patcher according to your system like if its 32 bit run x86 and if 64 bit run x64 and then hit all the 3 patches. You are done. Click the Correct Design in the downloaded package i-e the main theme and restart computer and you are done.  Its changed  A nice combo black transparent TL and a black theme with transparent bar.

If you can add more using your own experience then kindly share with us in comments, plus let us know about more applications for customizations, so that we may update post for newbies out there, Thanks