Hack to Force Enable Aero in Windows 7
Windows 7 has a nice little Windows Aero troubleshooting tool to find and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects, and then enable and turn on Aero support (and also Aero Peek) in Windows 7. If the tool does not work to enable Aero feature in Windows 7, the trick to force enable Aero in Windows Vista may still work in Windows 7.
Follow these steps in the instruction below to force enable Windows Aero Glass Transparency effect on system with video card (graphic accelerator adapter) that does not meet the WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model ) specifications, which provides functionality required to render the desktop and applications using Desktop Window Manager, a compositing window manager running on top of Direct3D 9.0Ex, and provides device driver interfaces required by Direct3D 10 runtime used in Windows 7.
- Open Registry Editor (RegEdit).
- 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.
- In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit value) named UseMachineCheck, and set its value to 0.
- In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named Blur, and set its value to 0.
- In the right details pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named Animations, and set its value to 0.
- 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 - Attempt to enable and apply Windows Aero in Windows 7. Restart the computer if required.
The trick above also may work to enable Aero on Windows 7 and Windows Vista installed on virtual machine (VM), especially in Virtual PC 2007. VPC 2007 uses S3 as virtual display adapter, which is capable of running Windows Aero. When the guest Windows 7 or Vista OS uses software-based hardware check after hack above, it will find only S3, couple with actual Aero-capable video card, may allow Aero to run in VMs as in real physical machine.
Related Articles
- Force Enable Windows Aero Glass or WDM on Unsupported and WDDM-Incomptible Graphics Card
- Hack to Enable Windows Aero in Vista Home Basic Edition
- Hack to Enable Aero Shake to Minimize Unfocused Windows in Vista and XP (AeroShake)
- How to Turn On and Enable Aero in Windows 7 (Enable Aero Peek)
- Enable or Disable Aero Border Frame in Windows Live MSN Messenger (with Auto Switcher)
- Get and Enable Windows Vista Aero Glass Transparency Effect and Desktop Windows Manager (DWM)
- How to Enable Aero Glass in Windows 7 Virtual Machines on Windows Virtual PC
- AeroSnap Free Download to Enable Windows 7 Aero Snap Features in XP and Vista
- Shortcuts to Enable and Disable Vista Aero Theme
- Enable and Install Windows 7 Regional Themes and Wallpapars via Registry Hack
Entries (RSS)
November 14th, 2009 06:37
hey “rt”, comment #30,
i have an intel 915 chipset too, could you notify me should you find a solution? i know there HAS to be a way because from running some 3rd party apps, the graphics card is able to create (or replicate) the transparency effect… (gipfeli@gmx.ch) thanks!
November 8th, 2009 21:58
This will NOT work on asus eee pc 701 it will turn the screen black and just left the watermark
November 8th, 2009 07:39
I was wondering if anybody knew if a Intel GMA 900 integrated graphics would work… On wikipedia it says it theoretically works but there is no WDDM driver so this is what this hack is for, right?
November 6th, 2009 21:37
this does not work.. any other solutions for that? I have a intel 915 on my notebook, so I need a hack to enable aero..
October 12th, 2009 23:02
Those last 2 comments 27 & 28 are complete bullshit this does not work on RTM, I know this because it worked for me fine on the beta versions *Before RC… then the rest *betas after RC it stopped working.
October 4th, 2009 23:05
this worked fine on Windows 7 Final Version.
September 16th, 2009 09:50
This WORKED for me on Windows 7 RTM!
After I installed my ASUS Radeon 4870 Dark Knight 1GB, aero stopped working and the Win 7 fixer couldn’t fix it. This “hack” did the trick!
July 31st, 2009 09:32
1 Read the article carefuly
2 comments allready state that this does not work
for those who screens turned black, you need to have had met all hardware req.(128 Mb vcard) but didn’t have driver
if you had req., nothing should have happened instead of a black screen
this is a vista and early w7 trick
does not work for later and rtm
July 17th, 2009 16:44
You must write in HKEY_USERS\”YOUR USER ID”\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
But is render only black screen(on my computer).
July 5th, 2009 13:59
it is useless to enable aero in 7 rc by using hacks i tried every method and the screen gone black……
June 27th, 2009 04:09
Y’all are idiots. this doesn’t work unless your graphics card has 128 MB or more in memory. unsupported means cards that would be able to run it as far as specs go but cant because the driver is unsupported.
June 7th, 2009 22:04
lier!!!!
June 7th, 2009 05:07
my screen when black also a easier way then going into safe mode is to use ease of access and choose use the color setting it will fix it enough to delete the registry u added
May 21st, 2009 14:29
Windows 7 rocks, and my cousin liked using it on my PC. We installed it on his older laptop, and YES IT RAN! Trouble to find drivers for the ex-Windows XP machine but no biggie. Got it goin’ sweet. THEN THIS DOUCHE GIVE OUT THESE BS DIRECTIONS. SUCK A HOT COCK…NEEEEWB!!!!
May 21st, 2009 14:23
Listen dickhead… You probably don’t even run Win 7 so don’t go speakin’ on shit you don’t know hoe! You fuckem my cousin’s shit up..and you’re an idiot. THIS IS A TWEAK THAT I HAVE USED ON VISTA..DO NOT ATTEMPT ON WINDOWS 7!!! instead of forcing “Aero”, how about I force your jaw shut..with steel wire bitch?! Get some!
May 21st, 2009 06:12
YOU ASSHOLE I HAD TO REINSTALL WIN 7 CAUSE MY PC WONT GO INTO SAFEMODE UNLESS I BOOT INTO NORMAL MODE AND RESTART IT FROM THERE THEN KEEP HITTING F8, IN SHORT TERMS DONT DO THIS ON AN MDG WIN XP SYSTEM
May 19th, 2009 11:01
Can be a dangerous thing to do. So before you touch the Registry, use System Restore to create a restore point so that you can revert to the previous version of the Registry if something goes awry.To create a restore point, choose Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Restore files from backup > Create a restore point or change settings. GL. just for any1 reading this.
May 19th, 2009 10:38
command prompt with administrator privileges:
net stop uxsms
net start uxsms
I can stop it and restart but nada,
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>net stop uxsms
The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service is stopping.
The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service was stopped successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>net start uxsms
The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service is starting.
The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service was started successfully.
lol oh well maybe in time there will be something on it. I always came here since the xp days and always worked what i was looking for.
May 13th, 2009 18:06
That doesn’t work at all!
Please try to find any loophole, and maybe you should try it out yourself before posting and ruining some people’s PCs.
May 12th, 2009 23:07
I have tried the method you suggested…. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work at all!! I am using Windows 7 RC build 7100 and I can’t even get the Aero theme enabled. The display on the screen is just like Vista Basic and nothing else. When I click on any of the Aero themes, say ‘Characters’, ‘Nature’, etc., only the wallpaper changes and not the look and feel.
I think Microsoft has fixed this loophole. Try to find another way in which you can enable Aero on Windows 7.
March 31st, 2009 22:39
This method will not enable Aero to work with VirtualPC. VirtualPC does indeed use S3 as the emulated video card. But this card has had many versions, the version emulated on VirtualPC is a very old one with specifications well below the requirements of Aero. The hardware that is emulated in VirtualPC was chosen for maximum compatibility with client operating systems and applications, not maximum capability.
However, some users have used a different method that seems to work. Using this method the client attaches to the host system by means of remote desktop. I have not done this. Do an internet search for “VirtualPC Aero” to find the details.
Larry Miller
Microsoft MCSA
March 30th, 2009 06:26
IDIOT you screwed my pc .
March 10th, 2009 01:16
Does not work here either???
March 3rd, 2009 12:57
DOES NOT WORK. ROYALLY SCREWS UP WIN 7. IF YOU USED THIS THEN GO INTO SAFE MODE AND REMOVE THE REGISTRY VALUES TO FIX THIS.
March 1st, 2009 01:38
Well It did not worked for me on a Gforce TI 4200 It looks it was working but the screen was stucked no movement, but it was working normal in the background. I had to start windows again in safe mode and remove the registry values. Good Luck!!!
February 20th, 2009 20:01
How to activate Aero now?
February 20th, 2009 19:55
“Create a new DWORD.. value is 0″
Hexadecimal or decimal?
February 16th, 2009 06:18
To run cmd as administrator, you must right click cmd, and click ‘Run as Administrator’.
Also I can’t get this to work either. :\
No aero, I followed everything correctly, and no errors.
February 8th, 2009 13:04
This actually ruined Windows 7 for me, the screen would be blank after i applied the settings and did a restart.. luckily it was for my sis so no big deal i guess.. but this doesnt work..
January 23rd, 2009 21:33
I also tried this hack while using Virtual PC SP1. It did not give me aero.
Getting a Windows Experience Index is apparently a critical step and when I try to run it there is a message “Unable to run an assessment inside a virtual machine”. Also the emulated S3 video card has 8MB video memory – a tiny amount – my GeForce card has 512MB. So I am not surprised by no aero.
January 22nd, 2009 00:08
i’m trying these steps in virtual pc 2007 right now. the registry has been edited and the desktop window session manager restarted.
now i don’t exactly know what to do to enable aero.
any suggestion? :/
January 19th, 2009 18:58
u hav 2 right klik cmd and say run as administr8r!
January 19th, 2009 10:47
when i put in the command in cmd it says
sysetm error 5 has occurred
access is denied
is it an administrative thing?