Problem: Vista Desktop icons visible in other application windows

[skoka]

Hi,

I am using Aero theme in Vista. While I find the Aero theme generally good, it is really bothering a me a lot with the transparency of application windows. When I am viewing other apps like IE or MCE I can see the desktop icons and Windows Sidebar in the background. This is really annoying. Is there any way of getting rid of the background icons and sidebar?

I have disabled transparency in 'Window Color and Appearance' (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx...ss_transparency_effect ). Even this did not help.

Can somebody please help me?

Thanks.
Srikanth Koka

 

[skoka]

Bump

 

[skoka]

Some body please help!!!

 

[nerp]

I'm not sure what you mean. Only the border of my application windows are transparent, not the interior of the windows themselves.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: skoka
Hi,

I am using Aero theme in Vista. While I find the Aero theme generally good, it is really bothering a me a lot with the transparency of application windows. When I am viewing other apps like IE or MCE I can see the desktop icons and Windows Sidebar in the background. This is really annoying. Is there any way of getting rid of the background icons and sidebar?

I have disabled transparency in 'Window Color and Appearance' (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx...ss_transparency_effect ). Even this did not help.

Can somebody please help me?

Thanks.
Srikanth Koka

Can you post a screen shot, as what your describing isn't normal...

 

[skoka]

The inside of the application is transparent too. Imagine that when you are watching TV or Movies in Media Center. I am not at my Vista PC right now. As soon as I get home I will post screen shots.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: skoka
The inside of the application is transparent too. Imagine that when you are watching TV or Movies in Media Center. I am not at my Vista PC right now. As soon as I get home I will post screen shots.

That is not normal. Do you have some 3rd party UI tools (like ObjectDesktop) installed?

 

[skoka]

Originally posted by: bsobel
That is not normal. Do you have some 3rd party UI tools (like ObjectDesktop) installed?

No. I do not have any party UI Tools installed. It is plain Vista Home Premium and bunch Vista automatic updates. I do have WinDVR(Intervideo) and WinTV (Hauppauge) installed on this machine. I had BeyondTV installed at one time and it is now uninstalled.

BTW, this behavior is only with Aero theme. If I use other themes like Windows Classic the application window is 100% opaque (i.e; I do not see background desktop icons and sidebar etc).

 

[skoka]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in coming up with the screenshots. I was away from my PC for a long time. Here are the screenshots.

The first one is of the desktop ( http://www.srikanthkoka.com/desktop.jpg )
The second one of the Media Center Windows ( http://www.srikanthkoka.com/mce.jpg ).
Please note the icons on the MC window on the left side of the projector screen. On the right side of the screen you can find the sidebar. You need to look really close to see these icons in the image. I was not able to use the snip tool of Vista to capture the window as Meida Center stops playing the DVD whenever I select snip. Therefore, I had to use a digital camera.

Please let me know if you find anything I can do.

Thanks.
Srikanth

 

[skoka]

Originally posted by: skoka

Originally posted by: bsobel
That is not normal. Do you have some 3rd party UI tools (like ObjectDesktop) installed?

No. I do not have any party UI Tools installed. It is plain Vista Home Premium and bunch Vista automatic updates. I do have WinDVR(Intervideo) and WinTV (Hauppauge) installed on this machine. I had BeyondTV installed at one time and it is now uninstalled.

BTW, this behavior is only with Aero theme. If I use other themes like Windows Classic the application window is 100% opaque (i.e; I do not see background desktop icons and sidebar etc).

Oops!!! I am sorry! The behavior is not specific with Aero. It is the same with all themes.