Windows Aero quit working. please help!

[HailAngus]

Hi,
The title explains it mostly..

I like the transparent and glass feel of Windows Aero, however it no longer remains to be an option for a Color Scheme. Only Basic or worse.

At no point does it ever enter Aero, not even at bootup.

No programs (to my knowledge) are running that requires basic.

Yesterday I installed the program "AVS Media" so I could cut videos up for work.

In a desperate attempt to get Aero back I have:
1. Uninstalled AVS Media
2. Updated my graphics driver
3. Run adaware check and quarantined
4. Rebooted several times . .


Any help will greatly be appreciated, I can't imagine having to reinstall windows.
Thanks!



System:

Dell XPS 410
1GB Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor E6400 (2MB L2 Cache,2.13GHz,1066)
EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB DDR3
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) RAM

Windows Experience Index Rating: 5.1

 

[bsobel]

Aero is disabled if your machine doesnt pass WGA AFAIK.... So, given your video card and drivers, the question becomes are you sure your running a legitimate and not hacked version?

 

[HailAngus]

Absolutely nothing is hacked on this machine, all legit. Legit keys, Vista bought with the PC from dell when I got this March 2007. Graphics, RAM, and Audio card all added a long time ago.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: HailAngus
Absolutely nothing is hacked on this machine, all legit. Legit keys, Vista bought with the PC from dell when I got this March 2007. Graphics, RAM, and Audio card all added a long time ago.

Ok, you wouldnt be the first person that had a small OEM sell them a fake copy, but I doubt Dell is doing that

Try this from the an elevated cmd prompt:

rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition

Bill

 

[HailAngus]

I have no idea what you mean?

I can't get any of that to do anything

I opened command and tried typing those individually and nothing happens

 

[HailAngus]

UPDATE:

I fixed it by doing a system restore to 2 weeks ago.

Also, after getting on my old settings and using my internet browser (Opera) It asked me if I wanted to upgrade to version 9.26, I forgot I also installed this yesterday. I'm not sure if this was the problem but - beware!

 

[corkyg]

I have had Aero disappear several times after performing some sort of system maintenance, etc. All I had to do to get it back was right click on the screen, and select PERSONALIZE. Then proceed down the various menus. Under Themes, you can turn Aero off and on.

 

[HailAngus]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I have had Aero disappear several times after performing some sort of system maintenance, etc. All I had to do to get it back was right click on the screen, and select PERSONALIZE. Then proceed down the various menus. Under Themes, you can turn Aero off and on.

That was my problem, Aero was not an option as a Color Scheme under personalization. Only basic or worse.