Taskbar not Changing to Aero

[Beany]

Hi, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I'm having trouble with my taskbar; It refuses to change to the transparent aero colour. Instead it remains in Windows Classic, while everything else is aero (the window borders are transparent still).
I've tried methods of forcing aero and have updated drivers but to no avail. I think it may be because I am running an ATI graphics card and an Nvidia one but I'm not sure. It's not too much of an issue it's just really ugly

 

[J.T]

Hi Beany, Windows 7 automatically adjusts Aero effects based on your computer’s Windows Experience Index on a scale of 1.0 to 7.9. The subscore for your computer’s graphics performance determines which Windows Aero effects are supported, so you could be right with your Graphics Card.

 

[Beany]

Yeah, I think it is a graphics card issue. It's not that I can't run Aero though (I score 7.8 in the windows index thing) It's simply that the taskbar refuses to change. It's quite strange.

 

[Kalario]

Have you tried updating the driver for the graphics card?

 

[Beany]

Yeah, both cards were updated yesterday.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hi Beany

Are you running a dual monitor setup?
Is this the reason you are using two graphics adapters?
If so try switching the Default Monitor in Display Settings, this may give different results with the Taskbar.

 

[Beany]

Hi, I'm using an Eyefinity setup. So while technically it is 3 monitors it is only recognised as one; all 3 monitors are the default. All 3 are connected to the single ATI card, while the other Nvidia card is purely for PhysX operations that some games implement.

 

[TrainableMan]

There are some programs that disable Aero when they are in use, including my older version of Paint Shop Pro but you seem to be saying you have all the Aero effects but your taskbar. Does your start menu show the aero glass effect with no problems yet the taskbar is solid?

Have you tried changing to a non-Aero theme like Windows classic and then changing back again? Do you use any tools/tweakers like TuneUp Utilities 2010 which disable/modify registry settings for improved speed, etc and may have modified your settings? Has it been this way since you got it or was it working and then quit?

Having competing video card makers in the same machine is a bit unusual and I suppose it could be a compatibility issue.

 

[Beany]

Thanks for all the replies so far, in answer to the previous one:
-I don't think there are any programs causing the problem since I hadn't installed, or really changed, anything (at least not that I recall) when the issue started.
-If I change to any theme it adopts the wallpaper but says I'm in windows classic (but some aero effects still apply)
-I have some clean-up software but it's never been an issue.
-This problem occurred around the time I installed the other graphics card. Although not straight away. Before that it worked fine.

One weird thing is there is a transparent, aero line running along the top of the taskbar. The start menu isn't aero. Also, if two labels combine in the taskbar (i.e. having two of the same window open at once) when I click on them the text is invisible. It's all very frustrating, I can't even change to windows basic

I appreciate the help!

 

[Fire cat]

Looks like explorer.exe is buggy... Strange.

I have no idea what to do though...

 

[TrainableMan]

I would give a 95% probability it is your video drivers or some form of incompatibility between the two. Since you say it worked until right about the time you installed the second one, I would suggest completely removing the last video card installed and it's drivers, then reboot and see if the Aero works then.

 

[Kalario]

Or wait for another couple of months when Veedaz makes his next appearance and solves your issue

Just kidding!

 

[Beany]

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. At least it should diagnose if it's an issue with the graphics card or not.
I shall get round to doing it when I can and report back, thanks!

 

[cybercore]

Hi, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I'm having trouble with my taskbar; It refuses to change to the transparent aero colour. Instead it remains in Windows Classic, while everything else is aero (the window borders are transparent still).
I've tried methods of forcing aero and have updated drivers but to no avail. I think it may be because I am running an ATI graphics card and an Nvidia one but I'm not sure. It's not too much of an issue it's just really ugly

Could you please attach a picture of that?

 

[Beany]

Hi, sorry I left it a while but I've done what you asked. Un-installing Nvidia components doesn't change anything. I un-installed it as thoroughly as I know how so I don't think there is any issue there.
Also I have a screenshot of my desktop, assuming I've attached it correctly; I don't use forums much

 

[Beany]

Hmmm...it seems the image has been quite massively resized. Oh well, you can see that the borders on the windows are aero but the sidebar and taskbar aren't. Also, it shows I'm set to windows classic.

 

[TrainableMan]

Well in Windows Classic Aero is disabled, which makes me wonder if you created your own theme and overwrote the classic theme or something and ended up with this splice.

Could you open the registry editor and, Without Changing Anything, work your way down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM and see if it looks similar to mine. You will likely not have Blur nor Glass, as I added those, but see if the rest of what you have matches.



Also could you try this ...
Do you have any other userids on this computer? If not please create one and see if the display is normal when you log on as that ID.

 

[Beany]

I made a new user and the issues remained. However there are differences in our registry stuff. I added some things to the registry that were meant to fix the problem (they didn't) but there are also other differences, besides the ones you mentioned.
The information in regedit also changes if I change between a non-aero and an aero theme. I assume this is normal but it does seem to suggest that aero is being turned on it just doesn't say so in the Personalization window.
Also, I did download a third-party theme. I doubt it was malicious but I have since deleted it. Could that have been an issue?

 

[TrainableMan]

Also, I did download a third-party theme. I doubt it was malicious but I have since deleted it. Could that have been an issue?

Yes it is a very good possibility it altered something, agreed probably not to be malicious, more likely just to accomplish it's purpose. When you uninstalled it did you first set things back to normal?

I have a hunch it is either LastDisqualifiedCompositionSignature or UseMachineCheck. This is just a hunch so I'm trying to find out more about them. From what I have read, the UseMachineCheck is used by people that can't get Aero normally; I'm curious, did you have to force Aero on because your system wouldn't run it natively?

I did actually find another thread with your problem of only the taskbar being non-Aero but unfortunately it had no answer.

I will let you know if I have any other ideas but I find that you creating a new userid and it having the same problem as somewhat of a disappointment, I had hoped we could compare the two IDs and it point to a solution

 

[Beany]

I'm not sure what I was set to when I uninstalled it. It's hard to tell what settings I have when the personalisation window refuses to alter from windows classic. I did go into the themes folder and delete any trace of it.
'UseMachineCheck' is probably one I added in an attempt to force the taskbar to aero. It's only the taskbar I was trying to force though; Aero runs fine otherwise (I have an aero capable system)
I probably saw that thread too. Unfortunately not many people seem to suffer from this problem and finding a solution doesn't seem that easy but thank you for your efforts so far, I too shall research those registry files.