I don’t know how anyone, but I, for example, don’t like that the transparency of the taskbar in Windows 8.1 cannot be removed in any way. Developers of this version operating system for some reason did not provide for the possibility of choosing this option. For a number of reasons, sometimes very funny, many users do not like the "eight" at all.

I am not one of them for a very simple reason - objectively Windows 8.1 is no worse previous systems microsoft, or even better. I do not want to go into any technical or design issues - this is my opinion as a user.

The impossibility of removing the transparency of the taskbar upset me a lot. Well, I do not like transparent interfaces where it is completely unnecessary.

Here's a simple example in pictures:

1 - Transparent taskbar 2 - Opaque taskbar

Why do I need through transparent panel to consider something there? The taskbar has completely different functions, and if it gets in the way, then you can hide it completely. Although, of course, who likes what.

In the system, I did not find ways to cope with this problem, as already mentioned at the beginning of this article. Installing some applications specifically to remove transparency is also not an option. There is no desire to put additional topics either.

On the Internet, I found a fairly simple way to turn off the transparency of the taskbar - to slightly tweak the Windows theme file. The standard theme suits me perfectly, I decided to tweak it.
The path to the file that you want to tweak is the following:

The path to the theme file: This computer / Drive C / Windows / Resources / Themes / aero.theme

The easiest way is to copy the file aero.theme and place it on your desktop. By using text editor e.g. Notepad, open file aero.theme, find in the text block and replace Aero.msstyles in it with Aerolight.msstyles, save the changes.

Replace Aero with Aerolight

Rename the file (for example, aaero.theme) and put it back in the Themes folder. But you can save it to any other convenient place from where double click run as a normal application.

To edit a file directly in the theme folder, you need to obtain permission to do so. To do this, right-click on it and in the menu that opens, click on "Properties", then "Security".

So here in a simple way I got rid of the transparency of the taskbar.

Compared to its predecessors, Windows 8 has received a major overhaul. The famous Aero Glass effect has been discontinued and replaced with a simpler interface. Instead of rounded corners, windows 8 is now squared and the names of bars and other borders are no longer transparent. Some people welcome these changes, while others still find that they need the Aero effect. If you are the first type, you might I would find the Aero effect a little annoying in Windows 8. Everything else has been changed to be opaque, the taskbar in desktop mode still retains its transparency.

By default, the taskbar is transparent and you can see some parts of windows through it if they lag behind it. This is done in line with the Windows 7 user interface, but since the new theme was designed to look solid and opaque, it seems a little out of place in Windows 8, Windows 8 itself is a great system that is optimized specifically for portable devices with a touch screen. But, the platform has smoothly flowed and began to work on both laptops and desktops, so you can safely install software to your device. Anyway, the best thing about it is that Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 can be easily optimized individually, which means that you can easily personalize your device at any time. Windows based 8. In this article, I will show you how to easily disable taskbar transparency in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Although there are quite a few previously unavailable personalization options user interface in Windows 8, the ability to adjust or change transparency has been removed from Aero Glass. Opaque taskbars provide a one-click form tool to easily toggle taskbar transparency. Just launch the application, click the "Disable taskbar transparency" button, the settings will be applied immediately.

This tutorial is about Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 devices and can be used with ease by users who want to change system settings default. Now, by following the steps below, you can disable and enable taskbar transparency, which is a great feature to use if you want to customize your Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 theme. But, if you want to choose to use the classic Windows interface 8, then you should try turning off the transparency of the taskbar using the guidelines below.

Classic Shell

With the Classic Shell software you will be able to bring classic Windows options for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 - This program can also be used by those who want to use the classic user interface in Windows 7 installed on Windows 8 and devices.

1. Download Classic Shell to the device.
2. I installed the software following the instructions on the screen.
3. Right-click on the “ Start"And select" Options”.
4. Select the button “ Start"And just check the option" Disable taskbar transparency”.
5. Click the "OK" button; to disable this option if you want turn on taskbar transparency on Windows 8.

Aero lite

Another way you can accomplish this operation is with a dedicated theme for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

1. Download this Aero Lite and unzip the theme to your device.
2. Then save this file in the path “ C: \ Windows \ Resources \ Themes”.
3. Now just change the current Windows 8 theme on Aero Lite.
4. Configure a new theme to set a new background, to enable / turn off the transparency of the taskbar etc.
5. Test the theme and if you don't like it, simply remove it from your control panel.

These are the best options when we are trying to turn off the transparency of the taskbar in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Until now, we do not have a built-in function in Windows 8 to perform the operations described above, so we have to use third-party applications. Anyway, use the comment box below if you have any difficulties in following the steps that I explained in this tutorial, and we will help you solve these problems.

Whatever you say, the release of Windows 8 was quite controversial. V latest version operating system from Microsoft, adapted for use on touch screens, there is no Start button on the Desktop, which is why many people avoid using this OS. One detail that distinguishes the worker Windows table 8 from Windows 7, - a choice of themes.

By default, Windows 7 has various Aero effects (Aero Glass, window animation, Peek, Snap, Aero Shake for minimizing other windows and Flip 3D, viewer open programs) that are part of a beautiful user interface. Microsoft says it has ditched Aero, but that's not true. In Windows 8 there are various functions which either take their roots from Aero, or are actually inherited from it.

The most obvious omission of Aero is the lack of a theme in Windows 8. There are only a handful of themes that don't look pretty and lack the transparency of Aero's borders.

However, you can restore the old Aero Lite skin that was created for low-performance systems. To do this, press the key combination Win + R and enter Resources. Open the Themes> Aero folder and copy the aerolite.msstyles file to the parent Themes folder. It is assumed that you make all these changes while logged in as an administrator. After that, you need to create a config file.

Start by copying the aero.theme file to your desktop, opening it in notepad and saving the document as aerolite.theme. Now you can make the following changes:

Change the term 5 to DisplayName = Aero Lite

Find the section (by scrolling or using CTRL + F) and change the Path variable to Path =% ResourceDir% \ Themes \ Aero \ Aerolite.msstyles.

Save the file again. Now open Control Panel> Change the Theme or right-click on the Desktop and select Personalization. You will see the new Aero Lite theme! Although, what you will see after choosing a new theme is not all the changes. Also, some buttons and other aspects of the OS will change, that is, you will have a full-fledged original design theme.

Window transparency in Windows 8 can be achieved using a third-party application.

V this moment there is a beta version of this utility (the interface needs some improvements), but it is quite possible to use it. To do this, you need to unpack the archive and run the WinaeroGlass.exe file.

Now the utility allows you to add only the transparency of the borders of windows on the Desktop, but in the future the developer promises to add a blur function. Due to the lack of a GUI to disable WinaeroGlass, you need to log off Windows or reboot.

Why is Aero not completely removed

Honestly, there is some confusion about which Aero effects remained and which ones were removed in Windows 8, especially because in the early releases of this OS there was both transparency and blur, which we admired so much in Windows 7.

Below is a list of Aero elements that can still be found in Windows 8.

• Aero Peek: the various functions of this tool are now called Peek, and include hovering over the taskbar icon and using the button in the lower-right corner of the taskbar. If this feature is not enabled by default, right-click on the taskbar, select Properties, and select the Use Peek to preview the desktop check box. Then click OK.
• Aero Snap: As in Windows 7, this function works by dragging the window to the top of the screen, after which it is "captured" and maximized to full screen.
• Animations: occur during opening, closing, minimizing / maximizing and restoring windows, animations such as "expand from the taskbar" are still present.
• Aero Shake: Probably my favorite function (and of course the most used one). It works when we click on the window title and "shake" it. As a result, the rest open windows applications should be minimized.

Output

The ditch about "finally getting rid" of Aero was thrown by Microsoft, which is rather strange given the discontent with Windows 8. But worry not: aside from transparency, the vast majority of Aero's features are still part of Windows.

Optimizing graphics

Customizing Windows Aero Visual Effects

Improving desktop performance by disabling some subtle visual effects in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
We answer the question: What to do if the Windows interface slows down?

The modern interface of Windows 7 and Windows 8 has serious enough hardware requirements to provide smooth operation and maximum performance. If the Windows interface noticeably slows down on your laptop, or desktop computer, we recommend turning off some subtle visual graphical effects. In most cases, these settings significantly and very noticeably improve the speed of the interface and the system as a whole.

Why is the Windows interface slow?

Remember to update regularly and to keep your system performance at a high level. Especially often the owners of inexpensive laptops, ultrabooks, tablets with Windows 8, nettops and rapidly losing their popularity and obsolete netbooks encounter problems in the operation of the interface. In a word, most often poor performance interface is characteristic of compact and inexpensive computers.

Low-cost video system mobile computers is generally not capable of smoothly handling complex graphics in all situations Windows elements 7 and Windows 8. Designing inexpensive and compact devices, engineers are forced to balance between maximum energy efficiency and minimum cost of future low-cost computers. As a result, all this inevitably affects the final performance - the Windows interface saturated with graphic effects can quite noticeably and noticeably "slow down" even when performing the simplest actions.

How can you increase the performance of your Windows desktop and interface without completely disabling all Aero / Modern UI graphical elements and switching to an ascetic classic design scheme? Even now, after the release of an optimized and significantly less resource-intensive system Windows 8.1, this question does not lose its relevance.

If you own a computer or laptop on which Windows lags, this is not at all a reason to completely disable the improved design of the Aero / Modern UI interface or spend money on a new computer.

To keep Windows running smoothly and smoothly on your computer, we recommend fine-tuning the visual effects, which will significantly speed up the operating system interface.

Optimizing Effects in Windows 7 and Vista

V Windows versions 7 Starter and Home Basic uses the lightweight Aero interface, which, however, also includes many unnecessary graphical effects (subtle on small netbook screens) that hinder system performance. Disabling all unnecessary visual effects Windows and leaving only the most necessary, you significantly offload the computing power of your computer and video card, practically without changing the appearance of the Aero interface.

All settings graphical interface Windows 7 are collected in "Windows Visual Effects Manager". The easiest way to find it in the wilds of the system is to enter the obvious phrase “ Visual effects" v search bar Start menu.

The first item in the search results will be the link "", clicking on which you will see the following window:

In case you can't open the visual effects control using search, go to Start> Control Panel> Change the view mode from "Categories" to "Small icons" Go to System> Extra options System "and open the settings of the" Performance "section. For more convenient setting, set the selector to " Provide maximum performance ", Thereby removing the checkboxes from all interface parameters. Then check the following points:

Enable desktop composition

Using window and button display styles

Show thumbnails instead of icons

Smooth jaggedness in screen fonts.

Click "Apply" to activate the settings and restart your computer. Select "Restore Defaults" to discard the changes.

If the "transparent" Aero interface disappears in the system, after saving the changes, right-click on the desktop Windows 7 or Vista, select item "Personalization", then "Color and appearance windows ", check the box next to "Enable transparency" and click "OK" (in the "Initial" and "Basic" versions, the "Personalization" section and the transparent interface are not available).

If the computer still continues to slow down, perhaps the problem is not only slow work graphics, but also in poor performance of other components. Follow our detailed guidelines for getting the best performance.

Optimizing visual effects in Windows 8.1

Let's turn off all unnecessary visual effects Windows 8.1, and leave only the most necessary ones. Thus, we will unload the computing power of the computer and video card, practically without losing the graphical beauty of the Windows 8 - Modern UI.

Open the search bar with the key combination + (hold down the Win key, then press Q) "

In the search box, enter Tuning the presentation and performance of the system... Select the item of the same name in the search results.

Microsoft has announced that it will ditch the Aero theme? Is this true or just another duck? Today we have to figure it out. Definitely, in Windows 8.1 there are still many elements that are somehow related to Aero.

Adding Aero Effects to Windows 8.1

Recently, we have heard many opinions regarding the new operating room. Windows systems 8.1, however they were all different. As a result, it cannot be said that the release was successful. This OS is adapted to work on touch screens. Users are frightened by the absence of the "Start" button, which was previously located on the desktop. The only difference between the Windows 8.1 desktop and the previous Windows 7 operating system is the themes.

Windows 7 has several interesting Aero effects as standard (window animation, Aero Glass, Aero Shake, which is designed to minimize various windows, Snap, Peek, as well as Flip 3D, which is intended for viewing open programs. Aero effects are a beautiful component Windows 8.1 user interface Microsoft previously claimed that they would abandon Aero effects, but in fact this did not happen.In the operating system Windows 8.1 there are all sorts of functions, the roots of which still belong to Aero, or even it direct "heirs".

Aero lite

Perhaps the only drawback of Aero is the lack of a large number of interface design options in Windows 8.1. There are just a few themes that could look much better. For example, they do not have border transparency, but Aero did it all.

How do I restore the Aero Lite skin?

The user does indeed have the option to restore the old Aero Lite skin designed for lower performance systems. To do this, you need to press the key combination Win + R, and then enter Resources. Next, open the Themes section, then go to Aero, and from there copy the file called aerolite.msstyles to the parent directory (Themes folder). Of course, only users with administrator rights can make such changes. After these steps, you need to create a special configuration file:

Copy the file called "aero.theme", for example, to your desktop, then open it with notepad and save it under the name "aerolite.theme". As for the changes, they will affect only the fifth line. Change "DisplayName" to "Aero Lite", then find the section (can be used or scrolled with CRTL + F), then change the Path variable to Path =% ResourceDir% \ Themes \ Aero \ Aerolite.msstyles.

Save the file again, and then open the control panel. There you need to find a section called "Changing the theme". You can enter this strip in a different way: right-click on the desktop, and then click on "Personalization". If you did everything according to the instructions, then the Aero Lite theme should appear there. But these are not all the changes that have occurred in the interface after the restoration of the Aero Lite skin. Buttons and some other features of this operating system have undergone modifications, so you will receive a full-fledged original design theme.

Transparency of windows in Windows 8.1

This effect can indeed be done in Windows 8.1. This is ensured thanks to third party application called WinaeroGlass.

(downloads: 915)
To date, there is a beta version of this very application, but the utility still needs some work, but it is quite intended for use. Unpack the archive and then run the file called WinaeroGlass.exe.

Thanks to this utility, the user can only achieve transparency of only a few window borders directly on the desktop itself, but in the future the developers promise to add other new functions, for example, the ability to blur. Due to the lack of a GUI that is intended for WinaeroGlass, the user must exit the Windows operating system, and then restart the computer.

Why isn't Microsoft ditching Aero?

Recently, discussions on this topic have found their long-awaited end. Microsoft did indeed choose to keep some of the effects from Aero, and many were dropped from Windows 8.1. In the end, it turned out that blur and transparency were removed, and this was the successful component that made Windows 7 popular. In Windows 8, they decided to do without these Aero effects, but users did not approve of this.

Aero Peek: Today the functions of this utility have a different name - Peek. These include using the button in the lower-right corner of the screen, where the taskbar is located, and the ability to hover the cursor over an icon that is also available in the taskbar. By the way, this feature may not be initially activated, so to activate it, you need to right-click directly on the taskbar, then select the "Properties" section. There you will need to check the box called "Show desktop", and then hover over the "Minimize all windows" button, which is located at the very end of the same taskbar. After all the actions done, click on "OK".

Animations: These occur during maximization, minimization, closing and opening of windows, as well as their recovery.

Aero Snap: This feature works by moving the window to the top of the screen, then "capturing" and maximizing the window to full screen.

Aero Shake: Most popular feature among users. It takes effect after the user clicks on the title of the window and then "shakes" it. As a result, all other open windows should be minimized immediately.

Perhaps the information about the refusal of Microsoft developers from Aero is just a duck, given recent reviews users about the new operating system Windows 8.1. However, even in this OS, there is still a large number of Aero functions.