Simple Patch to Enable / Activate Aero Glass Theme in Windows Vista Home Basic Edition

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UPDATE: An already patched Aero.msstyles file is available to download here. So you no longer need to manually patch the file.

Also manually patching can be done using any free Hex Editor like XVI32. Open the .msstyles file, find DF DF DF FF and change it with 00 00 00 00. Save the file and re-apply the theme.

Windows Vista Home Basic edition doesn't come with Aero interface, so you don't get the transparency and glass effects at all. Once we posted a small tutorial for enabling Aero theme in Home Basic edition which you can read here. It works but some people reported that it didn't work for them.

Today we are going to share another method to enable Aero theme in Windows Vista Home Basic edition. Actually Basic edition can provide the Aero interface but its disabled by default. So if your system hardware meets the minimum requirements to run Aero theme, you can give following method a try. We would like to clear, we have not tested this method yet. So we request you to try the method and post your comments about it:

1. First you'll need "Ave's Vista Style Builder" program which is not free. You'll need to purchase it but its worth to buy.

2. Now open your theme's .msstyles file in this program. If you are using Windows default theme, open "%windir%\Resources\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles" file in this program. (Here %windir% means "Windows" directory present in the system drive where Windows Vista is installed.)

3. Now navigate to "Fonts, Colors & System Metrics -> Colors (Globals)" section.

4. In right-side pane, you'll see a property with the name "COLORIZATIONCOLOR:INT".

5. You'll need to change its value to 0 (Yup, Zero).

6. Now save the file and re-apply the theme and you'll get Aero theme enabled in your system.

All credit goes to "killermole23" @ DeviantART for finding this cool trick and thanks to "fediaFedia" for sharing it...

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This article was posted by VG in following section: Troubleshooting, Windows Vista.

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almost

that already patched aero.msstyles really works but it has a very ugly bug. when you resize or move a window horrible lines appear(with negative colors). I really hope this is gonna be fixed
Lewis

Almost, that isn't to do with the visual style. It's to do with your graphics card.
almost

yeah my bad....had to enable show window content while dragging and it works now. :)
krish

Doesn't work for me. tried both the patched VS and hex editor method.
these are my specs:
Vista Home basic 32-bit sp2
running on Vostro 1500 with NVidia 8400m GS.
MasterDelta

THIS DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE.
Andy

- This is real - it's working!!! - I've patched Aero Theory - it's transparent now - on Home Basic SP1 OEM!!! (With Vista Style Builder)
- And the Aero VG was transparent already (almost the only theme that actually was transparent on Home Basic )
- Thanx!!!
Carlos

Hi VG!

I was wondering, my brother uses Windows 7 Home Basic and he wants to have Aero, is there a way similar to this to enable Aero on his PC? His specs are compatible with Aero BTW.

Thanks!
VG

^^ Did you try this method for Windows 7 msstyles as well? It might work.
Carlos

Nope, the problem is that I don't have "Ave's Vista Style Builder" Do you know someone who could do this for me?

Thanks!
Gio

Hehe, great!!!