Disable the Aero Interface

Click Personalize from the right-click dropdown menu.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 have a user interface called Aero. This separates these operating systems from Windows XP by offering things like transparent windows and other visual flashes. But the Aero interface takes up valuable system resources and reduces speed. You may be running an older PC and may not have those resources to spare.

Luckily, Windows Vista and 7 have an easy way to disable the Aero interface. You really won’t miss it much once it’s gone, and you’ll appreciate the faster response time and smaller Windows footprint.

To disable Windows Aero in Vista:

• Press the Windows button and D to go to the desktop.
• Right-click the background and click Personalize.
• Click Window Color and Appearance.
• Click Open Classic Appearance Properties for More Color Options.
• Select Windows Vista Basic and click OK. It’ll take Windows a minute to adjust.

To disable Windows Aero in Windows 7:

• Press the Windows button and D to go to the desktop.
• Right-click the background and click Personalize.

Select the basic theme to disable Aero.
• Choose Windows 7 Basic from the available themes after scrolling down. It’ll take a minute for Windows to adjust, then close the window.

To disable Windows Aero for a specific application in Windows Vista or Windows 7:

• Right-click the application in your Start menu, or the executable file in its directory.
• Click Properties.
• Click the Compatibility tab.
• Select Disable Desktop Composition.

Aero will be disabled for this specific application.

About Steve Horton

Steve Horton is the Manager of Community & Social Media for ReviverSoft. He's been working with computers for over 20 years. Steve's dedicated to helping people get the most out of their PCs, and likes playing cards and writing comics.