Jack Thelad

Join Date 09/2004

wb aero with vista

I have XP & Vista on seperate partitions.

I dont have the 'aero' option in my properties, so I think my graphics card isnt powerful enough !?

However the transparency in WB on XP works fine.   So...

Is it possible to load WB into Vista and use the transparency effect that way !?

I'm well gutted as the whole Aero thing looks cool and I cant even use the Dreamscene thingy-ma-bob.

Any advice !?    Tips ?    Ways around it !?
(as a last resort, ...anyone know if it is possible to install a new graphics card on a HP Pavillion laptop !?)

Cheers BigEars

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What version of Vista are you running?

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Vista Ultimate

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I'm running Ultimate, and when I apply a WB, mine goes to windows standard or classsic or something. it gives you the Aero look though. As for the dreams. You have to DL Dreamscene from Microsoft, and then the Dreamscape from Wincustomize. As for the video card, it is possible. It's going to cost a mint. I would try every other option before I did that. Hope this helps. Oh yea, I just have an nVidia 6200, and mine does fine.

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Hey thanks man.

I've downloaded Dreamscene and Dreamscape, but it says I need to apply Aero theme for it to work. Lol, I dont have the Aero theme as an option in the Display Properties so I can only assume my graphics card isnt powerful enough !?

Stupid Technology.

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

Jack if you have a fairly recent graphics card, rather than a replacement, it may just be a matter of updating to the most recent drivers for Aero & Dreamscenes to work on your machine.

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Try right clicking you're desktop,picking Personalize, then Windows color and appearence, then you should see, kinda at the bottom, Open Classic appearence properties for more color options. The Areo is not in the Display Properties. If that doesn't help, Drivers may help.

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Oh yea. I agree. Stupid Tech. I had the same problem until I found the Aero settings.

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What graphics chipset does your laptop have?

If you cannot run aero on Vista then you will not get per pixel skin support with WB on Vista either.

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Hmmmm, when I click on 'Windows color and appearence' it comes up with a list of themes in a Display Properties box.

I have seen screenshots of the different colour options window, but I cant access/find it.

I have Intel Chipset Graphics, and according to HP, its embedded in the motherboard and unable to upgrade !?

Downloaded some new drivers, but unfortuneatly My Base Score is still at 1.0 -even after refreshing,(due to the Gaming Graphics score) every other score is above 3.

Bugger, so how come transparency/per pixel runs fine with my XP partition, but not Vista !?

Thanks 4 help guys

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starkers

Join Date 05/2004

+1153

I have Intel Chipset Graphics, and according to HP, its embedded in the motherboard and unable to upgrade !?

Is there not an option for you to add a higher graphics card via a PCI(e) or AGP slot ?

Downloaded some new drivers, but unfortunately My Base Score is still at 1.0 -even after refreshing,(due to the Gaming Graphics score) every other score is above 3.

Your low gaming graphics score should have no bearing on desktop display abilities, only your 'desktop performance to run Aero' score. If, as you say, that is above 3, then you should be able to run Aero and the WB tranpsarency/per pixel features should run the same as they do in XP.

I know this doesn't help you much, but someone more knowledgable will have more insight on this than I....posting the system display properties from your WB config in XP & Vista may also help.

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Get the details... it should give you more info about why your score is only 1.0.

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unclerob

Join Date 08/2006

+40

Hi Jack, you may not be able to upgrade the onboard graphic chipset but you can purchase a video card (based on what your system supports, pci/agp?) and install it and then disable the onboard graphics adapter so that you system utilizes your newer more powerful graphics card. If you ever browse your system bios settings, you'll find that you can disable the onboard video. If you can't do it there, once the new video card is installed, you can disable the onboard video in system properties while windows is running, windows will ask you to reboot, when it does, your system will run off the new external card instead of the onboard video. If none of this sounds familiar, you can bring your pc into a shop and have them do this for you for a reasonable fee I'm sure.

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PurrBall

Join Date 02/2003

+23

What is the model of your PC? We can tell you if you can put in an add-in video card.

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I have a Acer 3630 and the Aero theme will not work either.

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Wow !

...appreciate the help guys. It is a Hp Pavilion dv1000 (dv1448EA) series notebook.

There is a PCI card slot, but I wasnt aware an add-in video card was possible !

You may just save me buying a whole new notebook altogether !

(...oh, is it possible to order them online ? I'm working in Iraq & wont be visiting the local shops anytime soon)

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You can order just about everything online.

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*ignore me, I'm talking out of my butt.

It's a PCMCIA slot.

Dagnammit.

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