AERO SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED! Please help, I've tried everything!!!!!

PROBLEM: AERO theme and appearance suddenly disappeared.
AERO and Windows Vista Basic both show up on my appearance settings menu,
but when I choose either of them, I get an error box that says "the visual
styles cannot be applied" and I default to Windows Standard. "windows vista"
is the them chosen under the "theme" menu. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT GO INTO
FLIP3D MODE. ** NOTE: aero worked for at least 2 months before it
disappeared**

MY PC: VISTA home premium pre-installed, new 32 bit Intel core 2 6600 @ 2.4
GHz ATI 1300PRO, 2G RAM, rated 4.2 WEI, DirectX10, refresh rate 60Hz, LDDM
supported

I HAVE:
-Followed "Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero With Guidelines for
Troubleshooting" on windows site,
-restarted DWM: cmd prompt with administrative privileges : 'net stop uxsms'
'net start uxsms' AND rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition
- Did the "WINSAT" thing
- I checked all prorams- NONE are set to "Disable desktop composition"
- I KNOW this computer has above the required hardware to run VISTA: I
bought it that way and it was working fine until recently

I've been online for hours searching for an answer and trying anything
sounds reasonable. I think I've exhausted all the common suggestions. PLEASE
HELP!

CATHY

If the problem only recently occurred, have you tried using system
restore? Select the most recent restore point just prior to the problem
appearing.

thistle123 wrote:
> PROBLEM: AERO theme and appearance suddenly disappeared.
> AERO and Windows Vista Basic both show up on my appearance settings menu,
> but when I choose either of them, I get an error box that says "the visual
> styles cannot be applied" and I default to Windows Standard. "windows vista"
> is the them chosen under the "theme" menu. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT GO INTO
> FLIP3D MODE. ** NOTE: aero worked for at least 2 months before it
> disappeared**
>
> MY PC: VISTA home premium pre-installed, new 32 bit Intel core 2 6600 @ 2.4
> GHz ATI 1300PRO, 2G RAM, rated 4.2 WEI, DirectX10, refresh rate 60Hz, LDDM
> supported
>
> I HAVE:
> -Followed "Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero With Guidelines for
> Troubleshooting" on windows site,
> -restarted DWM: cmd prompt with administrative privileges : 'net stop uxsms'
> 'net start uxsms' AND rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition
> - Did the "WINSAT" thing
> - I checked all prorams- NONE are set to "Disable desktop composition"
> - I KNOW this computer has above the required hardware to run VISTA: I
> bought it that way and it was working fine until recently
>
> I've been online for hours searching for an answer and trying anything
> sounds reasonable. I think I've exhausted all the common suggestions. PLEASE
> HELP!
>
> CATHY
>

I heard some application's like Apple QuickTime 7 will affect Vista Aero and
even cause the OS to revert to Vista Basic. Try removing any recent
installed application for starters or use Vista restore to a time you
suspect the problem began.

--
Manuel Nonaca
MIS/M University of Phoenix Online
Clovis, CA (PST)

"thistle123" <thistle123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5A6B0AD5-17A9-467E-ABED-C9AEB5835D6A@microsoft.com...
> PROBLEM: AERO theme and appearance suddenly disappeared.
> AERO and Windows Vista Basic both show up on my appearance settings menu,
> but when I choose either of them, I get an error box that says "the visual
> styles cannot be applied" and I default to Windows Standard. "windows
> vista"
> is the them chosen under the "theme" menu. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT GO INTO
> FLIP3D MODE. ** NOTE: aero worked for at least 2 months before it
> disappeared**
>
> MY PC: VISTA home premium pre-installed, new 32 bit Intel core 2 6600 @
> 2.4
> GHz ATI 1300PRO, 2G RAM, rated 4.2 WEI, DirectX10, refresh rate 60Hz,
> LDDM
> supported
>
> I HAVE:
> -Followed "Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero With Guidelines
> for
> Troubleshooting" on windows site,
> -restarted DWM: cmd prompt with administrative privileges : 'net stop
> uxsms'
> 'net start uxsms' AND rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition
> - Did the "WINSAT" thing
> - I checked all prorams- NONE are set to "Disable desktop composition"
> - I KNOW this computer has above the required hardware to run VISTA: I
> bought it that way and it was working fine until recently
>
> I've been online for hours searching for an answer and trying anything
> sounds reasonable. I think I've exhausted all the common suggestions.
> PLEASE
> HELP!
>
> CATHY
>

Are you running any JAVA based software by any chance? Try disabling it.
--
Andre
Blog: http://adacosta.spaces.live.com
My Vista Quickstart Guide:
http://adacosta.spaces.live.com/blog...3DB!9709.entry
"thistle123" <thistle123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5A6B0AD5-17A9-467E-ABED-C9AEB5835D6A@microsoft.com...
> PROBLEM: AERO theme and appearance suddenly disappeared.
> AERO and Windows Vista Basic both show up on my appearance settings menu,
> but when I choose either of them, I get an error box that says "the visual
> styles cannot be applied" and I default to Windows Standard. "windows
> vista"
> is the them chosen under the "theme" menu. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT GO INTO
> FLIP3D MODE. ** NOTE: aero worked for at least 2 months before it
> disappeared**
>
> MY PC: VISTA home premium pre-installed, new 32 bit Intel core 2 6600 @
> 2.4
> GHz ATI 1300PRO, 2G RAM, rated 4.2 WEI, DirectX10, refresh rate 60Hz,
> LDDM
> supported
>
> I HAVE:
> -Followed "Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero With Guidelines
> for
> Troubleshooting" on windows site,
> -restarted DWM: cmd prompt with administrative privileges : 'net stop
> uxsms'
> 'net start uxsms' AND rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition
> - Did the "WINSAT" thing
> - I checked all prorams- NONE are set to "Disable desktop composition"
> - I KNOW this computer has above the required hardware to run VISTA: I
> bought it that way and it was working fine until recently
>
> I've been online for hours searching for an answer and trying anything
> sounds reasonable. I think I've exhausted all the common suggestions.
> PLEASE
> HELP!
>
> CATHY
>

Check/refresh your Vista score: Control Panel\Performance Information and
Tools
ATI graphics drivers *after 7.7* have issues w/ the AGP cards; Vista will
reset your graphics score to 1.0 and no Aero Glass blah blah.
Solutions: roll back ATI driver or download 7.7 at ATI website - they have
instructions how to restore just one file (3xdiag or so) from 7.7 and use it
w/ 7.12 etc.

Michael



"thistle123" <thistle123@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5A6B0AD5-17A9-467E-ABED-C9AEB5835D6A@microsoft.com...
> PROBLEM: AERO theme and appearance suddenly disappeared.
> AERO and Windows Vista Basic both show up on my appearance settings menu,
> but when I choose either of them, I get an error box that says "the visual
> styles cannot be applied" and I default to Windows Standard. "windows
> vista"
> is the them chosen under the "theme" menu. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT GO INTO
> FLIP3D MODE. ** NOTE: aero worked for at least 2 months before it
> disappeared**
>
> MY PC: VISTA home premium pre-installed, new 32 bit Intel core 2 6600 @
> 2.4
> GHz ATI 1300PRO, 2G RAM, rated 4.2 WEI, DirectX10, refresh rate 60Hz,
> LDDM
> supported
>
> I HAVE:
> -Followed "Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero With Guidelines
> for
> Troubleshooting" on windows site,
> -restarted DWM: cmd prompt with administrative privileges : 'net stop
> uxsms'
> 'net start uxsms' AND rundll32.exe Dwmapi.dll,DwmEnableComposition
> - Did the "WINSAT" thing
> - I checked all prorams- NONE are set to "Disable desktop composition"
> - I KNOW this computer has above the required hardware to run VISTA: I
> bought it that way and it was working fine until recently
>
> I've been online for hours searching for an answer and trying anything
> sounds reasonable. I think I've exhausted all the common suggestions.
> PLEASE
> HELP!
>
> CATHY
>

In article <ewfofBzVIHA.5816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl>,
"Phillips" <afn18721@afn.org> wrote:

> Check/refresh your Vista score: Control Panel\Performance Information and
> Tools
> ATI graphics drivers *after 7.7* have issues w/ the AGP cards;

Her Core 2 Quad system is unlikely to have AGP graphics!

Yup,
I should have read the whole message :( Still, she should try previous
graphics drivers.
Thank you,
Michael

"Bob Campbell" <bob@bob.bob> wrote in message
news:bob-CD7230.17190915012008@news.supernews.com...
> In article <ewfofBzVIHA.5816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl>,
> "Phillips" <afn18721@afn.org> wrote:
>
>> Check/refresh your Vista score: Control Panel\Performance Information and
>> Tools
>> ATI graphics drivers *after 7.7* have issues w/ the AGP cards;
>
> Her Core 2 Quad system is unlikely to have AGP graphics!

[itsjesse]

I just fixed my aero. What I did is rename my:

themeui.dll
uxtheme.dll
shsvcs.dll

I added .bak to mine, so that I know theyre my backups. So, themeui.dll --> themeui.dll.bak
But, of course, you can do yours however you think will be easiest for you to remember/find later.
Then visit http://www.withinwindows.com/uxtheme-patches/
Id suggest reading the short intro, just so you feel comfortable knowing what youre doing with your PC
Then scroll down and find the version of vista youre using, this might be tricky because the patches are given by OSversions. Mine happened to be vista sp1 (im pretty sure thats what youll need; and not the AMD one!!), in case that matters to anyone. And umm I extracted the patch to my system32 folder and moved the originals (backup) to my documents in a seperate folder - just to be extra sure theyre easy to find later.