Is it possible to remove the blur in the transparent windows? so it can be just plain glass

I'm unsure perhaps this can be achieved with a new VS (Which doesn't just modify aero).

I dont think its possible tbh :\ With hex editing perhaps.

I'm pretty sure its just a registry change.

It was back in the betas anyhow.

I know there are WindowBlinds themes that have clear glass, but I'm not sure about visual styles.

^^ Windowblinds allows you to disable or enable blur at will with any WB skin.

Otherwise, doesn't seem like it's possible with Vista's VSes.

Just having a quick peek around the net and looks like loads of people are asking, but nothing is ever done about it. Apparently the registry setting was removed before Vista RTM, so really I think a Visual Style will be your best bet!

Sorry.

I wonder why they are removing tweaks like that.. I jsut dont get it

It's impossible unless udwm.dll's pixel shader is overwritten in the memory stream which WB can do.

thats a shame man. i prefer it when its completely clear.

Wouldnt it look a bit confusing?

i think i found the answer.

Here ya go:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM\ColorizationColor

It's a string value that accepts this format:
AARRGGBB

Lower A value means more transparent (00 = completely transparent, FF = completely opaque).

(similar to HTML hex colors)
So...My guess is you want completely transparent...so how about ColorizationColor = 00000000?

Make sure you restart the Aero User Experience (DWM) using net restart uxsms.
Have fun!

-Yamake

http://www.aeroxp.org/board/lofiversion/index.php?t8924.html


just tried it, and dnt seem to remove the blur.

That blur has always bothered me, its such a weird design decision. It reminds me of grade school when I erased something with a bad eraser and then wrote over it...sloppy looking.

The blur annoys me too! I used to have a visual style called "VistaGlass" which did exactly what we all want - makes the glass 100% transparent, but doesn't alter any other aspect of the Vista UI. However, I have no links for it as that was on my old laptop & at the moment I don't want to have to bother messing with the 'UXTheme.dll' type files again - too much hassle at the moment.

I know the visual style was definately called "VistaGlass" though. There is a user on these forums called 'mrk' who linked me to it.

I hope there is a way to do it in the registry though - there must be if WindowsBlinds has it.

Thanks....dude vistaglass is awesome

Maybe Microsoft will change this in Windows 7?
I prefer the transparency to be without the blur also.

The blur is there for usability (so you can read and make out the title, etc).

But it would be nice to be able to control that aspect.

No problemo It is pretty cool isn't it?




The titlebar is readable when the whole glass is transparent because there is a white-ish glow around the text in the title bar This is also proven with the VistaGlass visual style.

Right, but having multiple explorer windows open can get tacky with the addressbar and buttons when overlaying each other.

...One of the reasons it's solid.

OK, I personally don't see any tackyness with it, but each to his own

So, how remove blur ? Is there a VS that is like Aero but only remove blur ?

'VistaGlass'

care to link?

Unfortunately, I no longer have the link saved on my new laptop, otherwise I would have linked it, but I think it was on devaintArt... I'll search around for you & see if I can find out where I got it from & link it

I already found a VistaGlass :
http://vistastyle.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/vistaglass/ (by mr.google)
but it have a problem found in other VS's too : it links the windows transparency to the taskbar and start menu too. I'd like to have them more transparent, too, but this causes readability problems on certain backgrounds, since they have no glow for text.
I need just a VS thats Aero only with these mods :
- no blur
- change toolbar/menubar color (see near topic)
- transparency when maximized (already done with vistaglazz)

I would like others too but seems a bit to complicated for now.

I saw that theme. That doesn't remove the blur. It only removes the fog and reflections.

Thank you for finding it again for me

& yes, that is a problem with Vista Glass - the taskbar & start menu do not look good on white (or some light) backgrounds.

I prefer darker backgrounds anyway

And the concept of that fixes that issue. Though it hasn't been done in a theme like that. Only one so far is the one in the picture.

Though that theme doesn't get rid of the blur as some of you have been saying. Just the fog and reflections Which is **** easy.

Thank you for the info Panda X - I didn't think about being able to do that. Someone now needs to contact the VistaGlass maker & ask him to implement this

That 'fix' is exactly what you can do in the Control panel.
the AA in AARRGGBB stands for the Color intensity in the Glass color control panel thingy.

Looks like i confused those terms (not native english speaker), you're right, I thought about reflections.



Looks like the dl link is broken.
However, try searching for aero clear, it may give some very similar.

Actually I can get that transparent taskbar & start menu working if I can find out :
- the upper part of the taskbar is more lighter, for 3d effect. how do remove that effect, I mean make the upper part looks like the lower ?
- maintain taskbar and start menu a fixed tranparency, like default aero, but make them more transparent, but not so much as in the themes like vistaglass/clear when you push up max transparency in windows. but how ?



I was thinking about that glow, but since it isnt available....
You say is very easy to remove the reflections and the fog (fog ?) . How ? I think I can work something out like my liking.

Later : I think I got how the reflections are removed.
msstyles->stream->850.
there to the left of the reflections bitmap, is a collection of other four bitmaps, these are for fog ?

Yes and yes.

Maybe the 'blur' would be easier to live with if it was designed a little more like the rays on the new PDC wallpaper?

Sorry to bump this but there is a key that disables blur

Create a DWORD in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM called "HideBlur" and give it a value of 1. then press Ctrl+Shift+F9 twice to restart DWM. tested in old post-beta 2 Vista builds and Win7 6956, i'm assuming it works in every build in between there.

I wonder why people wanted to remove the blur effect. It was there to avoid the distraction of the underlying windows (and its contents) but keeping you aware of what's behind.

I would just stick with the glass blur. Anyone to support my case?

That's exactly the reason why. But I think it would still be nice to be able to adjust the blurring via slider in the classic appearance menu.

Anybody tried truetransparency?
That could possibly work?

1.) That key no longer exists.
2.) Ctrl+Shift+F9 was only in Longhorn/Vista Beta
3.) Since it doesn't work in Vista it too doesn't work in 7.

Read again, I tested it myself in Windows 7, it works (both the reg key and ctrl+shift+f9). Haven't tested in WIndows Vista (will test later tonight) but I assume that since it worked before RTM, and it worked after RTM, that it works for RTM as well.

OK, so it doesn't work in Vista final. It has been tested in 6956 as working, so it must be for debugging.

Red = don't work
Green = work
Windows 7 Build 6956 7000 7048 7077 7100 7127

It's only in interim builds. It's a debugging "feature".