How to disable Windows Aero

Updated: 03/10/2024 by Computer Hope
Windows 7 logo

Windows Aero was introduced in Windows Vista and adds a translucent and glass-like graphical user interface. This interface requires more system resources to run than previous versions of Windows, and some users may find it not necessary. Below are the steps to disable this feature.

Note

Windows Aero is not available in Windows 8, 10, or 11.

Windows 7 users

  1. Right-click an empty area on the desktop.
  2. Select Personalize in the pop-up menu.
  3. In the Personalization window, scroll down to the Basic and High Contrast Themes section and select the Windows 7 Basic theme.

Windows Vista users

Note

Windows Vista Home Basic does not have Windows Aero.

  1. Right-click an empty area on the desktop.
  2. Select Window Color and Appearance in the pop-up menu.
  3. Select Windows Vista Basic and click OK.