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Why does Aero switch off for no real reason?

Why does Aero switch off for no real reason?

Lately (past few weeks), whenever I play a video game, then quit, Aero doesn't seem to like sticking around anymore!

Asked by: Guest | Views: 345
Total answers/comments: 1
Guest [Entry]

"It might be that the game program hasn't closed and is still causing problems from the background.
From Troubleshoot problems with Windows Aero:

Some older programs might be
incompatible with Aero. When you run
the program, Aero might stop working
for as long as the program is running.
Closing the program should restore
Aero. To avoid this problem, check
with the manufacturer of the program
to see if there is a version available
that is compatible with Windows Vista.

And another possibility:

If you are running the Power
saver plan, Windows sometimes turns
off transparency automatically. If you
don't want this to happen, you can
switch to the Balanced power plan.

You might also verify the video card driver from the manufacturer's site (not Windows update).

EDIT

Found an interesting article :
My Vista Aero Glass Turned Itself Off, How Do I Enable it Again?
It lists a few more cases that you might like to check, but the text you'll find most frustrating is:

When Windows Vista detects that your
computer is running too slowly for
Aero, it will automatically disable
it. Normally once you close out of
some applications everything goes back
to normal, but sometimes you get
“stuck” with the Vista Basic theme,
and have to go in and enable it again.

This means that your game has taken too many resources to keep up Aero, and Windows just stays in basic mode afterward.

For more shortcuts for turning on Aero and transparency, see:
How to Enable or Disable Aero in Windows Vista"