Windows 7: Transparency - Enable Full Clear Glass Transparency

   Information

By default when you enabled transparency in Windows 7, the transparency will be blurred a bit in the window borders. This will show you how to have the window borders fully clear and transparent like glass instead for your current account only, or for all user accounts on the computer.

The Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions do not have Aero Transparency included in them.

   Note

This will not make the taskbar clear, on window borders. One side effect though is that when you have a window border with text on top of another window with text, the text will tend to overlap each other since the window is clear instead of with a opaque (blurred) background.

   Warning

You will only be able to apply this while logged in an administrator account.

You will not have the Transparency option if you have a Basic and High Contrast Theme instead of a Aero Theme.

Aero Requirements to be Enabled in Windows 7:


NOTE: If Aero is not enabled, then Transparency will not work even when enabled.

• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)
• You must be have True Color (32 bit) set instead of High Color (16 bit).
• The desktop composition and Animate controls and elements inside windows options need to be enabled in Visual Effects.
• The Desktop Window Manager Session Manager and Themes Services need to be set as Started and Automatic.
• Refresh or update your WEI score. You will need an WEI score minimum of 2.0 in both Graphics & Gaming graphics in order for Aero to be activated.

STEP ONE

Replace System Files to Make this Work

1. Click on the Download button below to download the DWM_32-bit_7127.zip or DWM_64-bit_7127.zip file for your 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) Windows 7 version.

For 32-bit Windows 7:


For 64-bit Windows 7:

2. Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the desktop.

3. Open the .zip file and extract the dwm.exe and uDWM.dll files to the desktop.

4. Right click on each the dwm.exe and uDWM.dll files (one at a time) on the desktop and click on Properties, General tab, the Unblock button, and on OK. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the shortcut is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 5.

5. Stop the Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager Service. (See screenshot below)

6. In Windows Explorer, navigate to and make a backup copy of the original C:\Windows\System32\dwm.exe and C:\Windows\System32\uDWM.dll files at these locations. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: You will need these backups if you ever would like to restore them.

6. In Windows Explorer, take ownership and give yourself full permission of the C:\Windows\System32\dwm.exe and C:\Windows\System32\uDWM.dll files at these locations. (See screenshots above)

7. Copy and Paste the dwm.exe and uDWM.dll files on the desktop into the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

8. Select Copy and Replace and approve the replacement of these default files with the downloaded ones.
NOTE: If you ever run a sfc /scannow command, it will consider these as modified files, and will replace them with the default ones. You'll have to do this tutorial again to have the full clear transparency back.

9. Start the Desktop Windows Manager Session Manager Service. (See screenshot below step 5)

10. Do either OPTION ONE or OPTION TWO below.

OPTION ONE

For Current User Account Only

1. To Enable Current User Full Transparency

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Enable_Current_User_Full_Transparency.reg

B) Go to step 4.

2. To Undo Current User Full Transparency

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Undo_Current_User_Full_Transparency.reg

3. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file, and click on Merge.

5. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

For All User Accounts

1. To Enable All Users Full Transparency

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Enable_All_Users_Full_Transparency.reg

B) Go to step 4.

2. To Undo All Users Full Transparency

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Undo_All_Users_Full_Transparency.reg

3. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

5. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. Enable Transparency and adjust the color intensity to the far left in all user accounts on the computer.
NOTE: The current user account will have transparency enabled and color intensity adjusted automatically with this download, but any other user accounts on the computer will need to enable transparency to prevent a blending affect in the window borders.

7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

8. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.