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

[thistle123]

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

 

[DaVinci]

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

 

[Manuel Nonaca]

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.

 

[Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]]

Are you running any JAVA based software by any chance? Try disabling it.

 

[Phillips]

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

 

[Bob Campbell]

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!

 

[Phillips]

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