Windows Vista Rules for Enabling Windows Aero

Updated: April 13, 2009

File name: aero_rules.docx
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Windows Vista is the first Microsoft Windows operating system that provides a range of user experiences that gracefully scale based on a system's hardware capabilities while still giving the user full control over configuration options.

All computers that meet the Windows Vista minimum supported hardware requirements will run the Windows Vista Basic user experience. Computer systems with more capable hardware—in terms of performance and video memory capacity—will run the Windows Aero experience. Aero provides an additional level of visual sophistication and more responsive and manageable user interfaces.

This paper describes the process that Windows Vista uses to automatically enable Aero and the conditions under which it notifies users of performance problems and possibly scales back the experience. This paper also includes a detailed troubleshooting guide for Aero-related problems.

This information applies to the Windows Vista operating system.

What's New
Added information for Windows Vista with Service Pack 1

Included in this white paper:

• Introduction

• Fundamental Requirements for Desktop Composition

• Automatic Conditions

• Other Issues That Can Dynamically Inhibit Composition

• Performance Issues That Cause the DWM to Scale Back

• Troubleshooting Aero

• Glossary

• Resources