Windows Server 2008 R2 Aero Themes not being enabled?

[GH0]

Alright, so after several installations and many different thoughts and diagnoses, I have come to the conclusion, I have no idea what is wrong.

Currently, I am running Windows Server 2008 R2 (Activated, obtained through technet). The funny thing is that I can not click Aero Basic or Aero Advanced. I have enabled the Themes Service, I have installed Desktop Experience (And the additional feature that it needs) and it still does not work. I realize that Server 2008 R2 has not been publicly released yet, but it is available on MSDN and TechNet. If I could get some help it would be much appreciated.

I am wondering if it is just a bad OS, bad files, or something else.

Thanks, GH0

[xxcom9a]

Although I don’t personally have Windows Server 2008 [R2] installed, these are my recommendations:

• Make sure your computer supports Aero. Install Windows Vista / 7 and see if you can get it working on that Operating System.
• Download the Windows Server 2008 [R2] Evaluation Copy or try and re-download your TechNet copy.

Did you follow all steps in this tutorial? Your post is a bit unclear to me. You might have missed a step, or done them in the wrong order, which may have messed it up. You might need to download the themes in the above link in case Windows Server 2008 [R2] doesn’t have any Aero themes to start with, I don’t know.

[GH0]

Yeah, I have capable hardware installed to use the Aero theme. I have the Themes service started. I can see the Aero theme if I go to C:WindowsResources and if I double click it to open, it will say “The theme cannot be applied to the desktop. Click Okay”

[aviv00]

enable it trow server manger

desktop experience

[GH0]

This has already been done. I installed Desktop Experience and have the Themes Service running.

Attached is a screen shot of the error message code and everything that is installed to have this needed to run.

[xxcom9a]

Try a theme from Microsoft’s website here just in case the default theme is corrupted: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109286

[hsjc]

In the “advanced system settings” of “system properties”, see if you enabled the visual effects. That might do it.

Choose “adjust for best appearance”

[xxcom9a]

@hsjc wrote:

In the “advanced system settings” of “system properties”, see if you enabled the visual effects. That might do it.

Choose “adjust for best appearance”

I know that if you choose “adjust for best preformance” in XP it turns off the visual themes, so that may actually work. I didn’t think of that. We’ll have to see if it works for GH0.

@Internet wrote:

xxcom9a and aviv00, you aren’t being helpful so don’t post. Knowing when to stfu is a part of common forum courtesy.

Your post is basically spam because you’re not adding anything to the topic. We were just making sure the “obvious” has been done because sometimes people miss something like that.

/Sorry for the last part also being off-topic.

[xxcom9a]

I found this on this website (Enable via Command Prompt):

ServerManagerCmd -i Desktop-Experience

And on this page it says that sometimes reinstalling drivers helps, so maybe you should try that. 😉

[GH0]

Well, reinstalling the latest NVidia drivers seemed to allow Aero to make it work.

[xxcom9a]

So are you still experiencing problems or are they solved?

[GH0]

The issue has been resolved. It seems that something went wrong with the driver installation either through a Windows Update or manual installation. Reinstalling the Nvidia Drivers resolved the problem and I am not able to run Windows Aero.

[Author]

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