When you first install Windows Server 2008, you may quickly wonder why it lacks the eye candy in Windows Vista. In fact, by default, Windows 2008 looks a lot like Windows 2000. Well, if you want the eye candy found in the Vista Aero theme, you can have it in Server 2008, too.

Actually, you can have much more than that. Windows 2008 offers a feature called DESKTOP EXPERIENCE, which is not installed by default. It not only includes the Windows Vista Aero Theme, but also includes many of the programs that are bundled with Vista, such as Windows Calendar, Windows Mail, Windows Media Player, Video for Windows (AVI support), Windows Photo Gallery, Windows SideShow, Windows Defender, Disk Cleanup, Sync Center, Sound Recorder, Character Map.

If you are using it strictly as a server, there is no reason you would normally want these things, but if 2008 is your desktop computer, too… why not have them.
So how do we get all of this installed and enabled? Watch this video to learn how...

SEO / Web Consulting One on one consulting with a true Web & SEO pioneer Michael Kovnick

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To select the Aero color scheme
written by gasapi, August 15, 2009

To select the Aero color scheme

1.

Right-click an open area of the desktop, and then click Personalize.
2.

Click Window Color and Appearance.
3.

In the Color scheme list, click Windows Aero, and then click OK. If Windows Aero is not listed as an option, be sure that your hardware is capable of supporting Aero and that you have installed the latest video card drivers.

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Enabling Windos Vista Shceme on Windows 2008
written by Virgilios, March 04, 2009

Step One Install the Feature form the COnsole Server Manager
Step 2 restart
Step 3 Go to Services Themes Right Click Properties Enable Start service
Step 4 Go to desktop right click personalize Windows Color and appearance then choose vista

I hope this helps

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Nice work
written by alladin, February 10, 2009

Great tutorial. I found the mouse fine. Dunno what these other people's issues are. Give me a break--griping about not giving a video but instead giving text instructions when the whole point of the website is video tutorial? If people like that can't even understand how stupid that is, what makes them think they're better off with text instructions? Maybe they need a home tutor to help them enable desktop themes. Or a nanny or something.

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Vista Aero
written by This is vista basic theme, October 03, 2008

To enable Windows Aero ("Glass") in Windows 2008 Server you need to install the Windows Vista Video Drivers on Windows Server 2008. The bundled drivers in Windows Server 2008 are basic drivers.

Microsoft bundle basic drivers on Windows 2008 Server because you might need stability. Download the driver installations from your manufacturer.

After the installation of the full drivers go to Control Panel > Personalization > Windows Color and Appearance

In Color Scheme select "Windows Aero"

Regards!

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Am I The Only One?
written by Phyb3r, July 17, 2008

Am I the only person who found this guy's mouse obnoxious?

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Nice
written by César, July 07, 2008

Perfect! Thanks a lot

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addition to lou's post:
written by khildin, July 01, 2008

goto services

goto themes service, change from manual to automatic, apply

then start the service.

then right click desktop, select Personalize, then themes

pick Windows Vista theme.


FIRST you have to go to servermanager and add a feature: desktop experience. After reboot follow the steps above

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How to enable Aero and Visa theme:
written by Lou, June 12, 2008

goto services

goto themes service, change from manual to automatic, apply

then start the service.

then right click desktop, select Personalize, then themes

pick Windows Vista theme.

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Mr
written by Arvind, May 31, 2008

Hey Guys i have enabled the DESKTOP EXPERIENCE stuff. but still the Vista Theme is not shown.. I restarted the Computer as well.. But no change.. I uninstalled and did again with no improvement.. Help Please..

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it IS Aero
written by Michael Kovnick, April 13, 2008

The Vista basic theme *IS* Aero, and as such, this shows you how to enable the Aero theme in Win2K8. Many poeple think that Aero refers to the see-through windows that are part of the eye candy in Vista, but that is the 'Glass' effect in the Areo theme, not the Aero theme itself. Using VMWare, there is no way to enable the Glass effect because the video drivers for VMWare cannot handle it.

But so it is clear... in the same way that the default theme in XP was Luna, the default theme in Vista is Aero. MS has the default Windows theme in its servers, which we commonly associate with Windows Me or Windows 2000. But in Windows 2003, there was a way to enable the Luna theme, and in Windows 2008 there is a way to enable the Aero theme.

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