From the Start button, type REGEDIT into the Search box, then press Enter to launch the Registry Editor (regedit.exe). Note: If you did not disable UAC (read my "Disable User Account Control in Windows Vista " article) then you will be prompted to consent to the action you're about to perform. Click Continue.
Locate the following key in the registry:
Code:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERHKEY_CURRENT_USERHKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
Modify the following value (REG_DWORD): Composition Change the existing value to 1.
Modify the following value (REG_DWORD): CompositionPolicy Change the existing value to 2.
Close Registry Editor.
Open an elevated Command Prompt window. To open an elevated Command Prompt, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. You can also type CMD in the search box of the Start menu, and when you see the Command Prompt icon click on it to select it, hold CTRL+SHIFT and press ENTER.
In the Command Prompt window, type
press Enter. Wait for the Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service to stop, then type in
press Enter. Wait for the Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service to start.
You *might* need to restart your computer.
Note: I do not have a copy of Vista Basic Edition installed anywhere right now, so I have Not tested this trick myself. Please feel free to send me a Feedback note if it worked for you or not.