How do I get the Aero desktop experience?

The following editions of Windows 7 include Aero:

• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Ultimate

Aero is not included in Windows 7 Home Basic or Windows 7 Starter. You can find out which edition of Windows 7 you have on your computer by opening System in Control Panel.

Click to open System.

The edition of Windows 7 you're running is displayed under Windows edition near the top of the window.

You also need to use a Windows theme to display Aero graphics. If you are using an Ease of Access theme, some elements such as transparency and thumbnail previews will not appear. To view which theme you are using, open Personalization in Control Panel.

Click to open Personalization.

The theme currently in use is highlighted.