Check Windows 7 Aero Peek Performance, Snap, and Taskbar Previews

Windows Platform, Computing
Check Windows 7 Aero Peek Performance, Snap, and Taskbar Previews
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Activating Windows 7 Aero Themes

To check Windows 7 Aero Peek performance, you first need to enable a Windows 7 Aero theme. If your computer meets all of the requirements to run Windows Aero themes, usually Windows 7 will automatically activate an Aero theme upon installing. However, the Windows 7 theme on your PC may just be set to a Basic and High Contrast theme.

Right click in some blank space on your Windows 7 desktop and select Personalize from the drop down menu. Upon doing so, the Control Panel - Personalization window should open. The main portion of this Window should display all of the current Windows 7 themes on your computer. Look for the section titled Aero Themes and click on an Aero theme to activate it.

Now, Windows may tell you that the Aero theme has been activated, as the Aero theme will become the current theme, and will be displayed under My Themes at the top of the Control Panel - Appearance window. This does not necessarily mean that the Aero theme is working.

Upon clicking to activate a Windows 7 Aero theme, you should receive a prompt, telling you that Windows is applying settings. From there, you should be able to tell a noticeable difference in the taskbar, open windows, and other elements. Notably, items should appear to be more transparent and minimizing Windows should have a different effect.

If you tried to apply a Windows 7 Aero theme, but it did not work, chances are good that your computer does not meet the requirements to run Windows 7 Aero. We have an article titled Windows 7 Aero Themes Not Working, that you may want to check out if your computer’s Aero themes are not activating.

Check Windows 7 Aero Peek Performance

Now that you have a Windows 7 Aero theme activated, you can check Windows 7 Aero Peek performance. To do so, simply open up some Windows on the desktop. You can open up Internet Explorer, Firefox, Solitaire, Notepad, etc… Just make sure that you have more than one Window open, and the Windows are active on the desktop.

Move your mouse to bottom right of your screen, it should be positioned directly next to the clock. Wait a couple of seconds and you should see all of the windows fade out, leaving a transparent outline. This is the Windows 7 Aero Peek feature. You can also click the lower right hand side of your screen to hide all open windows and clear the desktop. Alternatively, you can click that same spot again to unhide the windows.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to using Windows 7 Aero Peek. Aside from this, you may also want to know how Aero Snap and Taskbar Previews work.

  • To use Aero Snap, simply click the top title bar of a Window and drag it towards the left, right, or top of the screen. Make sure that you drag it far enough off of the screen, so that at least half of the window is not showing. From there, you should see an outline appear. Release the mouse, and the window will snap into position.
  • To use Taskbar Previews, simply open up Internet Explorer. From there, open up a couple of new IE windows. Hover your mouse over the Internet Explorer icon in the taskbar, and you should get an immediate preview of all open IE windows. You can click any of these previews to jump directly to that according window.
  • To use Aero Flip, open up a couple of different windows. Hold down the Windows key and the Tab key at the same time. While still holding the Windows key, tap the Tab key to rotate through the different Windows. Release both buttons when the Window you would like to jump to is in front of the deck.