Like its predecessor, Windows 10 includes a personalization option to make the desktop taskbar transparent, allowing the user’s desktop wallpaper to be visible behind the taskbar. The taskbar is such a small portion of the overall desktop, however, that this option was hardly noticeable to most users in Windows 8. With the addition of the Action Center in Windows 10, however, the transparency option has been extended from the taskbar to both the Start Menu and Action Center, and offers a much more visually striking (if you prefer the transparency option), or distracting (if you dislike the transparency option) result. Wow legion follower addon. Here’s how to disable or enable taskbar, Start Menu, and Action Center transparency in Windows 10.
Note: Like its competitor Apple, Microsoft uses the word “transparency” to describe the visual effect discussed in this article. However, the more accurate term is “translucency,” as the desktop wallpaper, while visible, is clearly obfuscated by the foreground elements of the taskbar, Start Menu, and Action Center. Despite this difference, we will stick with the word “transparency” in this article to maintain consistency with Microsoft’s naming conventions.
To disable or enable taskbar, Start Menu, and Action Center transparency in Windows 10, head to Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors.
Scroll down until you see the option labeled Make Start, taskbar, and action center transparent. As its name describes, turning this option on will make your desktop elements transparent, and your desktop wallpaper will be visible behind them in a way that is similar to, although far less intense, than the Aero visual effects first introduced in Windows Vista. Conversely, turning this option off will result in the use of a solid background color for your taskbar, Start Menu, and Action Center, which will completely cover their respective areas of your desktop wallpaper. The color used for both the solid and transparent backgrounds will vary based on your choices in the sections higher up in the Colors Settings menu, and will be either automatically set by Windows based upon your current wallpaper, or manually set by the user to one of 48 color options. Regardless of whether your are enabling or disabling the transparency effects in Windows 10, the change you make will take effect as soon as you click the On/Off toggle in Settings, with no need to reboot or log off each time you change the option. One word of caution for those running Windows 10 on older PCs with outdated graphics cards: although it’s not much by today’s standards, the transparency effect in Windows 10 does require some GPU horsepower. Therefore, if you’re running an older PC or graphics card and notice some sluggishness on the Windows 10 desktop try disabling transparency (and Windows 10 animations, too, while you’re at it) for a potential performance boost. How to Make Windows 10 Start Menu Transparent using Glass2K?
The latest Windows 10 build 9926 got released in the second half of January 2015 during a Microsoft event. This build version of Windows 10 Technical Preview contains several new features and Aero-Glass Transparency is not one of them. However, if sources are to be believed as well as some key images (of transparent Windows 10 Start Menu) witnessed during the Live event, later versions of Windows 10 preview build are more likely to come with the Aero-style transparency for Start Menu. If not, we can still manage to enable Windows 10 Start Menu transparency using Glass2K software app.
Aero Glass transparency for Windows 7 Start Menu was one of the major reasons why several Windows users didn’t like upgrading to Windows 8 or 8.1 (where this Aero transparency feature was not provided). Only time will tell if we will have Aero Glass transparency for Windows 10 final version as well.
However, just like the add-on “Aero Glass for Windows 8.1 OS” provided by developer “Big Muscle”, we can expect a similar provision for this latest Microsoft OS as well. Dark art definition. In fact, it seems Big Muscle developer is ready with Win10 Aero Glass transparency option as an experimental debug version much sooner than expected. However, it won’t be foolproof and so it is better to wait for official release of future Win 10 build version which may or may not contain the Windows 7 style start menu transparency.
What if I tell you there is another option to get the transparency feature even now? In other words, it is possible to make Start Menu of Windows 10 Build 9926 as transparent. It can be done by installing Glass2K software and using it. In this article, we shall go through the tips to enable transparency for Microsoft Windows 10 Start Menu.
How to download Glass2K software application?One can free download this desktop enhancement software called Glass2K (compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10) from Softpedia website at the link: How to use Glass2K to make Windows 10 Start Menu transparent?This tiny software tool is defined by its capability to make any window transparent using simple keyboard shortcuts. This software is a perfect menu transparency tool for Windows operating systems that do not support Aero glass. So, you can use this to make Windows 10 Build 9926’s start menu transparent (as it currently does not support Aero). Now, it can work for transparency of Win10 start menu as well as for making Windows 10 taskbar transparent.
Glass2K is a great standalone utility tool that provides easy user interface with some additions to the main window. We can run it directly to come across the below Glass2K settings window.
Here, tick the check box stating “Auto-Load Glass2K every time Windows starts.” since Glass2K won’t get loaded automatically with your default Windows settings. Similarly, tick the next check box option “Auto-Remember every window’s Transparency Settings”. Please do note the Keyboard shortcuts for Glass2K transparency adjustment skills which as precisely mentioned in the above settings box (0 to 9 + Ctrl + Shift). Vintage children tea time. You can make any settings changes for Glass2K here and then save them by clicking the ‘Save’ button as seen above.
Now, you can open the Start menu pressing the ‘Windows’ key. Later, press the 3 keys simultaneously: Ctrl and Shift and any number from 0 to 9 for different transparency levels. Here, pressing ‘1’ will lead to full transparency of your start menu. Similarly, you can play around with the taskbar transparency levels using Glass2K settings.
Enable Taskbar Transparency Windows 10
You can enable right-click of your mouse to pop-up Glass2K transparency settings by selecting ‘Enabled’ from the drop-down box against Transparency Popup Right-click field in the above settings box. So, whenever you right-click on Start Menu or other window, you will be prompted to adjust their transparency levels using Glass2K keyboard shortcuts.
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