Transparency effects windows 11

With the latest Windows 11 Microsoft introduced a fresh and modern user interface that has several visual enhancements and new features. And implementation of the transparency effect is one of them which adds a sleek and stylish touch to the overall user experience. You can enable the Transparency effects from Windows 11 settings -> Personalization -> Colors. However, sometimes you may notice the Transparency Effect Not Working, Few users report, Windows 11’s transparency effect stop working after update. In this article, we will explore the possible reasons why transparency effects is not working in Windows 11 and some potential solutions to help you restore the desired transparency experience on your PC.

Transparency effects not working on Windows 11

If your laptop battery is low or power saver mode is enabled, the transparency effect will stop functioning. An outdated Windows version or older Graphics driver is another common reason behind this problem. Again if you are not using a genuine version of Windows 11 this may be the reason why the transparency effect feature is disabled for you.

Well if you are experiencing this problem, First you need to check and Ensure the Transparency Effect Is Enabled Under Windows Settings,

  • Right-click on the desktop and select “Personalize” from the context menu.
  • In the Settings app, click on “Personalization” in the left sidebar.
  • Select “Colors” from the options on the right.
  • And finally, Enable the toggle next to the Transparency effect

Enable transparency effects

Update Windows 11

Sometimes recent Windows update bugs or outdated Windows 11 versions could be the reason why the Transparent effect not working on your PC. Let’s check for and install the latest Windows 11 updates that probably have fix for this issue.

  • Press the Windows key + I to open the settings app,
  • Go to windows update then hit the Check for Updates button,
  • If pending updates are there, allow them to download and install on your computer.
  • Once done restart your computer to apply the changes.

Download Windows 11 update

Update Display drivers

Outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can cause issues with transparency effects. Update the display driver from Device Manager or Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer and download the latest drivers and install it to fix such problem.

  • Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager,
  • Expand the display adapter, Right-click on your display driver and select the Update driver option.
  • From there, follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver. Then, check to see if the issue is still there.

update graphics driver

Tweak Windows Registry Editor

Also, you can Tweak Windows Registry Editor to enable transparency effects on Windows 11.

  • Press Windows key + R, type regedit and click ok to open the registry editor,
  • Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize
  • Double-click on EnableTransparency DWORD, change its value data to 1 and hit OK.
  • Restart your PC for changes to take effect, and transparency effects will work normally.

Registry tweak to enable transparency effects

Turn off the Battery saver

When the battery level on your Laptop drops below 20%, the transparency effects function is automatically disabled. If you are a laptop user, check and ensure the power saver option is turned off, or connect to a power outlet.

Let’s disable power-saving modes temporarily to check if they are causing the issue.

  • Right-click on the battery icon on the taskbar and select Power and Sleep settings
  • Expand the Battery saver option, then click the ‘Turn off now’ button to disable the battery saver.

Disable battery saver

Troubleshoot Display Settings

If transparency effects are still not working, you can troubleshoot display settings by following these steps:

  • Right-click on the desktop and select “Display settings.”
  • Under the “Scale and layout” section, ensure that the scale is set to 100% or the recommended setting.
  • Check if the display resolution is set to the native resolution of your monitor.
  • Restart your computer and see if the transparency effects are now functioning correctly.

Clean boot Windows 11

Start Windows 11 in a clean boot state will help you determine whether a background service or program is to blame for the issue with transparency effects.

  • Press the Windows key + R, type msconfig.msc and click ok
  • Under the Services tab, checkmark on ‘Hide all Microsoft services box’ and click the Disable all button.

hide all Microsoft services

  • Switch to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.
  • In the Startup tab, select a third-party program and click on Disable at the top.
  • Repeat this step to disable all third-party apps and programs.
  • Restart your PC to enter a clean boot environment and check if transparency effects are working.

If they are, you’ll have to remove any recently installed apps or programs to fix the issue.

Note – To boot in normal mode again, use the steps above to enable all the Startup apps and services before restarting your PC.

Transparency effects are still not working after trying the above solutions, it is recommended to reach out to Microsoft support or reset Windows 11 factory default.

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Steve Ballmer
With over 7 years of experience in the IT industry, I have experience in IT support, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. Certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.