Windows 10 transparency not working
By default, the taskbar in Windows 10 has a slight degree of transparency, so that the edges of application windows are dimly visible through it, but you can make it completely transparent, thus giving the desktop an unusual look. Getting the effect of 100% transparency is easy. More experienced users can use a small registry tweak for this, beginners can use the third-party utilities TranslucentTB and TaskbarTools.
Using the registry
Let's add in an entry that will adjust the transparency of the taskbar in Windows 10. Open the registry editor and follow the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. In the right part of the editor window, create a new 32-bit DWORD value, name it UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency and set its value to 1.
After applying the registry tweak, go to the settings Personalization? Colors and make sure the "Make Start Menu, Taskbar, and Action Center transparent" switch is set to the far right, otherwise the tweak will make the panel more transparent, but not 100 percent. If the transparency effect is not applied immediately, restart File Explorer.
Using the TranslucentTB and TaskbarTools utilities
The first utility is the simplest. It does not need to be installed, has no settings and no graphical interface. All you need to do is run the utility executable and the taskbar will immediately become transparent. The utility ends forcibly through the Task Manager, and after that, to restore the previous view of the panel, you will need to restart the Explorer. The above settings in the "Colors" subsection, most likely, you will also have to apply, since without them one hundred percent transparency is again not achieved. The taskbar becomes whitish and more transparent, but its border is still distinguishable.
The TaskbarTools utility can offer much more in this regard. With its help, you can easily not only make the taskbar completely transparent or, on the contrary, opaque without changing the system settings, but also change its color and its intensity. The utility supports five modes of operation: Disabled (black opaque background), ENABLE GRADIENT (arbitrary color from black to white), Enable TRANSPARENT GRADIENT (semi-transparent fill of arbitrary color), ENABLE BLURBEHIND (any level of transparency using any color), INVALID STATE (full transparency).
In general, you can experiment with TaskbarTools, there are more than enough options available, it's just that the effects do not always take effect immediately, sometimes you have to restart Explorer. Like TranslucentTB, TaskbarTools does not require installation, in addition, the utility supports adding to Windows startup.
Have a great day!
The transparent window design that many users liked in Windows 7 disappeared even when the G8 was released. Before the release of Windows 10, there was a chance that Aero technology would again appear among the visual effects (after all, the developers returned the long-awaited Start button), but this did not happen.
Microsoft in Windows 10 decided not to return to the old design methods, safely forgetting about the Aero technology. But you don’t have to put up with this order: you can add the effect of transparent windows to the system yourself.
Using the program Aero Glass
Since there are no built-in tools that allow you to solve the issue of how to enable Aero in Windows 10, you will have to resort to the capabilities of a third-party program. Meet Aero Glass, an application that allows you to create a glass effect for the classic Windows 10 interface.
Aero Glass was developed for Windows 8.1, but its latest version also works correctly on Windows 10.
Advice! Before installing Aero Glass and changing the interface, it is recommended to create an additional restore point.
Let's see how to activate Aero in Windows 10 using the mentioned utility:
After the installation wizard completes, you will see that the windows have become transparent. Changes will be made automatically, you don't need to change theme to enable Aero.
In order to change the degree of transparency, press Win + R and enter the command "rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl,Advanced,@Advanced". A color change window will appear, where by changing the intensity level, the transparency level also changes. 
After installing the program, a watermark appears in the lower right corner of the screen.
Video
For clarity, we suggest watching the video instruction, with a detailed description of the inclusion of the window transparency effect.
Conclusion
When solving the problem of how to activate Windows 10 Aero, do not forget about the stable operation of the computer. Using tweaks and making potentially dangerous changes can lead to data loss. Therefore, when installing Aero Glass, do not activate the propagation of the effect to universal applications and do not forget to create a restore point for a quick system rollback.
Windows 10 is a feature rich operating system compared to previous predecessors. Rich customization gives a beautiful look to the menu, taskbar, home screen, etc. For example, if you have beautiful wallpapers or , then transparency will be the perfect solution to preserve the look and feel of the start menu. Of course, the readability of shortcuts on the home screen will be inconvenient, but those who know where everything is usually open the program by the picture. Here we will analyze how to increase the transparency of the start menu in Windows 10.
Not transparent.
With blur.
Transparent without blur.
Enable transparency effect in settings
The methods below through the registry do not work, microsodt changes values and paths all the time. So far, it’s not possible to get good transparency through the registry, as soon as I find it, I’ll definitely update the article, but so far with the help of the utility below.
There is a special tool TranslucentTB in the Windows Store to make the taskbar completely transparent.
Temporarily not working
Press start and click on the gear" options".
Turn on slider in row Transparency effects. Now we have a transparent start menu, but it is blurry, next we will remove the blur and make the start screen more transparent.
Remove blur in the start menu
We have included a transparency effect, which in turn is retouched and blurred. Let's make a more transparent start screen in windows 10 through the registry editor. Open the editor by pressing the button combination win+R, and write regedit. (May require administrator rights).
Navigate to the following path in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT _USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize
- Select destination folder personalize.
- On the right, find the value, double-click on it and assign a value 0 .
You can make the Windows 10 taskbar transparent in the Settings which you need to click on the button to open Start and select the gear icon.
How to Make the Taskbar Transparent in Windows 10
Step by step in settings Personalization - Colors. Then, on the right side of the open parameters, set the slider at the item Transparency effects to the on position and check the box On the start menu, and on the taskbar and in the notification center. After that, the transparency of the Windows 10 Taskbar will appear, but not complete. To enhance the transparency effect, you need to open the Registry Editor, and for this we launch the Run application by pressing two keys on the keyboard at the same time WIN+R.
In the Run application, enter the command regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor will open in which you need to open it in stages HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
Hover over Advanced and press the right mouse button, in the context menu that opens, select one by one New - DWORD Value (32 bits). After that, a new parameter will appear on the right side of the Registry Editor to which you need to give a name UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency.
Then move the cursor over this parameter and by pressing the right button select the item from the menu that opens. Change. In the window that opens, change the value to 1 and click OK. 
You can delete this generated UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency setting at any time, if needed. To remove the transparency of the Windows 10 taskbar, it is enough to open in the Settings Personalization - Colors and in the right part of the window, set the slider at the item Transparency effects to the off position.
Overall the Windows 10 screen looks nice, but it allows limited control over the transparency of the Action Center task and the Start menu. You can just make these components transparent or solid. However, with a little patience and caution you can make it even better - you can add transparency or increase the level of transparency of the start menu and taskbar. If you don't know how to do this, after reading this article, you can conveniently turn these elements on, off, or increase the transparency.
In the application Settings Windows 10, one switch controls the transparency of three elements, namely the Start Menu, Taskbar, and Action Center. These elements are slightly transparent by default.
To control transparency:
Go to section Settings > Personalization > Colors and switch transparency effects ON.
However, you cannot use this option to apply transparency to a single UI element and keep a solid color for other elements, or to select a transparency level on a per-element basis.
Transparency Control by Editing a Registry Key
You can still make the Start menu and taskbar more transparent by changing the registry. Because the Windows 10 registry contains settings and configuration, you should take every precaution when changing the key. It's good practice to take a backup of your registry files before editing them.
Note: You must have administrator rights on the computer to change the registry key.
Increasing the transparency of the Start menu
To change the registry file:
Increasing transparency shows when the window behind the Start menu is lighter in color, or when the wallpaper is light. Otherwise, the change will not be obvious. Play around with bright and dark backgrounds and change the tiles pinned to start menu to see what you like the most.
Note: Changes you make do not affect the Action Center.
Increasing the transparency of the taskbar
- In the Registry Editor select: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. You must create a new value in extended subsection.
- To create a new value right click Advanced key and select New > DWORD Value (32 bits). The next name of the new value is as UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency.
- Double click the new value UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency to open the property page, set the value 1 and press the button OK.
After making changes, close registry editor and restart your computer to reflect the changes. Alternatively, go to the section Settings > Personalization > Color and switch any color settings, i.e. switching to Off and then back to position ON to force changes.
Apart from the above registry trick, there are quite a few other hacks to enhance your Windows 10 system. Just be careful and play around to make changes. At any point in time, if you're not happy with the changes, you can always revert back to the original settings.
If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to ask in the comments section. We at TechWelkin and our reader community will try to help you. Thank you for using TechWelkin!