5 Ways to Fix Transparency Effects Not Working on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Enabling battery-saver mode in Windows can automatically disable power-consuming features such as transparency effects, so ensure it’s turned off.
• Verify that transparency effects are enabled and update the display drivers on your PC.
• Consider booting your PC in clean boot mode to determine if a third-party program or service is causing issues.

Fix 1: Verify Transparency Settings

The first thing you need to do is ensure that the transparency effects are enabled on your PC. Here’s how to check.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to Personalization > Colors.

Step 2: Turn on the toggle next to Transparency effects if it isn’t already.

Fix 2: Switch to High-Performance Mode

Windows 11 includes several power modes that let you prioritize performance, power efficiency, or strike a balance. You can set Windows 11 to favor performance if transparency effects are not working. Here’s how.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type in control panel, and press Enter.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu in the top right corner to change the view type to Large icons. Then, go to Power Options.

Step 3: Select High performance.

Fix 3: Update Display Drivers

A partially corrupted or outdated display driver on your PC can also create problems with transparency effects. Updating those display drivers can help you fix the issue. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the list.

Step 2: Double-click on Display adapters to expand it. 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 if the issue is still there.

Fix 4: Tweak Registry Files

If the issue remains, you can use the Registry Editor to enable transparency effects on Windows 11. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type in regedit in the Open field and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Registry Editor window, paste the following path and press Enter:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize

Step 3: 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.

Fix 5: Try Clean Boot

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

To enter clean boot mode:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type msconfig.msc, and press Enter.

Step 2: Under the Services tab, mark the box that reads Hide all Microsoft services box and click the Disable all button.

Step 3: Switch to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.

Step 4: In the Startup tab, select a third-party program and click 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 the transparency effects are working. If they are, you’ll have to remove any recently installed apps or programs to fix the issue.

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