Perk For nVidia Users: XP Transparent Taskbar

by on Sep 18, 2008 | 8 comments

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Although I’m 99% sure the ATI manager software has this ability also, with the nView software by nVidia you can easily make your Windows XP taskbar transparent.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Download and install the latest nVidia driver set.

2. Go to the Control Panel and double-click the NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager icon. See below for example.

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3. Click the Effects tab, check Enable taskbar transparency, set the level desired, click Apply. See below for example.

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..and that’s all there is to it. Ta-da.. transparent taskbar. For best effect, make sure to have a wallpaper that is an image of some kind (a pattern, photo, etc.) and not just a solid color.

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  • SupaChalupa

    Rich, could you explain how to do this with an ATI graphics card? How can I be sure downloading the new driver wont screw something up? How do I know I have the right driver download? I have Radeon X600.

    • http://www.menga.net Rich Menga

      I have no idea since I don’t have any ATI video hardware. Your best bet would be to post the question to the PCMech forums and include the link to this article for reference.

    • Jason Faulkner

      I just posted a tip on this today.
      See the ‘Trackback’ link at the bottom.

  • Pingback: A Transparent Taskbar For Everyone | PCMech

  • SupaChalupa

    Cool, thanks guys.

  • http://www.onclejean.co.uk John Butler, FSS

    This is an old nvidia feature thatused to work well but usually does not work on newer systems but reports that it is disabled because some other application also uses 3D. There is now way of finding what other application causes the trouble

  • herdy

    It doesn’t work…
    I’m using theme of windows vista (red) edition on my xp,
    when I’m doing like you do in nvidia desktop viewer, I think I failed, hehehe… :D

  • http://www.dibacu.ro Gabi T

    It makes both the taskbar and the objects on it transparent.
    I don’t like transparent icons. They are hard to see.

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