In the previous post I mentioned Aerofoil, a Windows 7/Vista app that changes additional power settings on a laptop depending on whether it is running on its battery or plugged into a power outlet. Having failed to get it to work on my own laptop because of a missing and uninstallable dll file, I gave up trying and turned to the web to find a way to copy the tweaks it implements without actually using Aerofoil.

One of the big energy savers that supposedly contributes to the 25% extended battery life that is possible using Aerofoil is to switch off transparency, the so-called Aero effects in Windows 7 or Vista. To be honest, there’s no reason to have Aero effects running at all, they’re almost entirely an aesthetic affectation and switching them off permanently could save power.

But, if you really do like to have them running at least automate their toggling on and off when you switch from outlet to battery. It could be 20 minutes extra juice, which might make all the difference between meeting a deadline and not. Here’s how:

1. Disconnect from the power outlet
2. Right click desktop and choose Personalize option
3. Click “Window Color”
4. Uncheck “Enable Transparency”
5. Save changes and exit back to Desktop
6. Connect to power outlet and repeat steps 1-3
7. Check the box to “Enable Transparency”
8. Save changes and exit “Personalize” back to desktop

Aero should now be enabled while you are plugged in but will automatically be disabled if you unplug and run the laptop on battery power. Fundamentally, disabling Aero effects is a lower power, greener option and doesn’t interfere with functionality in any significant way or does it? In what ways can disabling Aero actually lead to reduced productivity?