Aero Effects in Windows Vista, create a very cool user interface with transparency to windows, context menu and start menu.But if you are using a notebook Aero Effects put your processor on heavier processing making you loose battery life,You can disable aero effects and improve battery life using aerofoil.

You can set transparency levels in Windows OS, with Aero Effects disable using these 2 portable tools.

Tool 1 : TransTaskbar

TransTaskbar is a portable, free application which can make Windows Taskbar and Startmenu and desktop icons transparent.It works with in Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Download and extract the zip file, with 2 files in it ttb.exe and ttb-gui.exe

Taskbar’s translucency from 0 (invisible) to 255 (opaque) can be set and any value < 25 has to be set from the command line using the command by running TTB.exe

Command – TTB < transparency value >

TTB 180

Download TransTaskbar

Tool 2 : Transparent Context Menu

This tool lets the users set the transparency level for the context menus in Windows with Aero Effects disabled.

This app works in Windows XP, Vista and Win7.

Download Transparent Context Menu

Do check out the post on how to enable aero shake and aero snap in Windows XP and Vista.