Aero Lite is the name of the hidden visual style that debuted in Windows 8 and that has been included in later versions of the Microsoft Operating System such as Windows 11
It is used for High Contrast themes with color customization, replacing Windows Classic. Although Microsoft does not officially indicate that this theme is available in their operating systems, the truth is that in Windows 11 you can still find the files belonging to the Aero Lite theme.
As mentioned, the Aero Lite Theme files are still present in the Windows 11 operating system. This is probably the case because it is the only theme that supports dynamic color changes, which are necessary for high contrast themes (before Windows 8 , the high contrast themes were based on the Classic theme) In fact, when using a high contrast theme, it is actually Aero Lite that is used at the root of the operating system.
Unlike the default themes that use pre-built bitmaps to define the appearance of controls, Aero Lite relies more on system properties and colors, which allow Aero Lite to support more detailed customization without having to create separate msstyles files.
As Windows 11 incorporates the files belonging to the Aero Lite Theme, we can rescue them and proceed to the activation of said theme. However, these Aero Lite files are hidden so we cannot activate it from the Windows 11 Settings app.
Activation of the Aero Lite Theme in Windows 11 must be activated manually and that is why in this tutorial we show you how to do it:
How to install Aero Lite hidden theme in Windows 11
1. Open Windows 11 File Explorer
2. Once here you will have to go to the folder:
C: \ Windows \ Resources \ Themes
3. From among the files shown here, you will have to right click on aero.theme
4. When the context menu is displayed, you will have to click on: Copy
5. Now, go to the desktop or any empty folder and paste the aero.theme file
6. Line followed you have to change the name of the aero.theme file to aerolite.theme
7. Once the file has the new name, you will have to right click on the aerolite.theme file
8. In the contextual menu go to: Open with> Choose another application
9. In the list of programs you must choose the: Notepad
10. When the text of the file is displayed in the notepad, you must delete the two sentences / lines:
Windows - IDS_THEME_DISPLAYNAME_AERO_LIGHT
DisplayName = @% SystemRoot% \ System32 \ themeui.dll, -2060
11. Once the two sentences have been deleted, you will have to write the following line instead:
12. Line followed, in the same Notepad document, you will have to scroll down until you find the line: [VisualStyles]
13. Under this "section" you will find a route in which you must replace:
Aero.msstyles by Aerolite.msstyles.
14. When the phrases / lines have been replaced and modified, you will have to save the changes to the file which you can do using the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + S
15. The next step will be to double-click on the newly modified aerolite.theme file.
16. Now you can automatically see how the changes are applied to the Windows 11 theme showing the Aero Lite.
How to disable or remove Aero Lite Theme from Windows 11
1. Use the keyboard shortcut: Windows key + I
2. When the configuration opens, you will have to go to: Personalization> Themes
3. Select any default Windows 11 theme other than Aero Lite.
4. Line followed right click on the Aero Lite theme (which should not be selected)
5. The option to select will be displayed: Delete
6. Once removed, you can select any of the other default Windows 11 themes.
Date update on 2021-07-19. Date published on 2021-07-19. Category: Computer class Author: Oscar olg Fuente: downloadsource