Vista looks diffirent? Options

[Maccabee]

I was trying to get rid of the shadows under all my programs in vista. (one more reason i miss xp) and I was in sytem advanced settings and i just unticked enable desktop composition and it got rid of the shadows and transparency but it also got eid of the preview boxes that appear when you hover a program. So i turned it on this morning and re ticked it but it stayed the same!
How can I put it back to how it was before? And how can i get rid of the shadows!
even if it means just using the other vista theme i have seen that looks basic and plain. Like my current one does...
I dont know if that made sense but heres a screenshot.

click to enlarge

[illriginal]

1) Click on the Windows logo at the lower left corner

2) Select Control Panel, and then select Personalization

3) Click on “Window Color and Appearance”

4) If you then see a row of 8 colors, you need to click on the last link, “Open classic appearance properties for more color options”

5) In the “Appearance Settings” window, under “Color Scheme,” select “Windows Aero”

6) Click on “OK”

7) Windows will then update the display properties of, well, everything.

Alright I logged onto Vista, changed the appearance and then followed these steps, this should work. But also I have Windows Vista Ultimate w/SP1

[Maccabee]

Alright I logged onto Vista, changed the appearance and then followed these steps, this should work. But also I have Windows Vista Ultimate w/SP1

I did those instructions too but when I click color and appearence it goess straight to the settings and i dont see the 8 rows any more! And then when i click windows aero and hit ok it looks like vista basic!