I have Windows Vista. Most retro games I play cause the computer to switch to a more basic color scheme (the screen flickers a bit before it changes). The sidebar becomes semi-transparent, the Google Chrome tabs and the bar at the top become a lighter blue, the minimize/restore/close buttons in the top right corner change, etc. Usually when I close the game, the screen goes black for a second or two, then returns to the original color scheme.

An hour or two ago I opened the original Sonic to play.

https://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/game.php?id=3371&system=gen&name=Sonic-the-Hedgehog

The screen flickered, then changed to the more basic version. I started to play, but the controls weren't working. I double-clicked the screen to check the controls. As soon as I clicked the button to customize the controls, all of Google Chrome froze. I decided to wait for it to respond rather than closing it. It eventually returned, but informed me that the Vizzed RGR Plugin was unresponsive, then closed it. The color scheme did not change back.

I went back and repeated the process starting with opening the game and got the same result (except for the initial change). It still didn't go back to normal either. I opened a different game that usually causes it to change, then closed it once it had loaded properly. The color did not change back. I shut down my computer and turned it back on, but it still wasn't fixed. I went into the Control Panel and found the Color Scheme part under Appearance Settings. The available schemes are Windows Vista Basic (the one I'm stuck with), followed by 5 variations on the classic Windows scheme (from XP and earlier).

I don't know how to change it back. The new scheme is ugly, but I usually tolerate while I play RGR games. I hate that I can't get rid of it. I checked online and found a response on the Windows site saying to do a System Restore. I really don't want to do a System Restore because it doesn't guarantee it will fix the problem and there's no way to undo it. I'm posting this comment on Vizzed because I blame this problem on the failure of the Vizzed Plugin. Are there any ways to fix this other than a System Restore?

This might belong with the RGR Plugin Thread, but it's more of a computer issue, so I'm posting it here.

DarkHyren : I'm sorry to summon you, but this seems like something you would know.

Sounds like Aero has become stuck in disabled mode.
What you want to do is do the hardware performance test.
Go to Control PanelPerformance Information and Tools
You can find that quickly by right clicking "Computer" from the start menu and clicking properties, then clicking "Windows Experience Index" next to the rating.
After you are on that new box, click "Update my score".
Let the process run and it should readjust Aero back into the enabled mode.
Let me know if that's what you were after

DarkHyren :
I did everything you said and nothing changed. Before the scan, the "Desktop performance for Windows Aero" was 3.3 before the scan. It was still 3.3 after the scan. I just restarted the whole computer and it still hasn't changed back. The options in the color scheme window haven't changed either.

It did warn me that the screen may flicker while it updated the score, but it never did. In the past it always did flicker. I thought that might matter.

EDIT: I was poking around on Google and I found this site:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/my-vista-aero-glass-turned-itself-off-how-do-i-enable-it-again/

I tried everything on that page, but nothing changed. Windows Aero still isn't an option for a scheme.

I have Vista Home Basic if it matters.


***
I'm looking around online and I don't think I ever had Aero. I've seen the semi-transparent windows on Windows 7. I never had anything like that. The color scheme has just gotten much brighter and the shape of the three buttons in the top-right corner have changed.

According to Microsoft, Vista Home Basic isnt even supposed to have Aero turned on in it.
That's probably why you cant find an option.
Are you sure you had Aero on, or could it have been another scheme?

DarkHyren : I looked around online... a lot. Nothing I found helped. I don't think I ever had Aero.

Just poking around out of curiosity, I clicked on "Adjust screen resolution" under "Appearance and Personality" in the "Control Panel Home" menu (not to be confused with "Classic View").

The "Resolution Colors" were set to "Medium (16 bit)." I changed it to "Highest (32 bit)" and clicked "Apply." When I went back to the "Display Settings" there was a new option titled "Windows Vista Standard." The example window looked identical to "Windows Vista Basic," but I clicked on it and clicked "Apply" anyway. For whatever reason this fixed it. When I clicked on Windows Sidebar it returned to not being semi-transparent.

My guess is that the game switched the screen to a lower resolution, but for some reason it never changed back.

...So my problem is solved and I know how to do it next time. I figured I should explain it for possible future use if someone else has this happen. You can close this if you want.
Thanks for your help.

No problems. This issue is very similar to the Aero one so that's why it seemed the same.
One reason is because you need 32bit color to use Aero so that explains the similarities.
Well, glad it's sorted quickly