Windows 7 doesn't switch to classic theme

Question

I just reverted to Win7 (yay) and was looking forward to use the classic theme again.

However, Windows does apply something different when I select "Windows Classic". It looks like this:

It becomes even more ugly, the desktop background black etc.

Any idea what could be the reason for that?

/EDIT: It seems that the profile is somehow "broken" - it works for a different user on the same machine. Are there potential caches/settings to delete/reset in registry/profile related to themes?

/EDIT2: One more thing I observed: It works when I stop the "Themes" service. Also, if I go to "System"->"Advanced System Settings"->"Performance" and deselect "Use visual styles on windows and buttons". However, when I go back to themes then, it enables the ugly Aero (?) style again, no matter which theme I pick. It seems that something is forcing the theme to use aero except the themes service is turned off.

This is the content of the registry as suggested to post below:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance
    SchemeLangID    REG_BINARY    0904
    NewCurrent    REG_SZ    
    Current    REG_SZ    
    CustomColors    REG_BINARY    FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00FFFFFF00

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\New Schemes
    SelectedStyle    REG_SZ    4

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\Schemes
    @themeui.dll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
    @themeui.dll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
    @themeui.dll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
    @themeui.dll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
    @themeui.dll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

/EDIT3: NICE! This reg-key seems to be broken. I just deleted it now everything works as expected.

Answer 1

Quick analysis

The settings for the classic and high contrast themes are stored in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance\New Schemes

Each subkey is associated with a theme:

• 0 - High Contrast #1
• 1 - High Contrast #2
• 2 - High Contrast Black
• 3 - High Contrast White
• 4 - Windows Classic

When any of these subkeys is missing, the corresponding theme won't be applied properly.

---

Resolution

After deleting the Appearance registry key, any missing entries will be restored when switching themes.

1. Select any theme not listed above (e.g. Windows 7 Basic).

2. Open a command prompt, type or paste the following command, and press Enter:

   reg delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Appearance" /f
   

3. Switch to the theme you want to use.

Answer 2

I've exported the Windows Classic theme (via Export for Sharing)*. You can download it here. I hope it fixed your problem.

* I had to change at least one of the properties of the theme so I could export it (you cannot export preset themes, go ahead and try it). So I changed the screensaver to "Ribbons". If you like, you can change it back to "No Screensaver" - the default of the Windows Classic theme.