Vista - Thumbnails and transparency

Hey guys Im new to vista but really like it alot except that my install does not have the thumbnails off the task bar or transparency. I have Vista Home Basic 32bit. I installed this the same time as a friend of mine we both bought the same version for vista (At a discount of course) His install has these options but mine does not. I have posted else where without any real answers to my questions, most everyone said make sure your video graphics drivers are installed which of course they are. Im running a brand new system :

2Gb Dual Channel OCZ 800Mhz ram
AMD Black Edition 3500+
Geforce 8500Gt with 1gig ram
160 G Sata Western digital
MSI K9VGM-V Motherboard - VIA K8M890

I have of course Activated my install and ran all the nec. updates including SP1.
Is there a way i can tweak this think to have these featurs that i like so much??
Any help would be much appreciated.
JRockZ

Those features of which you speak will require Aero, which is not included with Vista Home Basic. For that you'll need to us Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade to Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate.

No im sorry it does include it as i said my friend HAS the EXACT same install and his has these options.
Anyone else have any ideas?
Thanks
JRockZ

EDIT!!! I GOT IT i had a reliability score of 1.0 for some reason and after i refreshed the transparency and thumbnails are now working!!! whoo Hoo!!
thanks anyhow guys.
JRockZ

Hi JRockZ,

Are you sure that your friend has actually installed the same version of Vista as you? To check, click on the start orb and type 'winver' into the search box and press enter/return. Does your PC and that of your friend show the same? The following illustration is from my version of Vista, and shows what you are looking for.


All Vista DVDs are created the same, and it is the Key that you enter during the installation that determines which version of Vista that gets installed. Your friend might have installed WITHOUT entering the Key and chosen a different version of Vista to see what the features are. Of course, if that is what s/he's done, then should s/he choose to keep that version then a Key will need to be purchased pertaining to that version. As Steven has pointed out, the features you mentioned require the Aero interface, which is NOT available in Vista Home Basic.
Dwarf

Dwarf
Yes i have that same image and so dose my friend, as i said in Edit above i now have transparency and thumbnail views, My reliability score must have not set when i installed but as soo as i refreshed it it went from 1.0 to 4.4 and the transparency and thumbnails started working in fcat i think it even changed while it was still refreshing.
Thanks
JRockZ