Windows 8.1 unusable after installing theme

[budsta]

I tried to install an Aero theme from: http://glass8.berlios.de/ for Windows 8.1 on a laptop- Samsung NP350E5C-A01AU. I installed it in Program Files, which I later learned I should not have done, as it should have been installed in a writable location: http://glass8.berlios.de/guide.html (second bullet point).

After installed, a dialog box appears saying "Your DVM is incompatible with Aero Glass! See Debug log for more details. Do you want to retry symbols downloading?". Options: Retry, Cancel, or X. Any option fails to do anything and the box reappears immediately, or a second later. It appears both on login screen and when logged in. If I try to ignore dialog box and use computer, I am able to do so for up to ten seconds, usually less. The screen flickers black during this time, and then crashes to the login screen. Restart and shutdown doesn't change anything. Only just installed Win8.1, so I don't think it would have Win8.1 Update yet. I'm not finding any info on Google, so any help greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: I haven't been able to access safe mode. The windows disk is in the drive, but no options appear when starting computer- it goes straight to login. It is not the official disk- I burnt a disk using an iso file. I did a clean install of Windows 8.0 over the OEM Windows 8.0 ( I do not have the OEM disk). I started the process from within the old OEM OS, not from the BIOS. Then I updated to Win8.1. Is the computer not booting to DVD, or is my DVD at fault?

 

[Ubrales]

Start the computer in 'Safe Mode' by using the Windows disk. Then uninstall the program that is causing the problem.

Some of these third party programs have 'more' than the advertised content.

 

[dodger46]

Take it you're not able to get into BIOS/Setup to make DVD 1st boot device? Does F12 bring up Boot menu? You may have to disconnect your HDD in order to access BIOS boot options, then re-connect once you're done.

 

[budsta]

I couldn't get to boot options and I would rather not have removed HDD from laptop. I used my few seconds I had to get into msconfig.exe, go to the boot tab and select safe mode, and restart. Then uninstalled offending program in safe mode.

Being near-impossible to start in safe mode or get to boot options when starting computer seems to be 'features' of Windows 8. Awful. Thanks for your help.

 

[dodger46]

I couldn't get to boot options and I would rather not have removed HDD from laptop. I used my few seconds I had to get into msconfig.exe, go to the boot tab and select safe mode, and restart. Then uninstalled offending program in safe mode.
Being near-impossible to start in safe mode or get to boot options when starting computer seems to be 'features' of Windows 8. Awful. Thanks for your help.

Agreed. Many of the problems are caused by the 'Fast Startup' which stores data in a file on the HDD called the Hiberfile to enable a fast boot, a sort of abbreviated version of the old Hibernate mode. As you observed, it can be nigh on impossible to get into BIOS or Boot Options using the Function keys. Hence the advice to remove the HDD, no access to the Hiberfile means no Fast Startup!