You could try ShellWM and see if it works properly on your Vista system. And you could at least try reshacking your most frequently used software and Firefox, that will help at least partially. That's as far as you can go legally, I'm afraid you have no other option.

PS: You did manage a good desktop there. I'd use it, if I weren't using mine. ;P

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You want suck? I suck. You want blow? I blow. You want intellectual disputation? I got a big belch. BELCH.