Every dialog, prompt, button is illegible

[Guest Charles Lavin]

Hi --

 

I have a Windows XP Pro SP3 box that recently installed some automatic

updates, and now I can't get a legible screen out of it.

 

When the computer boots, it displays the Windows XP splash screen just fine.

The subsequent dialog it displays with the status of the startup is not. For

starters, it's a fraction of the width it's supposed to be. The Windows XP

graphic across the top of the dialog displays OK, except that it's cropped

after the "Wi" in "Windows". All the status messages displayed below show up

in a scrunched, compressed type that's impossible to read.

 

The login dialog has the same problem. The dialog is a fraction of the width

it's supposed to be. The prompts, the entry fields, even the buttons are all

squashed and pretty much illegible.

 

When the desktop finally displays, the desktop icons look OK but their

captions are all squashed. The Start button is screwed up. Any menu or

dialog I pull up gives me illegible type. The exception on the dialogs is

the title bar. The text in the title bar always looks normal. But any text

inside the dialog is almost impossible to make out.

 

I managed to navigate my way through the Desktop Properties and reset the

resolution of the first monitor to 640x480. It didn't help solve the

problem.

 

I thought about reloading the video drivers, but with this display I can't

tell what I'm doing.

 

I tried rebooting into Last Good Configuration mode. No help.

 

I tried rebooting into Safe mode. No help.

 

I tried rebooting into VGA mode. No help.

 

I tried connecting via Remote Desktop from another PC. I get exactly the

same results on the Remote Desktop screen (which I can now capture and send

to any interested party).

 

Near as I can tell, the PC is otherwise working OK. But since I can't see

what I'm doing, it's pretty useless in this condition.

 

I can open IE and navigate to a Web site. All the prompts, buttons, the

Address bar, etc. are illegible, but if I do manage to type in a URL into

the Address bar without making a mistake, the Web page will load and look

normal.

 

I can open Word. Again, all prompts, buttons, etc. are illegible, but I

clicked on the first document in the Recent Documents list and the document

came up and was perfectly legible.

 

How do I go about fixing this?

 

Thanks,

CL

[Guest John Inzer]

Re: Every dialog, prompt, button is illegible

 

Charles Lavin wrote:

> Hi --

>

> I have a Windows XP Pro SP3 box that recently installed some automatic

> updates, and now I can't get a legible screen out of it.

>

> When the computer boots, it displays the Windows XP splash screen

> just fine. The subsequent dialog it displays with the status of the

> startup is not. For starters, it's a fraction of the width it's

> supposed to be. The Windows XP graphic across the top of the dialog

> displays OK, except that it's cropped after the "Wi" in "Windows".

> All the status messages displayed below show up in a scrunched,

> compressed type that's impossible to read.

> The login dialog has the same problem. The dialog is a fraction of

> the width it's supposed to be. The prompts, the entry fields, even

> the buttons are all squashed and pretty much illegible.

>

> When the desktop finally displays, the desktop icons look OK but their

> captions are all squashed. The Start button is screwed up. Any menu or

> dialog I pull up gives me illegible type. The exception on the

> dialogs is the title bar. The text in the title bar always looks

> normal. But any text inside the dialog is almost impossible to make

> out.

> I managed to navigate my way through the Desktop Properties and reset

> the resolution of the first monitor to 640x480. It didn't help solve

> the problem.

>

> I thought about reloading the video drivers, but with this display I

> can't tell what I'm doing.

>

> I tried rebooting into Last Good Configuration mode. No help.

>

> I tried rebooting into Safe mode. No help.

>

> I tried rebooting into VGA mode. No help.

>

> I tried connecting via Remote Desktop from another PC. I get exactly

> the same results on the Remote Desktop screen (which I can now

> capture and send to any interested party).

>

> Near as I can tell, the PC is otherwise working OK. But since I can't

> see what I'm doing, it's pretty useless in this condition.

>

> I can open IE and navigate to a Web site. All the prompts, buttons,

> the Address bar, etc. are illegible, but if I do manage to type in a

> URL into the Address bar without making a mistake, the Web page will

> load and look normal.

>

> I can open Word. Again, all prompts, buttons, etc. are illegible, but

> I clicked on the first document in the Recent Documents list and the

> document came up and was perfectly legible.

>

> How do I go about fixing this?

>

> Thanks,

> CL

========================

Sounds like a video driver issue.

 

Did you try doing a System Restore to a

time before you installed the updates?

 

Windows Vista -

System Restore:

frequently asked questions

http://tinyurl.com/u6z5p

or...

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/517d3b8e-3379-46c1-b479-05b30d6fb3f01033.mspx

 

Windows Vista -

How to Do a System Restore in Vista

http://tinyurl.com/2bdvvv

or...

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

 

Using Windows Vista

System Restore

http://tinyurl.com/2qhd77

or...

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/

 

--

 

John Inzer MS-MVP

Digital Media Experience

 

Notice

This is not tech support

I am a volunteer

 

Solutions that work for

me may not work for you

 

Proceed at your own risk

[Guest Charles Lavin]

Re: Every dialog, prompt, button is illegible

 

I was able to half-blindly navigate through a Device Manager tree and delete

the nVIDIA video driver. When the PC rebooted, it exhibited the same

behavior as before. I verified that it is now running a standard Microsoft

video driver through a remote Device Manager display from another PC.

 

CL

 

"Charles Lavin" <x@x.x> wrote in message

news:FD8ECC91-717D-4AF2-89F1-5C361C9AC7A8@microsoft.com...

> Hi --

>

> I have a Windows XP Pro SP3 box that recently installed some automatic

> updates, and now I can't get a legible screen out of it.

>

> When the computer boots, it displays the Windows XP splash screen just

> fine. The subsequent dialog it displays with the status of the startup is

> not. For starters, it's a fraction of the width it's supposed to be. The

> Windows XP graphic across the top of the dialog displays OK, except that

> it's cropped after the "Wi" in "Windows". All the status messages

> displayed below show up in a scrunched, compressed type that's impossible

> to read.

>

> The login dialog has the same problem. The dialog is a fraction of the

> width it's supposed to be. The prompts, the entry fields, even the buttons

> are all squashed and pretty much illegible.

>

> When the desktop finally displays, the desktop icons look OK but their

> captions are all squashed. The Start button is screwed up. Any menu or

> dialog I pull up gives me illegible type. The exception on the dialogs is

> the title bar. The text in the title bar always looks normal. But any text

> inside the dialog is almost impossible to make out.

>

> I managed to navigate my way through the Desktop Properties and reset the

> resolution of the first monitor to 640x480. It didn't help solve the

> problem.

>

> I thought about reloading the video drivers, but with this display I can't

> tell what I'm doing.

>

> I tried rebooting into Last Good Configuration mode. No help.

>

> I tried rebooting into Safe mode. No help.

>

> I tried rebooting into VGA mode. No help.

>

> I tried connecting via Remote Desktop from another PC. I get exactly the

> same results on the Remote Desktop screen (which I can now capture and

> send to any interested party).

>

> Near as I can tell, the PC is otherwise working OK. But since I can't see

> what I'm doing, it's pretty useless in this condition.

>

> I can open IE and navigate to a Web site. All the prompts, buttons, the

> Address bar, etc. are illegible, but if I do manage to type in a URL into

> the Address bar without making a mistake, the Web page will load and look

> normal.

>

> I can open Word. Again, all prompts, buttons, etc. are illegible, but I

> clicked on the first document in the Recent Documents list and the

> document came up and was perfectly legible.

>

> How do I go about fixing this?

>

> Thanks,

> CL

>

>

[Guest John Inzer]

Re: Every dialog, prompt, button is illegible

 

Charles Lavin wrote:

> I was able to half-blindly navigate through a Device Manager tree and

> delete the nVIDIA video driver. When the PC rebooted, it exhibited

> the same behavior as before. I verified that it is now running a

> standard Microsoft video driver through a remote Device Manager

> display from another PC.

> CL

>

> "Charles Lavin" <x@x.x> wrote in message

> news:FD8ECC91-717D-4AF2-89F1-5C361C9AC7A8@microsoft.com...

>> Hi --

>>

>> I have a Windows XP Pro SP3 box that recently installed some

>> automatic updates, and now I can't get a legible screen out of it.

>>

>> When the computer boots, it displays the Windows XP splash screen

>> just fine. The subsequent dialog it displays with the status of the

>> startup is not. For starters, it's a fraction of the width it's

>> supposed to be. The Windows XP graphic across the top of the dialog

>> displays OK, except that it's cropped after the "Wi" in "Windows".

>> All the status messages displayed below show up in a scrunched,

>> compressed type that's impossible to read.

>>

>> The login dialog has the same problem. The dialog is a fraction of

>> the width it's supposed to be. The prompts, the entry fields, even

>> the buttons are all squashed and pretty much illegible.

>>

>> When the desktop finally displays, the desktop icons look OK but

>> their captions are all squashed. The Start button is screwed up. Any

>> menu or dialog I pull up gives me illegible type. The exception on

>> the dialogs is the title bar. The text in the title bar always looks

>> normal. But any text inside the dialog is almost impossible to make

>> out. I managed to navigate my way through the Desktop Properties and

>> reset the resolution of the first monitor to 640x480. It didn't help

>> solve the problem.

>>

>> I thought about reloading the video drivers, but with this display I

>> can't tell what I'm doing.

>>

>> I tried rebooting into Last Good Configuration mode. No help.

>>

>> I tried rebooting into Safe mode. No help.

>>

>> I tried rebooting into VGA mode. No help.

>>

>> I tried connecting via Remote Desktop from another PC. I get exactly

>> the same results on the Remote Desktop screen (which I can now

>> capture and send to any interested party).

>>

>> Near as I can tell, the PC is otherwise working OK. But since I

>> can't see what I'm doing, it's pretty useless in this condition.

>>

>> I can open IE and navigate to a Web site. All the prompts, buttons,

>> the Address bar, etc. are illegible, but if I do manage to type in a

>> URL into the Address bar without making a mistake, the Web page will

>> load and look normal.

>>

>> I can open Word. Again, all prompts, buttons, etc. are illegible,

>> but I clicked on the first document in the Recent Documents list and

>> the document came up and was perfectly legible.

>>

>> How do I go about fixing this?

>>

>> Thanks,

>> CL

================================

Once again...

 

Did you try doing a System Restore to a

time before you installed the updates?

 

--

 

John Inzer MS-MVP

Digital Media Experience

 

Notice

This is not tech support

I am a volunteer

 

Solutions that work for

me may not work for you

 

Proceed at your own risk