Maybe you guys can help me with this.

I have provided links to three snapshots of what I am experiencing on a PC.  Colors 
and graphics appear to be missing.  Or colors are not correct.

http://crystalpc.us/temp/activation.jpg
Notice on the above link that the letters are black instead of the usual white.

http://crystalpc.us/temp/ie.jpg
http://crystalpc.us/temp/yahoo.jpg

I usually see this type of stuff when "High Contrast" is turned on in accessibility 
options.  Sure enough.  It was turned on.  SO I turned it off.  But, this is still 
how everything looks on the web and in various windows sometimes.

I have run a full line of diagnostics on this PC.. No bad hardware.  No bad sectors 
on hard drive.  No viruses.  I have reinstalled windows w/sp2.  Even after reinstalling 
windows, the first run screen that comes up asking how you want to configure some 
things had missing graphics on the buttons and stuff.

I just thought of actually trying a different video card or drivers.. So I will try 
that now.  Although, this seems like some type of personal setting or something. 

Tip: Run a free scan for common Windows errors ad

re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 1:21 pm Posted by geek9pm (903 messages posted) You said... " Even after reinstalling windows, the first run screen that comes up asking how you want to configure some things had missing graphics on the buttons ..." Not likely a Windows XP problem per se. Early in the instalation XP runs in a safe VGA mode. Suspect driver conflicts and hardware failures. Most diagnostics do not test for all hardware troubles, nor can all such be fixed inside Windows XP. Try another video card or even another monitor. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 1:42 pm Posted by Steve (19681 messages posted) Try another Browser, maybe it is setting in IE, tho I couldn't exactly duplicate it. I don't have IE 7 to test out. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 2:45 pm Posted by appleoddity (2244 messages posted) No... This isn't something like the monitor. I'm in a computer repair shop. I know my monitors.. :) And, I understand what you are saying about the safe mode VGA during installation (although, if you are just "repairing" a windows installation it will sometimes use the higher resolution screen while installing). I have done a repair install of Windows, to be specific. After the install finishes it goes through the stages of configuring the network connection, asking about automatic updates, etc... At that point is when I noticed the strange colors and missing buttons, still. I'm still going to try a different video card or driver. I really wanted to know if anybody knew of other settings that the user may have set, other than "high contrast" in accessibility options, that may cause this. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 2:48 pm Posted by appleoddity (2244 messages posted) It may be a setting in IE.. That is what I am asking.. :) I have reset everything though. Also, a different browser isn't going to help me. You know as well as I do that IE is integrated into everything into windows. This problem is not only with webpages. It is with different windows, such as the activation window I showed in my original post. Certain windows have missing buttons (just text) and missing colors. It looks like everything you would see with a "high contrast" theme, but can't figure it out. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 3:26 pm Posted by geek9pm (903 messages posted) OK. I understand. Here is the "Quick" way to test the Windows settings. Create a new user account. Reboot in safe mode and select VGA safe mode. Sign in as the new user. The new user will have generic settings in his copy of the registry. The safe VGA mode should look OK but not high color detail. Now you have reason to believe it is a setting. May be case of corruption of the user data. Geek9pm [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 3:49 pm Posted by appleoddity (2244 messages posted) Good suggestion.. I'll try creating a new user account. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 6:23 pm Posted by appleoddity (2244 messages posted) Ok.. After trying a new video card. And trying a new user account. I kept beating my head against the window. Then, because I was out of options I decided to look at my options again in accessibility. I was logged in with the new user account. I went into accessibility and HIGH CONTRAST was checked for this account by default. So, I unchecked it and bingo everything started looking normal again. So, I went back to the original account. Checked the accessibility options and it was unchecked, yet high contrast remains. I thought this was a high contrast look and sure enough it is. However, after reapplying high contrast and removing it again, it will never turn off on this user account!!! I don't know why.. But, I've spent enough time to where I am just going to copy the necessary stuff to the new user account and delete this one. At this point I don't really care why it is doing it. But, if you have suggestions please let me know still. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 8:14 pm Posted by cogs (193 messages posted) are you able to change the theme in the settings of the high contrast? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 11:43 am Posted by appleoddity (2244 messages posted) Yes the theme can be changed.. I even went so far as to find the settings in the registry and copy the registry settings from the one user account to the troublesome user account, and it STILL didn't take away high contrast. I have no idea why its locked in high contrast although the settings are turned off. I notice nothing in the registry pertaining to "contrast" that looks any different from the working user account. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Corrupt User Account is a real pain. Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 2:39 pm Posted by Geek9pm (108 messages posted) Please look iver this item How to copy data from a corrupted user profile to a new profile Corrupt User Account is a real pain and it has been talked abut before here. I got this info from a search on this forum. Geek9pm [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Missing colors and graphics Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 4:35 pm Posted by Gold (49 messages posted) Could the problem possibly caused by a corrupt Java setting? Just noticed there's a new flavor being released. good-luck, g. On Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 2:48 pm, appleoddity wrote: > >It may be a setting in IE.. That is what I am asking.. :) I have reset everything >though. > >Also, a different browser isn't going to help me. You know as well as I do that >IE is integrated into everything into windows. This problem is not only with webpages. > It is with different windows, such as the activation window I showed in my original >post. > >Certain windows have missing buttons (just text) and missing colors. It looks like >everything you would see with a "high contrast" theme, but can't figure it out. > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum