Weird Icons in task bar and fast startup-bar

[fuhbar]

Hi all,

I have experienced some weird icons in the fast startup- bar (next to the start button) and in the bar next to the clock. They look like beeing not displayed correctly.

I use a HP NX7000 laptop with Ati 9000 mobile and a resolution of 1680* and 120% font size.

Any hints?

look here to have fun

http://tinyurl.com/6rkxh

 

[gpalmer711]

Are they icons that you recognise but are now distored or are they new icons that you are unsure about?

If it's the latter right click on one of the icons in the quick launch bar and select properties from the menu that appears. What application does this point to?

Also is it all icons in these two bars or just some of them? One final question, has this just started happening?

Greg Palmer
Free Software for Adminstrators

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[fuhbar]

all icons are distored.
all icons/programs are known to me. nothing new.
this started after an install of Xp. I can remember that after I changed some settings concering the font size or installing the ati driver, I got this. Maybe, I am not 100 percent sure.

After the occurence I tried several different Ati driver versions, but nothing happened.



look here to have fun

http://tinyurl.com/6rkxh

 

[bcastner]

Download and run the Microsoft utility TweakUI:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Click the "Repair" selection, and ask it to rebuild your icons.

To effect this repair it does an interesting process: it adjusts by one pixel the size of the default icons, and forces explorer to rebuild the desktop. Then it adjusts back the pixel change and forces Explorer to rebuild the desktop. This effectively cleans the icon cache.

If this step does not improve matters:

. Consider using TweakUI again, Explorer, Customizations, and increase the Folder depth setting;

. Consider a video driver update. See in Device Manager the OEM manufacturer of the video adapter (not the computer manufacturer OEM) and download and apply from that website a newer driver set.

 

[fuhbar]

Repair does not change anything.

Only icons in the left and right outer "task" bar are affected. Icons within the explorer are displayed in the right way.

I also tried several driver from omega or dna (both are regular ATI drivers tweaked for use with mobile video chips) and the original HP supported drivers. Nothing changed.

The icons look like they remain stuck in another resolution than the native display resolution of 1680x1050. It is like the effect you get, when you set a notebook display to a resolution which is not the native one. I guess this is called interpolating or something like that.



look here to have fun

http://tinyurl.com/6rkxh

 

[bcastner]

I am guessing your HP notebook has the larger display. Dell has similar issues with its widescreen displays.

This issue is completely up to the driver manufacturers and the BIOS folks at the OEM computer manufacturer.

You are not alone about the complaint. It has helped some others to use the ClearType Tuner utility:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/7/0/b7019730-0fa3-47a9-a159-98b80c185aad/setup.exe

 

[linney]

Maybe you could use System Restore to go back to before the Icon trouble?

Is the display of Icons correct (if you know what I mean) in Safe Mode?

 

[fuhbar]

@bcastner
yes I have the biggest display available. 15,4 inch and 1680+. I will try the tool you mentioned.

@linney
Since I use Xp I never activated the System Restore.

I will try the safe mode.

thanks so far.

look here to have fun

http://tinyurl.com/6rkxh

 

[bcastner]

Enable System Restore. It has nothing to do with the Icon issue, but someday you will thank linney and I for strongly recommending this.

 

[linney]

You do not activate System Restore as it is on by default, you may have disabled it by some action on your part. Failing that maybe the Driver Rollback feature could help?

HOW TO: Use the Driver Roll Back Feature to Restore a Previous Version of a Device Driver in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306546&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[fuhbar]

Maybe, but since now I never had any problems. When something fails, then I will reinstall my image file.

Since the icon problem is something which is not nice, but does not bothers me very hard, I can live with it.



look here to have fun

http://tinyurl.com/6rkxh

 

[davetherave79]

I had the same problem with icons - it affect favourites, taskbar, system tray and the start menu (from "Programs" onwards only). I spent hours trying to sort it out.

The technique that worked for me is (XP instructions)...
1. Right click desktop, then "Properties"
2. Click the "Appearance" tab
3. Under "Windows and buttons", select whichever style is currently NOT selected (by default the one not selected will be "Windows Classic style").
4. Click Apply
5. Re-select the orginal style again (under "Windows and buttons").
6. Click Apply