XP Icon Text Loses Transparency

[Cunjo]

One of my XP machines, the MacBook, suddenly changed the icon appearance on the desktop to have solid backdrops to the text last night. This is annoying. I've checked the performance settings, and Drop Shadows is checked, and un-checking/re-checking it doesn't do anything. Something else is causing this odd behavior, and I don't know what. Any ideas of how I could fix it?

I tried unloading WindowBlinds, switching themes and appearance settings in Windows, disabling and re-enabling all visual settings, etc... the only thing that changes is that with WindowBlinds settings in place, the background to the text is grey, while with the default Windows settings, it's blue.

Windows XP Pro SP2
2.2GHz C2D T7500 MacBook with 1 GB RAM, running BootCamp.

 

[forrestcupp]

Do you have the correct video card drivers working?

 

[TheEmperor]

This may sound a little odd, but right click on your desktop, go to Arrange Icons By, and make sure that Lock Web Items on Desktop is UN-checked.

Edit: Also an FYI, if you have Web Content on the desktop, transparency doesn't seem to work. So uncheck all of the boxes under Properties, Desktop, Customize, Web.

 

[Cunjo]

Do you have the correct video card drivers working?

It's a MacBook. There's only one set of drivers available, so I have to assume it's the right one. It was working fine until last night.

This may sound a little odd, but right click on your desktop, go to Arrange Icons By, and make sure that Lock Web Items on Desktop is UN-checked.

Edit: Also an FYI, if you have Web Content on the desktop, transparency doesn't seem to work. So uncheck all of the boxes under Properties, Desktop, Customize, Web.

I read about that in google and have tried it already. It wasn't checked.

 

[KSoD]

This issue could be related to the fact it is on a MacBook. As TheEmperor has already pointed out the correct way to fix this on a PC.

As i said in another thread. Try the TweakUI powertoy for Windows XP. Maybe rebuilding the Icon Cache will fix this. If not then i would wager to guess you are out of luck being on a MacBook and not having the extensive driver database available to you.

 

[coldcheeks]

What about trying to trying to restore to an earlier point?

 

[Flyguy35]

Oddly enough this happened to me a while back on my PC. Although it is not a MacBook, maybe the same solution might apply.
The memory (DDR2 667) was unstable, but not unstable enough to show any clear enough signs to prove its actually a memory problem.
However i managed to get it changed under hardware warranty, and the icons never showed any issues after that.

 

[Cunjo]

This issue could be related to the fact it is on a MacBook. As TheEmperor has already pointed out the correct way to fix this on a PC.

As i said in another thread. Try the TweakUI powertoy for Windows XP. Maybe rebuilding the Icon Cache will fix this. If not then i would wager to guess you are out of luck being on a MacBook and not having the extensive driver database available to you.

As I said no fewer than two times already in this thread, it was working fine until just the other night. Therefore, we can conclusively rule out it being at all related to the fact that it's a MacBook. Laptop hardware does not change overnight without me knowing about it, and neither did the drivers.

TheEmperor pointed out the incorrect way of fixing it on Windows, which happens to work anyway in a few rare cases, due to the fact that Windows is full of bugs like that. It's nothing but a bug workaround method. So it would be unreasonable to assume that there are no other bugs or potential causes and ways of working around them.

I'll give TweakUI a poke as soon as I boot back into Windows... for now it's running Leopard to stress test the CPU under the latest beta GROMACS UNIX core, since there's some suspicion that the CPU may be encountering some ambiguity errors due to the extreme operating temperature which are causing work units to fail.

 

[Cunjo]

Oddly enough this happened to me a while back on my PC. Although it is not a MacBook, maybe the same solution might apply.
The memory (DDR2 667) was unstable, but not unstable enough to show any clear enough signs to prove its actually a memory problem.
However i managed to get it changed under hardware warranty, and the icons never showed any issues after that.

That's probably the most helpful thing I've read so far, as it establishes the distinct possibility of a link between overstressed hardware and the bug. If unstable RAM could do it, an overheated or unstable CPU could do it too.

 

[KSoD]

As I said no fewer than two times already in this thread, it was working fine until just the other night. Therefore, we can conclusively rule out it being at all related to the fact that it's a MacBook. Laptop hardware does not change overnight without me knowing about it, and neither did the drivers.

TheEmperor pointed out the incorrect way of fixing it on Windows, which happens to work anyway in a few rare cases, due to the fact that Windows is full of bugs like that. It's nothing but a bug workaround method. So it would be unreasonable to assume that there are no other bugs or potential causes and ways of working around them.

I'll give TweakUI a poke as soon as I boot back into Windows... for now it's running Leopard to stress test the CPU under the latest beta GROMACS UNIX core, since there's some suspicion that the CPU may be encountering some ambiguity errors due to the extreme operating temperature which are causing work units to fail.

:laughing:

Apparently you have not seen the amount of bug fixes in OSX compared to Windows lately. OS X is the MOST fixed OS for the past 6 months. So please step down off the pedistal and watch your step while you do it. For OS Xis not that much better than Windows anymore. Get over it.

As for your comment....

It can be because of the MacBook. Lets follow the logic. IT may have been working but since this is hardware that DO NOT have drivers specifically written for it by Microsoft NOR the decive manufacturers there is no telling how Windows will react to anything. It can be as simple as installing a piece of software that break it.

This is the same situation as hacking OS X on to a PC. It will NOT react the way it should cause it is not VERIFIED for that system.

So now will you TRY to listen to the suggestions? You can always go to InsanelyMac Forums to get your answers. I am sure they know everything about Windows.