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 Resto
frequently asked questions
http://tinyurl.com/u6z5p
or...
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...fb3f01033.mspx

Windows Vista -
How to Do a System Restore in Vista
http://tinyurl.com/2bdvvv
or...
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76...store-how.html

Using Windows Vista
System Restore
http://tinyurl.com/2qhd77
or...
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...ystem-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