TOUGH computer issue (FIXED)

[jokerman]

Hey Akuma,

I know you said you tried the graphics settings but did you try:

1) right mouse click on an empty space on the desktop
2) when the context menu comes up, click "Properties"
3) click the "Appearance" tab
4) click the "Advanced" button on the lower right

An "Advanced Appearance" window should pop up.  The "Active Window" usually has a blue title bar and a white interior with the words "Window Text" inside it.  I'm betting this interior area for their computer is not white.  If not, click the interior area and it will load the "Item" below it.  To the right, you can pick any color you want, even the sickly green.

This is for XP Pro but I am pretty sure it is the same for XP Home.  I have a couple of XP home machine around if you need me to check but it is late and I am too tired right now.  This should hopefully fix it, though.

j

[BFM_Kiwi]

That's a good one jokerman.  If so you can change that, or else just select a theme, probably the default XP theme, and it will reset everything to normal.

[Akuma]

Good one, jokerman.  You are right though, I already tried the display settings.  I humored you and followed the steps but there was no sickly green color in any of those choices (I looked through each one specifically).  Kiwi I tried what you said as well, in fact I even tried setting it on Windows Classic and still to no avail.  VERY nice tries guys, but it just did not work.  =\

At first I really thought that was going to work.  VERY good try!

Taipan it affects all windows in all browsers:  control panel, my computer, internet explorer, firefox. 

For example, when each window loads, you get a white place where the window is going to be, then it all turns the sickly green color, and then the page loads over it.  The only problem with this is that TEXT is covered up.  Pictures and modified text are never covered.  For example, on the BFM forum, all text has been edited a blue color.  This message you are reading is blue, is it not?  BFM forum seems to be unaffected.  However, a license agreement, for example, is plain unmodified fine print text and this is exactly what sucks so bad.  E-mail follows the same pattern - it is totally blotted out.  Some website skins that were left plain white turn green as well.  The system is capable of the "white" color, but chooses to blurt everything out with the green.

[BFM_JANE]

I don't know if you've tried this already, but I was able to replicate the problem you're having by changing a setting in the Internet Options thing on the control panel. It only had an effect on IE though, but I've always had a weird FF. I don't think this is the same as what jokerman suggested, but maybe it is.

Also, I'm on Vista, so you may not have these options, or they may be called something else.

Anyway, probably not the issue, but I was able to make my background and the white loading page green (or any other color) by going to Control Panel > Internet Option. Then on the General tab, at the bottom, there is an Appearance section with a Color button.

I've circled the thing that was checked by default, and unchecked it so you can see what can be changed. If it's checked, then you get the default settings, uncheck to change stuff. Probably should check that box if it's unchecked and/or if you have it.

Something to try, while you're humoring people...


EDIT: Ugh, now that I look, I think it is the same as jokerman's suggestion, only Vista style. I know what he's talking about with the "Window text" thing, but I can't find that exact thing in my settings. I've got a theme, then I've got that colors button in the Internet Options. Oh Vista.

[Akuma]

JANE!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU JANE!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS PRECISELY IT!!!!!!!!! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSS

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED BY BFM_JANE

[BFM_Kiwi]

omg, screenshot!

[jokerman]

Good one, Jane!!!

             

Yet another reason that I don't use IE...

[BFM_Kiwi]

There are probably many reasons not to use IE, but this isn't one of them - this was affecting all browsers

[Taipan™]

There are probably many reasons not to use IE, but this isn't one of them - this was affecting all browsers

Are you defending Internet Explorer? That's like defending an axe murder

[jokerman]

Actually, what I meant was that changing the color setting for IE apparently changed the local Windows Explorer color settings, too.  Unless I read it wrong, I believe that Akuma said that his Control Panel window, etc were also affected and it wasn't limited to internet browsers.  So changing IE colors changed more than just IE's colors.

I've seen this before with other settings in older versions of IE.  It is so integrated into the OS that it makes some things more difficult as a side effect.  And I can understand to a point why the OS relies on some of IE's code for some operations.  Browsing your computer or the network can be very similar to browsing the internet.  And the code used to accomplish this is very similar if not the same in many instances.  And IE cannot be completely removed because the core code is necessary to the OS.  You can remove parts of the interface but the core remains.  So in reality, it is not as much of a separate product as we would like to think.

But changing settings in IE should not change settings that are normally changed elsewhere.  But if it does, it should change it everywhere, and most importantly show that it was changed everywhere.  For example, if IE changed the Appearance colors for more than just IE, it should have been able to be seen where I said to look earlier and have been able to have been changed there also.  This is one of the main gripes that I have with IE.  (Ok, ok, there are other things but this one gets me.)

But it is late again and I may have misread, so in that case... nevermind...   

And again Good one, Jane!!!