XP Windows and Text in same color

[kjesch]

I searched but did not find, please point me in the right direction if this has been discussed before...

A friend gave me an Acer notebook using XP witch has a strange problem. There are two users. For one of the users everything works fine. For the other user the backround, windows and text are all black. You can only see (shortcut and programs-)icons on the desktop, in the system tray and the start button. Everything else is black. He admits he has been tampering with settings.

I have been working with computers since 1970 (yes, that's true) and it is so embarrasing that I don't know how to fix this.

Using the login that works I have run Trojan Remover and Avast antivirus and a few other tricks (e.g. cleaning the registry) but I found nothing. I have done all the updates...

If I start in safe mode and log in as the "probematic" user its still all black except for icons.

As you understand I cannot just right click on desktop to change settings as I cannot see the options... all black!

I cannot run Control Panel as even if I can start it I can just see a few icons in the corners.

And the license is genuine, really!

All help is much appreciated.

[AlanHo]

Can you not delete (remove) the faulty user account and if needed instal a new one from scratch?

[kjesch]

Yes I can. But only as a last resort. Lots of work to take care of mails and settings as well as bank log ins etc. I will try a little more before I do that...

[-pops-]

Would a System Restore on the "good" account to a time before this happened rectify the problem on the other one?

For all computers that contain any important data, it should be essential to have a backup - at least of the data if not the whole system.

[MANEMAN]

A friend gave me an Acer notebook

Please make sure that this is truly a friend (i.e beware of strangers bearing gifts) Stolen property can cause so many problems.

Still....... being given an Acer notebook is not to be sneezed at.

Perhaps you would you feel comfortable giving us the model and serial number of the Acer notebook that we may be more aware of any specific drivers or software that could be applicable to your problems ?

Does this particular genuine Operating System have a Swedish or English product key ?

As Pops has said:

For all computers that contain any important data, it should be essential to have a backup - at least of the data if not the whole system.

It is advised that you Disk image immediately with either **Acronis** or **Macrium** To an external source such as: External Hard Disk or Large capacity flash drive. (Taking into account that as a notebook it may well not have a DVD/CD drive)

You can now experiment with the current operating system, or format and re-install a fresh operating system safe in the knowledge that previous operating systems and data can be restored.

With almost 40 years of working with computers as an advantage, I see little problem with you coping with either Acronis or Macrium.

Make Disk Image. - Good luck fixing the notebook.

John.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Welcome to the Windows Forum.

I too have been working with computers since 1970 (on a IBM system 360 model 40 at the time) and, believe me, even after 40 years in the business there are things that I don't understand.

In the case of the "black user", I would simply save the user data from the 'Documents and Settings' folder, then delete and recreate the user. This way, all documents and user settings are preserved, and you should be able to use all the user's previous data.

A full backup of the whole system would ensure that nothing gets lost in case anything goes wrong during the operation.

[AlanHo]

I would place on record that my computer experience goes back to 1965 when I was responsible for the installation of a Honeywell mainframe computer in a large UK rolling mill. It was by todays standards a massive installation taking up air conditioned and filtered rooms totalling more than 1000 sq.ft in area. If my memory serves me correctly the equipment totalled more than 2 tons in weight and cost the best part of £900,000.

My first home PC was in 1984 when I acquired an Amstrad CPC 464.

Although I have 45 years experience of computers, I still know very little about them - which is why I lurk on this forum hoping to pick up scraps of knowledge from you young guys .

I agree with the above posts of pops, maneman and pat willener - take a back up and delete/recreate the black user if a system restore fails to produce a solution.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Ah - what a bunch of old people we are in this forum :D

[-pops-]

Don't know if this counts but I remember building an analogue computer from a project detailed in a magazine called Practical Wireless. (or was it Wireless World?) This was in the 1950's.

It was a sort of electrical slide rule using calibrated variable resistors (potentiometers, pots) in a bridge arrangement to give a balance on a meter dial. the result was read from the figure on the resistor used for the balancing. I seem to remember there were two types - one for addition/subtraction using linear pots and multiply/divide using log pots.

At about this time the first transistors were becoming available. Little black painted glass test tubes with three wire protruding from one end. Two types were on general sale - red spot for audio frequencies and white spot for RF. A green spotted one became available but I don't remember what that was intended for, likewise with the blue spot. Somewhat later, the technology improved somewhat and they were given reference codes OC70, 71 & 72. There was also a phototransistor OCP71 which if you were "in the know" realised was an OC71 with the paint removed from the glass tube. This saved a lot of money as the OCP was about ten times the price of the OC type.

I am wandering off the point.

[AlanHo]

There was also a phototransistor OCP71 which if you were "in the know" realised was an OC71 with the paint removed from the glass tube. This saved a lot of money as the OCP was about ten times the price of the OC type.

NOW you tell me.......................and here was me buying OCP71's and painting them to convert to a OC71. Damn.

There are still a couple of oldies yet to add to this thread and thus join the wrinklies braggin' club

[catgate]

This was the computer I was using in the '50s, I had out-grown the slide rule.

[kjesch]

Well, well. Thank you all for your input. It wasn't my intention that we should brag about our computer experience here.... but anyhow.

English is not my native tounge so I may have used the word "given" in the wrong context. The laptop was actually handed over to me by an elderly gentleman (which means he is older than me), who I know. He asked me to help and I got curious.

So, in the end I will recreate the user trying not to loose his files and settings. It will work for sure.

But you guys, who worked with these things for so long, are you not curious about what happend with the user's settings? To fix it is one thing but to know why it happened and what has happend is for my more interesting.

Yes, we obviously are a lot of old people on this forum... Did I tell you about when I wired my first dynamic memory card in 1979. RAS and CAS and an old oscilloscope. 32 kbyte to be used with my computer built from a Motorola 6800 development kit with two 8 inches floppies... No, I will not tell you about that.

Thanks guys!

[doug]

>Catgate, That calculator brough back memories. Used to use it for regression calculations.

[catgate]

>Catgate, That calculator brough back memories. Used to use it for regression calculations.

I still have it in my desk drawer and it is just like new.

I used to use it for various statistical calculations by the old long hand methods. The programmable Texas Calculator superceded it.

[MANEMAN]

Aaaah !! Halcyon days of childhood computing.

The sounds of the Abacus beads sliding along the bars and clicking against one and other as Father computed the family budget for the month.

Comparative wealth for our family when Father added a further three Abacus's (or do I mean Abacii dear friends) and computed a great saving by buying Bovril wholesale from Manny Goldberg.

He called his little set up "My precious quad core".

For the other user the backround, windows and text are all black.

But you guys, who worked with these things for so long, are you not curious about what happend with the user's settings?

It is merely "The Dark Side" as inhabited by Darth Vader. We already know of such things by means of "Journey into Space" by Charles Chiltern, listened too on the wireless machines in our childhood.

Many hours spent repairing T.V / Audio, and Computers for the great British public have left me "A Man On The Edge" and I no longer have yearnings to enter "The Dark Side"

.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.

Forgive our British humour Kjesch. We were raised on the "Goon Show" Monty Python" and other such eccentricities. :)

Hope all goes well with the computer, and that you do come to grips with Disk Imaging. It will save you many hours in the future. Both Macrium and Acronis are excellent programs. Once the image is made it is not always neccessary to fully restore these images. The images can be mounted as virtual drives, and individual data copied from them.

John.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

... are you not curious about what happend with the user's settings? To fix it is one thing but to know why it happened and what has happend is for my more interesting.

Actually I am. Can you right-click on that user's desktop and get the Properties panel up? Maybe you can reset the display properties there. That what may have caused the problem in the first place.

I have another off-topic question for you. Do you know Ystad? Is it an interesting place? (Do you then know, perhaps, what books I am reading?)

[Dencandy]

... are you not curious about what happend with the user's settings? To fix it is one thing but to know why it happened and what has happend is for my more interesting.

Actually I am. Can you right-click on that user's desktop and get the Properties panel up? Maybe you can reset the display properties there. That what may have caused the problem in the first place.

I have another off-topic question for you. Do you know Ystad? Is it an interesting place? (Do you then know, perhaps, what books I am reading?)

Yes, open the second item labelled desktop and you'll see an input button for color. One of the options is to set the default screen colour as plain black. Just select another colour.

It's also possible to set the default input window background colour to plain black (I don't know how to do it). That can be very interesting when it comes to typing text in Word or Notepad. Black text on black background...

A forum member once accidentally did this and had the devil's own job sorting it out. I won't say who it is but his name begins with an- and ends with -me.

Someone else I know once deleted all his fonts and was left with only little black squares for all text characters . Must have been quite boring to read.

[kjesch]

Maneman: I am also a friend of British humor and even I was raised on Monty Python. And Faulty Towers was my favorite.

ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb: Ystad is a small town in the south at the coast. Not much to see there I guess. You can go swimming of course but not today when we have -6 degC. So you are reading the Mankell books?

And to all of you: When I right clicked on the desktop I couldn't see anything because the pop-up window and the text within it were all black as the background. That was the problem in the first place you know. You have to guess where to click and that is probably not a good way to go.

I really couldn't figure out how to reset those colors to something that I could see. I think he has had a virus attack and that the anti-virus program had killed the virus but not the consequences of it. Or he had just fooled around with his settings.

Anyway, I made an image with my favorite imaging software Shadow Protect, which I started from the CD. Saved all his personal settings to a safe place, deleted and recreated his account, files, settings and e-mails. Everything went well except for the id and password for his e-mail. He has to add that himself.

Cleaned unnecessary stuff, updated the anti-virus software and XP to SP3 and tested all software and other things. Works perfectly now.

He will get it back today.

Once again, thanks for your input. Good to have friends on the web!

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Seems like you have done a great job - congratulations!

Regarding Ystad: of course I have read all of Mankell's Wallander books, as well as most others that are available in English (Kennedy's Brain, the Return of the Dancing Master - both excellent reading).

For other things I am reading see this topic in our Lounge forum.