Hello,
Something has caused the menus on certain programs (e.g. Notepad, Photoshop, AVG) to look weird. The background behind the text has changed. I think it was after uninstalling AVG, but I was making many software changes at the time, so I'm not 100% sure.
I have attached a gif of how these weird menus look.
Does anyone know how I can fix this? Thanks in advance!
Looks identical to my Photoshop Menu. Can't see anything wrong.
Hello,
Before the menu was just one colour, beige. Now, each word has a white background behind it.
I have attached a gif showing both the weird and the normal.
If anyone can help, I would appreciate it. Thanks!
I'm wondering whether it's electrical. The following come to mind (although you'll have tried some of these, no doubt):
1 Poor connector (is it VGA, DVI or HDMI, CRT or TFT?)
2 If VGA, cable traversing mains cavbles
3 Screen properties not quite right (like 75Hz instead of 72 Hz)
Have you tried another screen? Is this a laptop?
Hi Suspishio and thanks for your reply.
It doesn't seem an electrical problem. I use 2 monitors, and the affected toolbars look the same on both monitors. Like I mentioned, there are other toolbars that are not affected. I think it's a windows-based problem.
I found very old post on another forum that described the same problem. One poster said that it's:
"The registry key needing to be changed is UserPreferencesMask in the following registry location: HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop"
He suggests changing it to the default value found at: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop
However, I can't find the registry location HKCU using Regedit.
Can we be sure of what's there and what's not in the Registry? I think that you have taken the HKCU as a literal when it's an abbreviation for HKEY_CURRENT_USER. So we may be nearer a solution.
1/
HKEY_USERS/DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop
That key is present and contains a sub-key UserPreferencesMask?
If so what is the value in this key?
2/
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop
That key is present? What is the value in UserPreferencesMask?
3/
If it's all there, no doubt you'll try copying the default value (#1 above) into the HKCU key (#2 above), observing the need to save your registry ahead of this change.
I've no idea whether or not this will work; the change will be benign and hopefully that solution you found at http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/2006-05/msg07338.html will have nailed it.
To help (or confuse) you further this link, http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/6232.aspx explains some of the effects arising from tinkering with this key. Things like Control Panel and TweakUI and similar programs play with this key.
Anyway, you should be on your way now, hopefully.
Can we be sure of what's there and what's not in the Registry? I think that you have taken the HKCU as a literal when it's an abbreviation for HKEY_CURRENT_USER. So we may be nearer a solution.
I'm not very familiar with making changes in the registry. Thanks for clarifying the abbreviation for me. It makes sense now.
1/
HKEY_USERS/DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop
That key is present and contains a sub-key UserPreferencesMask?
If so what is the value in this key?
The value of this key is: B0 12 07 80
2/
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop
That key is present? What is the value in UserPreferencesMask?
The value for this one is: B0 12 01 80
I made the suggested change. I don't see any difference though... Would I need to restart my computer for the changes to take place?
Let us know after the re-boot.
A restart was needed. The registry change worked and the menus look fine again. Thanks!
Great. Pleasure to have stuck with this one.
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