Hi,
When I select 'Display' from the control panel menu (or when I right click on the desktop and select 'Properties', nothing happens (more precisely, I sometimes see an instantaneous flash as it tries to create a window of some sort, which is immediately removed). I can adjust the screen resolution using the Catalyst control center GUI, but the standard Microsoft options to control Wallpaper, screen savers, themes, etc are absent from that GUI. I am currently running without the Catalyst control center (only the driver).
Problem does NOT occur in Safe Mode.
Machine: Windows XP-Pro, SP3, nearly up to date on 'Windows updates (*).' ATI 4830 GPU with latest 10-6 driver.
Much debugging as been related to the Catalyst control center, but the problem persists even after removing the display driver, all catalyst software, and running Driver Cleaner (run in safe mode), and rebooting using default VGA driver. Problem is present in a brand new admin user account as well. I have also removed all startup programs, except maybe the mouse using various 'startup' utilities as well as editing RUN portions in the Registry.
This machine has never had a malicious malware attack, so far as I am aware.
I don't know when this started, but I noticed the inability to set my wallpaper when I recently tried a screen saver program, which left me with a blue desktop background.
Google-ing the problem finds many identical complaints, but none of the associated fixes address my problem (such as registry entries relating to disabling display option tabs or disabling control panel features, such as addressed by some of Kelly's Korner register scripts, and others.
(*) Probably unrelated, but when I let Windows Update load ~20 of the most recent security updates (I'm mostly up to date), one of them kills Internet Explorer, which kills Windows Update, so I had to do a restore. This is potentially a much bigger concern than the missing display GUI.
Any suggestions will be most appreciated.
-bob