unable to retrieve display
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Other forums
- :
- Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc
- :
- Re: unable to retrieve display
unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:12 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I was changing the display on my 2nd PC to another configuration (using 'display 'in 'control panel') yesterday when the screen went to 'icons ' only !
I cannot now therefore get the previous screen back because I can't see the lists of displays , or anything other than icons-- no text!
anyone any ideas how to get back?
Obviously I cant see 'control panel' or 'system restore' now.
cheers
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:16 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
or right click on screen and select properties
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:21 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
when I right click the screen all I get is an 'empty box' with no text.
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:24 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:33 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:53 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 10:03 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
thanks anyway
Please keep coming with any suggestions...I have to go now ...duty calls!.......but I will be back later.....
cheers
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 10:05 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 11:43 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
but if all else fails, that is what I intend to do.
Thanks
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 12:12 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
If you have to do a normal repair install then there may be a problem if you have installed SP3 (link1)
A full repair install (link2) using a SP2 disk won't work and you will need to slipstream SP3 onto it. Having done that you may be OK if you haven't got an old OEM license as these aren't accepted as valid by a SP3 install.
link1
link2
Re: unable to retrieve display
20-09-2008 9:21 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: unable to retrieve display
21-09-2008 12:24 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Do you have another users account? If you do its simple you login as another users and the display is ok as its kept just in your profile. You then create a new user logon as the new user and copy your setting over. (if you get that far I will tell you how to do it)
Second option change your monitor brightness and contrast you maybe able to brighten it enough to just make out the text.
Option 3
Download Multires from http://www.entechtaiwan.net/util/multires.shtm
Its a command line util to change display which may get you around it.
4th option I have written a prog to change the theme back to default which should do it for you download from http://www.janwright.co.uk/changetheme.rar
Just run it and it will set the theme back to xp with default colors you can run it via cmd line or click on it. Its just a matter or getting to it put it on a usb stick on its own so you can guess/ cmd line?
For those interested it uses Autoit3 from http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/ and the source is
IF @OSVersion <> "WIN_XP" THEN
MsgBox(0,"Error","You must be running Windows XP to run this utility")
Exit
ENDIF
Dim $var1 = '"' & @WindowsDir & '\'
;launch control panel applet to change desktop theme
Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & 'rundll32.exe Shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl desk,@Themes /Action:OpenTheme /File:' & $var1 & 'resources\themes\windows classic.theme"', "", @SW_HIDE)
;wait for Disply Properties window to open, timeout after 3 sec
WinWait("Display Properties", "",3)
;send Enter to open applet
Send("{ENTER}")
;Exit application
Exit
Re: unable to retrieve display
21-09-2008 11:09 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Thank you for your inputs
however, the problem still remains that I cannot see anything on the monitor except icons, which means that I cannot see where to click or whatever in order to comply with your suggestions.
I am now going to re-install the O/S...
first problem with that is how do I format the HD
cheers
Re: unable to retrieve display
21-09-2008 11:55 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
A)what did you change to get in this condition
Bhave you just got plain background
C) have you tried right click and drag under the icons? if the test is the same colour as the background, it will change when you drag over it making it temporarily visible.
D) would a screen shot from another machine be of help so that you know what the icons are.
A system restore doesnt reqire a HD reformat.
Re: unable to retrieve display
21-09-2008 3:03 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
A. I went to 'Display' to change the background, but whatever I clicked on (don't know which) it caused the loss of substance and only icons remained.
B. The background is black.
C. tried your test without anything showing up on the screen!
D. I have tried a screen shot from my No.1 PC but the EXACT spot where I need to click is impossible to find.
If I could get a System Restore then that would be the answer of course.
My reference to re-formatting the HD was to prepare it for yet another re-install of XP (it is better to re-install on a blank, re-formatted HD but I may have to forego that if I can't format it.)
Thanks anyway.
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Other forums
- :
- Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc
- :
- Re: unable to retrieve display