Opaque rectangles behind desktop icons

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark Tangard
  • Start date Start date
M

Mark Tangard

Guest
Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but often-offered

solution isn't working for us.



The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in Arrange

Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System Performance Visual

Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any clues appreciated. This

is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing recently installed or removed.



MT
 
Mark Tangard wrote:

> Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but

> often-offered solution isn't working for us.

>

> The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

> rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in

> Arrange Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System

> Performance Visual Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any

> clues appreciated. This is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing

> recently installed or removed.



You want the "Use Drop Shadows" checked, not unchecked. ;-)



--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
 
Four things are required for transparent icon backgrounds:



1.Control Panel-System-Advanced-Performance Settings.

Check "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" on the Visual

Effects tab.



2.Right-click on Desktop - "Arrange Icons by" and ensure Lock Web

items is cleared.



3.Transparency will not work if you have web content on your desktop,

Control Panel - Display Properties - Desktop tab - Customize Desktop -

Web tab. Clear all check boxes.



4. Ensure the Wallpaper is an image file not HTML.



....Alan

--

Alan Edwards, MS MVP Windows - Internet Explorer

http://dts-l.com/index.htm







On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:08:51 -0800, in

microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, Mark Tangard

wrote:



>Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but often-offered

>solution isn't working for us.

>

>The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

>rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in Arrange

>Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System Performance Visual

>Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any clues appreciated. This

>is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing recently installed or removed.

>

>MT
 
On Feb 10, 3:08 am, Mark Tangard wrote:

> Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but often-offered

> solution isn't working for us.

>

> The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

> rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in Arrange

> Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System Performance Visual

> Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any clues appreciated. This

> is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing recently installed or removed.

>

> MT



Same as Alan said, and then when you get done run some respectable

scans for malicious software:



There are a few things that can cause this and things to check.



Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Arrange Icons By,

uncheck Lock Web Items on Desktop.



Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Properties, Desktop,

Customize Desktop, display the Web

tab information.



If there is a web page listed and you did not add it, your computer is

now or was infected with malware.



The default desktop web page shows an unchevked entry called "My

Current Home Page". If "My Current Home

Page" is checked, uncheck it.



Delete any other web page entries you did not add or set yourself on

purpose. The wallpaper cannot be

an HTML file.



Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings,

Visual Effects, scroll down in the list

and put a check in the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the

desktop" box, click OK.





Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

detection programs:



Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/



They can be uninstalled later if desired.
 
Many thanks, Shenan/Alan/Jose, for the help. I did notice conflicting advice in

posts re the Drop Shadow box, but neither setting helped. However, the user now

says he noticed some web thingie (didn't elaborate & I'm not there), removed it,

and has a rectangle-free desktop. Thanks again.



MT



Jose wrote:

> On Feb 10, 3:08 am, Mark Tangard wrote:

>

>>Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but often-offered

>>solution isn't working for us.

>>

>>The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

>>rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in Arrange

>>Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System Performance Visual

>>Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any clues appreciated. This

>>is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing recently installed or removed.

>>

>>MT

>

>

> Same as Alan said, and then when you get done run some respectable

> scans for malicious software:

>

> There are a few things that can cause this and things to check.

>

> Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Arrange Icons By,

> uncheck Lock Web Items on Desktop.

>

> Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Properties, Desktop,

> Customize Desktop, display the Web

> tab information.

>

> If there is a web page listed and you did not add it, your computer is

> now or was infected with malware.

>

> The default desktop web page shows an unchevked entry called "My

> Current Home Page". If "My Current Home

> Page" is checked, uncheck it.

>

> Delete any other web page entries you did not add or set yourself on

> purpose. The wallpaper cannot be

> an HTML file.

>

> Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings,

> Visual Effects, scroll down in the list

> and put a check in the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the

> desktop" box, click OK.

>

>

> Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

> detection programs:

>

> Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

> SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

>

> They can be uninstalled later if desired.

>

>
 
On Feb 12, 11:00 pm, Mark Tangard wrote:

> Many thanks, Shenan/Alan/Jose, for the help.  I did notice conflicting advice in

> posts re the Drop Shadow box, but neither setting helped. However, the user now

> says he noticed some web thingie (didn't elaborate & I'm not there), removed it,

> and has a rectangle-free desktop. Thanks again.

>

> MT

>

>

>

> Jose wrote:

> > On Feb 10, 3:08 am, Mark Tangard wrote:

>

> >>Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but often-offered

> >>solution isn't working for us.

>

> >>The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

> >>rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in Arrange

> >>Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System Performance Visual

> >>Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any clues appreciated. This

> >>is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing recently installed or removed.

>

> >>MT

>

> > Same as Alan said, and then when you get done run some respectable

> > scans for malicious software:

>

> > There are a few things that can cause this and things to check.

>

> > Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Arrange Icons By,

> > uncheck Lock Web Items on Desktop.

>

> > Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Properties, Desktop,

> > Customize Desktop, display the Web

> > tab information.

>

> > If there is a web page listed and you did not add it, your computer is

> > now or was infected with malware.

>

> > The default desktop web page shows an unchevked entry called "My

> > Current Home Page".  If "My Current Home

> > Page" is checked, uncheck it.

>

> > Delete any other web page entries you did not add or set yourself on

> > purpose.  The wallpaper cannot be

> > an HTML file.

>

> > Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings,

> > Visual Effects, scroll down in the list

> > and put a check in the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the

> > desktop" box, click OK.

>

> > Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

> > detection programs:

>

> > Malwarebytes (MBAM):  http://malwarebytes.org/

> > SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS):  http://www.superantispyware.com/

>

> > They can be uninstalled later if desired.



Good job and I fixed my copy/paste instructions typo.



I would still run MBAM and SAS - if you didn't change this, something

else did.
 
In news:OgF8ZEGrKHA.4220@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl,

Mark Tangard typed:

> Many thanks, Shenan/Alan/Jose, for the help. I did notice

> conflicting advice in posts re the Drop Shadow box, but neither

> setting helped. However, the user now says he noticed some web

> thingie (didn't elaborate & I'm not there), removed it, and has a

> rectangle-free desktop. Thanks again.

> MT

>

> Jose wrote:

>> On Feb 10, 3:08 am, Mark Tangard wrote:

>>

>>> Searching on this issue brings up many mentions of it, but

>>> often-offered solution isn't working for us.

>>>

>>> The labels on one of my user's desktop icons have acquired a white

>>> rectangular background. Tried unchecking 'Lock Web Items...' in

>>> Arrange Icons, and unchecking 'Use Drop Shadows' in System

>>> Performance Visual Effects. No change. What could be the cause? Any

>>> clues appreciated. This is a WinXP system with SP3, nothing

>>> recently installed or removed. MT

>>

>>

>> Same as Alan said, and then when you get done run some respectable

>> scans for malicious software:

>>

>> There are a few things that can cause this and things to check.

>>

>> Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Arrange Icons By,

>> uncheck Lock Web Items on Desktop.

>>

>> Right click an empty area on the desktop, choose Properties, Desktop,

>> Customize Desktop, display the Web

>> tab information.

>>

>> If there is a web page listed and you did not add it, your computer

>> is now or was infected with malware.

>>

>> The default desktop web page shows an unchevked entry called "My

>> Current Home Page". If "My Current Home

>> Page" is checked, uncheck it.

>>

>> Delete any other web page entries you did not add or set yourself on

>> purpose. The wallpaper cannot be

>> an HTML file.

>>

>> Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings,

>> Visual Effects, scroll down in the list

>> and put a check in the "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the

>> desktop" box, click OK.

>>

>>

>> Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

>> detection programs:

>>

>> Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

>> SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

>>

>> They can be uninstalled later if desired.



For one thing, you only hear from people with problems. People without

problems have no reason in general to be posting, so you're not likely to

see many of the happy users, who vastly outnumber the unhappy users by

millions.

You don't go into a new car dealer to buy a used car. So the new car

dealer doesn't see the people who want used cars.

--

--

Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered

through personal experience does not become a

part of the moral tissue.
 
..

> You don't go into a new car dealer to buy a used car. So the new car

> dealer doesn't see the people who want used cars.



Of course you do. That's the only 'safe' place to by a used car.

What on earth are you thinking?
 
On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:19:45 -0500, "Twayne"

wrote:



>

> You don't go into a new car dealer to buy a used car. So the new car

>dealer doesn't see the people who want used cars.



I do. 4 6o 7 years in advance. They seem to be able to tell I'm not

going to buy now, and one guy didn't seem to like it. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top