Desktop icons help?

[Nellisir]

Possibly the world's least important problem....

Running windows xp sp2. Some time ago all the titles under the icons on my desktop got a blue background. The icons themselves are fine. I've been through the Display menu a bunch of times; can't figure out how to change the icon title's background to clear/transparent from solid blue. I can make it white or any other color via the Desktop/advanced menu under Display, but not clear.

It's annoying.
Thanks
Nell.

 

[maransreth]

At some point in time a setting in a very weird place was turned off.

I looked to the Help and Info section and found something under the Microsoft Knowledge Base that might help. Use the following steps to fix the problem -

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance.
4. Click to clear the Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop check box, click Apply, and then click OK two times. (this is towards the bottom of the list)

When I turned off the check mark, the background colour bled through (which is what you are having), so make sure you check it to turn it back on again and that should solve your problems.

 

[Thanee]

IIRC the text color is set automatically, you cannot actually change it yourself. Probably the same with the box around the text, it just depends on the chosen background/wallpaper.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nellisir]

At some point in time a setting in a very weird place was turned off.

I looked to the Help and Info section and found something under the Microsoft Knowledge Base that might help. Use the following steps to fix the problem -

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance.
4. Click to clear the Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop check box, click Apply, and then click OK two times. (this is towards the bottom of the list)

When I turned off the check mark, the background colour bled through (which is what you are having), so make sure you check it to turn it back on again and that should solve your problems.

I got the same effect on my other computer by doing that, but it doesn't cure this one.

 

[Nellisir]

IIRC the text color is set automatically, you cannot actually change it yourself. Probably the same with the box around the text, it just depends on the chosen background/wallpaper.

Normally the icon labels "float" over the desktop image. It's how this computer was for years; it's how my other two computers are. It's only on this one that the desktop background color (what's underneath the desktop image) shows through.

 

[Thanee]

Did you change the background image? Or is it the same you had all the time (and it worked with that image, and now doesn't)?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nellisir]

Did you change the background image? Or is it the same you had all the time (and it worked with that image, and now doesn't)?

Bye
Thanee

I've changed the desktop image a number of times. No effect. I had not changed the desktop image in some time when this happened.

 

[Thanee]

I've looked around a bit and found some sites, which address these issues (often the above-mentioned 'drop shadow' function is also referenced).

Maybe there is something that works for you.

Control Panel / System / Advanced / Performance Tab / Settings Button and put a checkmark in: Use Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on the Desktop

...also check Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web Make sure the "Lock desktop items" is unchecked

I tried over 5 different things to try to fix this but nothing helped. I noticed that my Windows Picture and Fax Viewer was not working also. So I tried an old trick to fix that, and it fixed the icon issue also. I went to the command prompt and typed in "regsvr32 shimgvw.dll" without the quotes, and then changed my resolution to a smaller one and back again, and both issues were fixed. Some program I installed seems to have disabled a .dll file that controlled these functions. that command will enable/refresh that dll file again. Hope this helps.

Finally, here they list some programs, which might help. I do not know either of them, so some research about them might be a good idea, before actually using them.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nellisir]

Finally, here they list some programs, which might help. I do not know either of them, so some research about them might be a good idea, before actually using them.

Finally! I got it, thanks.

The link above helped, particularly by leading me this post:

check the following. Right click desktop >> Properties >> Select Decktop Tab >> Select the customize desktop button >> select the Web tab. anything besides the 'My Current Home page' option can affect the way the desktop appears. If you are sure that you do not want web pages etc to be on your desktop, select all the extra options and delete them.

Some local file was selected under the "web" tab. I'd ignored it, assuming it was right and proper (-I- certainly never touched it). It didn't display anything; it just messed up the icon background.

Which is now transparent again.

Thanks!

 

[Thanee]

Great!

Bye
Thanee