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Strangest Error I have ever seen!

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8 replies

by garion11

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Hi,

I am looking at a friend's computer which is a Sony Vaio running Windows ME. He called me and started telling me that there were zeros on the screen (as in imbedded into the text) in SOME programs (specifically a realestate/mapping program). So I figured it was the program and or a virus infection and put in the Norton Antivirus CD (2002 version) and the startup menu that came up had all ZEROS.

I took screenshots and pasted into word document of this intersting problem but I have noway of posting it in this form. Basically the installation menu for NAV has the title screen, then a list of options under it where you click to either, install the program, read the help file, exit the title screen, etc. But instead of text that says "EXIT" its all zeros = read 00000.

Needless to say installed the program and ran antivirus check but to no avail. System looks clean, I am thinking corrupt OS file, display driver problem (although only 2 programs display this error, including NAV MENU ONLY), or a hard drive problem. If anyone has seen anything or could direct me further I'd appreciate it. If you wanna see screenshots please leave your e-mail address and I will be sure to mail them to you. Thank you all for your help.

8 replies

by sgt_shultz

i had this problem on xp, after a hp all-in-one printer driver install barfed. everything i tried didin't work, but finally i got it fixed. i tried replacing files/checking fonts, replacing the video card. the thing that finally fixed it was restoring a Restore Point. Only thing was, i couldn't read the screen to do it! had to write down the keyboard steps on a pc that worked then go over to bad pc and do the System Restore blind. what have you got to lose? good luck...

by habsrule

Definitly have some operating system files baked. You should just go ahead and backup your data after booting from an ME bootable CD or diskette, the reinstall the operating syste. Actualy, reinstalling the operating system to a new folder, then wipe out the old once you see that the system is working. http://www.geocities.com/creditrepc/
Thanks, James

by theburbs

There are many things that could cause this, and the other answers may be good solutions.

The real problem, though is ME. Like all of the Win9X variants, the OS is prone to degradation over time through various issues, not the least of which areRegistry issues.

While reinstalling is a potential solution, the best and most productive, if you intend to stay with ME, is to do a clean install. Otherwise, the "intelligent" features of the reinstall process will likely retain some of the tainted files on the sytem, even if the immediate problem is resolved. The net is that problems will assuredly return over time under ME or any 9Xer. But a clean install sets you back to ground zero (so to speak) and extends the life of that install.
The roll-back type solution, using the Restore features, is tempting. And it may, indeed, be a qucik fix. After all, reinstall or clean install will necessitate reinstalling many applications that just don't get reconfigured during a reinstall, or aren't even recognized at all after a clean install. But the roll-back, in this sceptics mind, just puts off the inevitable. And you can read between the lines and conclude that the roll-back may, in fact, roll you back to a pooint where some application installed after the restore point is not configured in the rolled-back image.

The surest fix: FORMAT C: ;-)

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