Need help with display problem

[WHEELS]

I have a eMachine T3104 desktop. The client said that they were trying to remove wallpaper which was a picture that was taken and put as wallpaper on the desktop.

Client tells me that it now has a black box in the middle of the screen that will not go away. I boot it up and sure enough it has a black box that doesn't go away. I also notice that the taskbar is also blacked out. You can only see the start-up icons and you can also see some of the desktop icons.

Anytime you click on anything it comes up black and you can't read it. Try to open the start menu and you see the icon beside it but can't read the words. Same with the desktop icons.

I tried safe mode and it does the same thing, but it doesn't do it on the main admin account. I also tried to enable VGA mode which did not help. Reseated the ram to no avail.

The black box appears to be the control panel popping up because I can see some of the icons but when I click any of them I still can't see anything.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[mraikes]

Change the theme to the windows default? (if you can see to do that).

Use System Restore to return to a functional point in time?

 

[WHEELS]

I wish I could do either one, but I can't see anything because everything I click on is blacked out

 

[mraikes]

Use a boot disk to run system/registry restore. Hiren's or UBCDW or any of a dozen others.

 

[ATTech]

Sounds like it could be an issues related to the video card. Perhaps, try a known-working video card, or try updating the drivers if at all possible.

 

[Morrison5891]

Sounds like it could be an issues related to the video card. Perhaps, try a known-working video card, or try updating the drivers if at all possible.

Replacing the Video Card should have been the first step ...

 

[WHEELS]

I would have tried that but the card is integrated

 

[Morrison5891]

I would have tried that but the card is integrated

What does that have to do with anything? How long have you been working on computers?

 

[WHEELS]

I got to looking around and I don't have any extra graphics cards laying around anywhere.

 

[Shark]

If you can right-click on the Desktop you could try this:

After the initial right-click, press down arrow 6 to 8 times depending on your particular context menu, hit Enter.
Then press the down arrow 2 times, hit Enter.

This essentially changes to the default Windows theme.
You may have to try this several times.

 

[ATTech]

I got to looking around and I don't have any extra graphics cards laying around anywhere.

Then buy one. There is no reason to NOT have known working parts when working on computers, especially in the case of a graphics card in which a simple PCI card will work in most of the desktops you work on.

 

[mraikes]

Then buy one. There is no reason to NOT have known working parts when working on computers, especially in the case of a graphics card in which a simple PCI card will work in most of the desktops you work on.

I agree on having a graphics card on hand. But in this case the evidence the OP has presented so far doesn't necessarily point to a graphics card failure.

Apparently everything was working fine. Then the end user screwed up the settings trying to remove the background (or something). Now it's messed up.

Sure, it's possible the card went bad at the exact same time the EU was messing with the settings. Or the EU isn't revealing the whole truth about the problem. But why not use a simple boot disk to reset the darn thing and see if that's all it needs before opening up the case and swapping hardware . . .

 

[Morrison5891]

I agree on having a graphics card on hand. But in this case the evidence the OP has presented so far doesn't necessarily point to a graphics card failure.

Apparently everything was working fine. Then the end user screwed up the settings trying to remove the background (or something). Now it's messed up.

Sure, it's possible the card went bad at the exact same time the EU was messing with the settings. Or the EU isn't revealing the whole truth about the problem. But why not use a simple boot disk to reset the darn thing and see if that's all it needs before opening up the case and swapping hardware . . .

First thing I do when a PC comes into my shop and I place it on the bench is open the side up. Visual inspection is very important. Beisdes, all the time wasted on here asking why this, and why that... he could have placed a PCI video card in there and ruled that out. Would have only taken a few seconds.

 

[ATTech]

I agree on having a graphics card on hand. But in this case the evidence the OP has presented so far doesn't necessarily point to a graphics card failure.

Apparently everything was working fine. Then the end user screwed up the settings trying to remove the background (or something). Now it's messed up.

Sure, it's possible the card went bad at the exact same time the EU was messing with the settings. Or the EU isn't revealing the whole truth about the problem. But why not use a simple boot disk to reset the darn thing and see if that's all it needs before opening up the case and swapping hardware . . .

How long does it take you to install a PCI graphics card? It should take you less time than it takes UCBD4WIN to load.

Sure, it's possible the card went bad at the exact same time the EU was messing with the settings.

EUs are constantly messing with settings, so...

Regardless, arguing about whether or not he should be testing a known good graphics card before he tries a registry reset is like arguing about whether you should brush your teeth before you shower, or after.

 

[mraikes]

First thing I do when a PC comes into my shop and I place it on the bench is open the side up. Visual inspection is very important. Beisdes, all the time wasted on here asking why this, and why that... he could have placed a PCI video card in there and ruled that out. Would have only taken a few seconds.

Not denying at all that a card swap might quickly solve the problem. It very well might be the video card.

I'm merely pointing out that the initial evidence as presented doesn't point to hardware as the most likely culprit. We don't save time doing the quickest thing unless it's also the most likely thing.

 

[ATTech]

Not denying at all that a card swap might quickly solve the problem. It very well might be the video card.

I'm merely pointing out that the initial evidence as presented doesn't point to hardware as the most likely culprit. We don't save time doing the quickest thing unless it's also the most likely thing.

I'm sorry but I'm going to have to disagree with you:

When something goes wrong on a computer, people tend to look back and try and find an explanation. For all we know, the customer tried to change the wallpaper a month ago, was unsuccessful and now is only pointing that out because it's related. You just simply can't take them at their word and assume that this happened as they were making changes.

With that said, the likeliness that it's a setting over hardware isn't substantial enough to warrant not spending less than two minutes replacing the hardware and booting it up, than spending 5-10 minutes loading UCBD4WIN, running a registry restore and rebooting.

 

[lebpcmedic]

Have you tried booting the computer into safe mode?

 

[ATTech]

Have you tried booting the computer into safe mode?

I tried safe mode and it does the same thing

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