Weird one Icons vanish

Plado · #1 08-10-2003, 04:54 PM

This is my problem which has been around ever since I changed from Windows 98 to my freshly installed XP Home Edition and turned the file system to NTFS. I formatted the drive before installing XP.

When I ask the pc to do two jobs involving MY Computer C drive every now and then it almost locks up and the screen is suddenly robbed of all its icon shortcuts and you can do nothing until it gets its breath back. Then if you're lucky in just under half a minute all the icons come back and you can then use it again.

It sometimes forces into this mode if you click on something while it's still fetching something else. Such as if you forgot to close a window as you called up a new application and while you're waiting for the new application to start - you click on another window to close it, the PC gets confused and goes into this icon removal routine and the screen is still containing any background as you wait.

Sometimes they don't come back and you always find Dr Watson in the active list task manager drwstn on the top of the list. Killing off the activity will usually restore the desktop.

I've cleaned registry. Scrubbed it. Stopped things loading at startup to bare minimum, I've defragged scanned and whatever I do won't cure this bug. It's often doing it four times in twenty minutes use.
Re booting clears its throat for a while but it soon comes back when you try doing an innocent Search or something like that.

Nobody on any forum I have posted this can find the reason.
So I wonder if I post it here someone will know.
It never did this in Windows 98.

LooseChippings · #2 08-11-2003, 01:59 AM

Please post your hardware spec.

Plado · #3 08-11-2003, 03:11 AM

Not sure how much you need to know but will try this for starters.

Windows XP Home Edition V2002 SP1

AND Duron (tm) Processor
1.30 Ghz
768MB Ram

I 'm not sure if this was too much RAM and needs one of the RAM cards removing? I think it was overkill and may not need that much. If you need any more info let me know I'll find out all I can.
The hard drive is 40+ Gig. I upgraded the Duron Socket to 1.3ghz but it did do this when it had a slower processor of about .9Ghz in. The system is made up from the best quality parts we could get separately.

LooseChippings · #4 08-11-2003, 12:51 PM

Check in Device Manager for any conflicts or bad drivers.

You will see a large ! next to a component if you have a problem piece of hardware.

Also run dxdiag from the run command and check your DirectX setup.

Post back your findings.

Plado · #5 08-13-2003, 04:38 AM

Well the only Yellow ! was against Mulitmedia Video Controller
PCI Slot 2 (PCI bus 0, device 15, function 0) I have no idea if this is relevant. I suppose it's the Miro Media TV Card which functions perfectly using DScaler program.

Anyhow I did what you suggested Ran dxdiag and everything checks out OK all the 3D and graphics applications and tests.

I uninstalled my Matrox Millenium G450 dual head and fetched the latest drivers from the website and re installed. Still the fault remains. It seems to be associated with using Windows Explorer or My Computer and I never know when it's going to strike.

I've tried disabling Dr Watson as that used to show up every time the fault occurred. Still no cure.

Unfortunately since I re installed Matrox the dialogue boxes in Outlook Express ie Address book and Send Receive dialogue have gone small size and small text and none of the Windows Appearance font settings will bring them back as they used to be but that's a matter for another question later.

The Yellow ! mark still appears against Multimedia Video Controller and the properties show no drivers installed for the device. I have no idea where to get them either. But I suspect this won't tell you enough to know if I can ever cure this strange icon vanishing. I've tried deleting the ico files and letting Windows make new ones by itself. Still no cure.

LooseChippings · #6 08-13-2003, 04:46 PM

I also use a Matrox (Parhelia 128) and had major problems caused by Matrox Powerdesk.

If you go to single monitor mode do you still get the problem?

I had a quick look on the Matrox support site and found these threads, they may help ...

http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/For...ML/011132.html

http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/For...ML/011180.html

Plado · #7 08-13-2003, 06:05 PM

No I'm sorry but despite your efforts it didn't help.
I looked at the forum where they are discussing a different kind of icon problem altogether.
The methods for curing that other fault I didn't understand a word of. May as well have been in a foreign language.

I tried registering on that forum but the process they have concocted to register is an absolute mess. After giving away far too much of my own personal details and signing agreements the system threw me out by telling me I had the wrong User Name when it hadn't actually asked me to register any user name for the system at all.

I suspect that Matrox Millenium hardware is also a mess judging by the amount of trouble people have with it.

I think I'm stuck with this problem until I change my graphics card.
They can stuff it !
Thanks for your time.

Plado · #8 08-14-2003, 07:17 AM

I was trying to test out your Single Monitor Mode this morning but cannot find the place where this is adjusted.

Monitor in the Display settings hasn't got any hint about single monitors. I've been set to the Sony type of monitor I use.

Did you mean to set it to generic monitor type of setting or is the mode somewhere else?
Thanks
Plado