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help, kids messed up the computer

Discussion in 'Computers & Technology Forum' started by menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007.

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  1. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Not my kids! (not my computer either)

    A friend's kids got into the display settings somehow and now the fonts are extremely tiny and so are quite a few of the menus, especially the display menu that would normally allow me to increase the font size.

    For some reason I can't even get the machine to start in safe mode. :confused:

    It's running XP, any ideas? The font is literally to small to read.
     
    #1 menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007
  2. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    Have you tried right-clicking on the desktop, Properties, then Settings, and checking for 1024x768, or even 800x600.

    If that doesn't work, might try your Accessibility settings in Control Panel.
     
    #2 Don, Jan 8, 2007
  3. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Yeah, what Don said. Good luck
     
    #3 rbell, Jan 8, 2007
  4. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    I can't see the display settings enough to tell what the resolution is. The back ground looks fine, the icons are recognizable (barely), but the font is unreadable.

    I did try changing the the font size under the appearance tab and got some of them to increase though not enough. I see what you are saying though, and will try it and see.

    Any ideas why I can't start windows under safe mode?
     
    #4 menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007
  5. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Tried and failed. The menu boxes are sooo small that you can't choose some of the choices that should be there.

    I have to say, whatever they did, they did a good job of it! I've not seen something like this. You can't scroll, and when you think you are choosing from a drop down menu you are actually choosing either cancel or ok. This beats all I've ever seen.....
     
    #5 menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007
  6. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    Question for you.

    When you try to go into Safe Mode, how do you do it? I know this sounds like a stupid question, but I want to make sure you would be doing it the way I would.

    When you boot up, as soon as it starts, are you hitting F8 to get to the menu with Safe Mode listed? If so, do you have an option there to select Last Known Good Configuration? Have you tried that to see if it is better than what you have now?

    Also, as a last resort, if you have the XP disk, you could do a restore, which would restore any files that might be missing<which might be why you can't get safe mode to start> and I think it also restores the setting back to default, which would give you a font you could read again.

    Also, if there is nothing worth keeping on the computer, you could reinstall Windows. Or, if there is something worth keeping, get a second hard drive, install it as a primary, and the one giving you problem as a secondary, boot up to the primary and file/copy any important data off the old drive, and then remove the second drive, reinstall the old one and reinstall windows. This is a long ways around a problem, but to save data, sometimes it's worth the trouble to go the extra steps.


    Good luck!

    Jamie
     
    #6 JamieinNH, Jan 8, 2007
  7. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    But, you did get to the desk top . . .

    RIGHT CLICK the desktop.

    Select the last selection <properties>

    goto the far right hand tab (on the top)

    goto to the left bottom slide.

    slide it to the LEFT.

    select apply (far right bottom button) it will probably blink etc and then ask if you want to save.

    Yes.

    You may have to repeat a time or two until it is the size you want.


     
    #7 El_Guero, Jan 8, 2007
  8. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    PS

    You need to keep the kids from messing with your stuff . . .

    Password?

    Wayne
     
    #8 El_Guero, Jan 8, 2007
  9. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    not my kids, not my machine! I thought I said that.

    Oh well, since the menus are only about 1" by 1" it is really hard to tell if we're sliding the right thing. I say they were infected but, they're not hooked up to the internet yet.

    The computer was a gift, so there is no XP disc and I'm not using XP home so I can't help there. I was told this was used in a doc's office before so I'm thinking someone recently installed home or they'd have been using a different version of Windows. I really don't know a whole lot about this computer.

    Yes, to get into safe mode I'm pressing F8 at startup. It gives me the choice of floppy:, usb:, IDE-0:, CDROM:, Boot->Network: or NETWORK. I know I don't want to boot using the floppy, the usb or the ide controller, boot network doesn't do anything and Network simply loads windows, but not in safe mode (which I assume would default to graphics that could be seen). I was not actually there when they tried that option, so it could have been in safe mode and they wouldn't have know the difference. We weren't given a choice of safe mode at any point.
     
    #9 menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007
  10. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Try using the display buttons on the monitor to enlarge the view screen.

    Rob
     
    #10 Deacon, Jan 8, 2007
  11. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Deacon, I don't know how to that on my own computer! But...

    Looking at my own moniter I see, a source button, PIP button, exit buttow menu button and channel and volume buttons cause this one can be used as a video screen or tv. So how would I change the display settings?
     
    #11 menageriekeeper, Jan 8, 2007
  12. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    when you do f8 it sounds like you are getting into setup. Try booting and tapping f10 and see if you get safe mode. Maybe delete key???? Some computers aren't standard on what gets you to setup.

    just a thought.
     
    #12 exscentric, Jan 8, 2007
  13. preacher

    preacher New Member

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    Just been reading....on the desktop, are the icons, shortcuts, & all, including whatever background there is shrunk down, or is the background still filling up the screen?
     
    #13 preacher, Jan 8, 2007
  14. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    MK, this isn't the menu for getting into Safe Mode. Among other things, you should have items for "Safe Mode", "Safe Mode with Command Prompt", "Safe Mode with Network Support", "Last Known Good Configuration" and other options. When you see the bar on the bottom of the screen (it will be gray) looking like it's filling up, that's the time to press F8. If you see the Windows splash screen, you're too late. If the bar on the bottom of the screen is blue, again, you've gone too far.

    You may already know how to fix this, but, just in case, here's what I recommend.

    The best way to fix this is to rename the profile directory for the user in question. For example, if the user is named "User1", then the profile directory for this user is "C:\Documents and Settings\User1". Don't delete the directory, because you could lose quite a bit of stuff. Instead, rename the directory to "User1old". Once the "User1" directory is deleted, reboot and login as "User1". When Windows doesn't see a "User1" profile, it will create a default one.

    Hope this helps! :wavey:
     
    #14 ccrobinson, Jan 8, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 8, 2007
  15. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    haven't done that but sounds like it could work.

     
    #15 El_Guero, Jan 8, 2007
  16. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    Set the computer beside yours and follow the directions.

    Do this and then tell us what happened.


     
    #16 El_Guero, Jan 8, 2007
  17. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    I wish I could set the computer next to mine, but it is half way across town.

    I did get it into safe mode, timing is everything! But, it appears even in safe mode that the font is extremely tiny.

    Above instructions, appear to work, it blinks and then everything gets smaller again.(I say again, because I've had some success increasing some of the fonts slightly) I think they changed the font itself as well as the size. Playing around with my own stuff last night I could get some pretty tiny fonts. At least I'm smart enough not to do anything permanent!

    I'm going to try restoring it to the "last known good config". I haven't done this before so could some one give me an idea of what will come up when I select this option from the boot menu?

    You all know that I know just enough to be dangerous. :D

    I forgot, someone asked about the background. It looks fine and I can change to a different one and it still looks fine. Only the icons and the fonts are tiny. Of course right now the background is black, but I suspect it is because someone didn't follow my exact instructions not to mess with things except when I told them too. :rolleyes:

    As soon as I figure this out, I'll be back for instructions on how to lock it up!
     
    #17 menageriekeeper, Jan 9, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 9, 2007
  18. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    MK, you'll need to go into display properties. Click the Settings Tab, then click Advanced, and go to the General tab. There will be an option to change the DPI (dots per inch). Set this as high as necessary. This should resolve it. I hope.

    I don't think Last Known Good will do anything for you, because that option is typically only for when Windows won't boot. It certainly can't hurt the computer to try it though.

    Hope this helps
     
    #18 ccrobinson, Jan 9, 2007
  19. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    Hiya ccrobinson,

    Last Known Config will help, if the computer, before this happened, shutdown properly.

    The Last Known settings will change back to any video drivers, settings, and font changes that the last good setting had.

    So, if the setting were set correctly and you could see everything fine then when you restore the last known settings, it would be like new again.

    Jamie
     
    #19 JamieinNH, Jan 9, 2007
  20. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Well I think this is beyond me.

    They were to have cable internet hooked up today and I called them and told them to have it postponed until the graphics problem could be fixed. Well the cable company said, "oh let our guy look at it." Famous last words.

    He evidently somehow hooked up the modem (don't know how he loaded drivers) with the graphics like they were. Supposedly, all was the same bad when he left and when he left my friend shut the machine down using the reset button. When I finally got there I started the machine. The first thing I got was no signal message, then an "out of range" message. After that the boot screen came and went like it was supposed to and the windows loading screen came up. It seemed to be loading okay but instead of a logon screen what I got was a black screen and no mouse cursor. Loading in safe mode made no difference nor did the "last known good config" have any effect. Can't do a system restore cause I can't get anything on the screen.

    Unless ya'll have a better idea, I'm going to suggest she take it in to the local repair guy and see if he can do something with it.
     
    #20 menageriekeeper, Jan 9, 2007
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