Help!: OSX 10.4.11/ iMac G5 1.9 problem: dektop and dock icons faded/grainy

[smarter]

Today I noticed that my desktop and dock icons look faded and grainy. Also the progress bar while starting up and the pull down finder menus look this way.

There is no problem with my screen, because internet and everything else looks normal (iPhoto, Office).

Has anyone experienced the same problem?

Please help.

 

[chadamorrill]

Today I noticed that my desktop and dock icons look faded and grainy. Also the progress bar while starting up and the pull down finder menus look this way.

There is no problem with my screen, because internet and everything else looks normal (iPhoto, Office).

Has anyone experienced the same problem?

Please help.

Take a look at the colors setting in the Monitors pane of System Preferences. Is it set to millions or thousands?

 

[mobilehaathi]

Check to see if you are displaying at your native resolution.

 

[smarter]

Take a look at the colors setting in the Monitors pane of System Preferences. Is it set to millions or thousands?

Check to see if you are displaying at your native resolution.

All my settings are fine and full screen photo's in iPhoto look great, just my icons and menus are screwed up.

 

[chadamorrill]

All my settings are fine and full screen photo's in iPhoto look great, just my icons and menus are screwed up.

Can you upload a screenshot? (press and hold the shift, apple, and 4 keys)

 

[smarter]

This is what I mean:

 

[mobilehaathi]

My guess is video card problem. Either its dying or needs to be reseated....

 

[disconap]

I highly doubt it's a video card, or any kind of hardware, problem since everything else looks fine; plus, you can't reseat the video card on an imac, they're soldered onto the motherboard (as far as I know, anyway). Have you tried booting from the OS Install disc? If it boots fine, it's probably just w glitch in your install that developed at some point; back up anything you'd be afraid to lose and do an Archive/Install (this will retain your user and settings, I just suggest backing up to be safe). If the boot from the disc has the same problem, than it could be hardware related, though again I fail to see why a hardware problem would be relegated solely to specific images or sets of images...

Also, I don't want to alarm you, but I think it's gone Dutch as well.

 

[mad jew]

I agree with the outrageously intelligent yet slightly smelly disconap that it fortunately looks like it's a software issue. Have you tested to see that the same problem carries over into other user accounts? Have you had any theme changers installed?

 

[mobilehaathi]

I highly doubt it's a video card, or any kind of hardware, problem since everything else looks fine; plus, you can't reseat the video card on an imac, they're soldered onto the motherboard (as far as I know, anyway).

Ohh, I didn't know they soldered the video cards in...good to know!

I hope for his/her sake it is a software issue.

 

[Erwin-Br]

Ohh, I didn't know they soldered the video cards in...good to know!

I hope for his/her sake it is a software issue.

Well, I for one have never seen hardware being able to discriminate between GUI elements and other graphics, but there's a first time for everything...


--Erwin

 

[mobilehaathi]

Well, I for one have never seen hardware being able to discriminate between GUI elements and other graphics, but there's a first time for everything...


--Erwin

I grant you that and on closer inspection I'm inclined to agree with the software people....It just looks eerily familiar from when one of my cards had problems in a PC many years ago.

I can't be right all the time!

 

[Trevsion1218]

Ah!

I'm having exactly the same problem on my Powerbook G4.

i was going to put up pictures but now there's no need.

i checked my other account on this computer and it has the same issue.

any new ideas?

 

[disconap]

I agree with the outrageously intelligent yet slightly smelly disconap that it fortunately looks like it's a software issue. Have you tested to see that the same problem carries over into other user accounts? Have you had any theme changers installed?

Slightly smelly? I've been bathing in raw sewage for god's sake!

 

[ThisIsAdamB]

I fixed this for a friend a while back...

A friend reported a similar issue with a MacBook a while back. It was even visible to me controlling her screen via iChat. While I don't remember all the specifics, I know it ended up being the result of her installing some software for her son. That sw changed the screen resolution when it was run and it didn't quite return the screen to the proper settings when done. I'd look for any kid's software or other game that's been installed recently, especially older software not specifically checked out for 10.4.11. Uninstall it and see what happens.

Adam