***weirdest Display/graphics Issue Ever***

[jonpaul]

I've got a weird problem, which started after I installed Flash 10 but didn't read that in Tiger, you have to downgrade to Safari 3 to do this, for some bizarre reason..

So.. even though I've:
*Uninstalled Flash 10
*Installed Flash 9
*Repaired all Disk Permissions, etc
*Used ONYX to clear out old caches, etc
*Cleared the PRAM during reboot
*Deleted a display file Apple advised me to delete (for older OS X versions) on the support site
*Reinstalled Flash 9 AGAIN

I still have the problem. What's happening is that wherever I mouse over, the text/window/tab/toolbar/dock/ANYTHING immediately becomes jagged and aliased/distorted, and stays that way until I move halfway below and back above the horizontal center of the display and it resets any distortions, etc. Oh, and when I move BELOW the horizontal center of the display, the dock seems to move slightly down (still on screen), almost like it's changing the resolution, and EVERYTHING becomes slightly blurry.. The weird thing is, that it sometimes reverses itself.. so that when I move ABOVE the display, everything becomes blurry, etc and vice versa..

I tried to take a screenshot.. but here's where it gets REALLY weird:
It didn't capture the distortions, etc.. So it's apparently only a problem when viewing it locally.. which is unusual..

Anyone got any ideas? I REALLY want to fix this.. I'm going to upgrade to Snow Leopard, but just don't have a lot of time to do that just yet.. and this is a CRUCIAL machine for me. I absolutely MUST have it in good working order..

Thanks!
-J-

 

[madog]

Take a pic with your phone/camera. 😉

Downgrading software like Flash or Safari can be difficult. You might be better off in the long run to do an Archive and Install.

 

[jonpaul]

You might be better off in the long run to do an Archive and Install.

Huh? Sorry to sound like a newb, but what do you mean by Archive and Install? Archive what?

 

[MacModMachine]

system specs?

it may be your video card failing if it is in the 8600GT category

 

[jonpaul]

system specs?

it may be your video card failing if it is in the 8600GT category

It's an 8600, but I recently had the entire logic board replaced due to that failing.. So I'd think they would have replaced the card, too. Maybe I'm wrong... but in any case, there was no error until upgrading to Flash 10... And again, even after downgrading, it's still doing it.

 

[madog]

It's an 8600, but I recently had the entire logic board replaced due to that failing.. So I'd think they would have replaced the card, too. Maybe I'm wrong... but in any case, there was no error until upgrading to Flash 10... And again, even after downgrading, it's still doing it.

A system reinstall. Whether it's from the original disks that came with your machine, or a retail version you purchased of Leopard/Snow Leopard or whatever. Before the installation begins you can select the option "Archive and Install while preserving user data and settings". If done properly, it will keep all of your data, but just reinstall the system files and included apps.

However, tt could also just be a coincidental failure of the hardware after Flash was installed.

 

[jonpaul]

A system reinstall...

I went to the Apple Store today to pick up Snow Leopard (which I needed to do anyway).

The "genius" zoomed in and back out using the ctrl+scroll feature, and it fixed everything. Apparently, the flash 10 install had, for some reason, zoomed in just enough to distort things. If you do that NORMALLY, the OS won't let it stay zoomed in that little, but the install had made it stick.

Stupid, stupid problem.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! 🙂

 

[The General]

oh come on! you're going to give me that thread title and no pics?!!