What the Hell has happened? Help Please!!

[Mr Silver]

Ok couple of hours ago, doing nothing special, just on youtube and the computer monitor randomly goes black, comes back on and the screen is all weird, like the desktop bar is no longer transparent (as it normally is on windows 7) the firefox top bar is slightly smaller and the X _ and the two windows are square like. It looks like a graphic abomination. Anyway, I decided to try a mess about and see if I could solve it, downloaded the latest drivers for my graphics card, updated flash, etc, etc. nothing changed, the screen did briefly blink back to what it was normally, but then it quickly returned to the horrible look.

So I turned the computer off, opened up the case and swept away as much dust as I could, the graphic card fan was caked in the stuff, but I couldn't get at it, so I just scraped what I could (besides the fan still moves) and then used the vaccum cleaner to see If I could suck any out! I doubt it but meh. So anyway, turned the computer back on after scheduling a hard drive error check, just in case (no problems) and the screen returned as it normally should be. However, within a few minutes it reverted to this awfulness which now appears to be permanent which i've included a screenshot of.

Just look how horrible the windows bar looks now? Not only that, but when I hover on the mozilla window for example and I have two windows open, it won't show me a small window, just a status bar. Anyone tell me how to solve this problem. Considering my computer is less than a year old and hardly used for anything apart from Internet and work, its not likely to be a hardware problem...

Any help appreciated

Edit: It kinda looks like its in safe mode, but i've not started up in safe mode...like ever, its really annoying me because I'm just not going to have a f£$!ed up computer!!! Its not happening!!

Edit: Its not actually causing any trouble on applications, I can still get the same level of graphics on any program and I can still watch videos, etc

 

[Mr Silver]

Ok I just ran a troubleshoot on the display and it seemed to correct it....Something to do with Windows Desktop Manager?! I have still no idea what went on. I believe myself to be a capable Computer User, with the knowledge to fix things, but without the knowledge to explain what I'm doing or how I did it!! Would someone be very kind to explain what has transpired in this last hour or so!

 

[Turbo]

You've been put on a basic desktop theme instead of an Aero theme. Go to the display menu and select one of the Aero schemes.

 

[Mr Silver]

You've been put on a basic desktop theme instead of an Aero theme. Go to the display menu and select one of the Aero schemes.

Cheers Dude

Yeah I thought this was the case, it did say in the troubleshoot that the Desktop Manager had failed, is this just an occasional thing thats nothing to worry about or is it a sign of further things to come?

 

[Turbo]

I have absolutely no idea. Sounds like the computer just had a bit of trouble is all.

 

[Mr Silver]

I have absolutely no idea. Sounds like the computer just had a bit of trouble is all.

Yeah its probably that, I worry a lot about my technology, particulary computers. As long as I get a year out of this one, its all good

 

[KJbushway]

I have that problem sometimes where my digi-view will go black and the screen looks like wider. All I did was just right click, properties, change it back to 1024-I can't rememeber the last number.

I don't know why you can't get the dust off your graphics card fan. I just take mine out every now and then, hold it and Blow it with condensed air. Just do it out side.

 

[Santaman]

^^ Which isn't a good idea, you'll blow dust straight into the bearings, vacuum cleaner and a brush, thats the way to clean fans.

 

[KJbushway]

OOPPS. I am very hands on, guess I shouldn't be. Right now since my motherboard broke, I am keeping that graphics card and harddrive in a pan covered on the inside and out by paper towels, to not damge them.

 

[Mr Silver]

I don't know why you can't get the dust off your graphics card fan.

Because i've still got a few months left on the Warranty and if I remove the casing, It will take away the sticker, thus voiding the Warranty (always be prepared lol)

I can get a resonable amount of dust off the Graphics Fan, as long as it still moves without any hassle its fine.

 

[KJbushway]

Oh. The warranty. Forgot. Mine came without one, of course It didn't come un-used or with the box.

 

[Brent]

reboot usually fixes it, sometimes if windows thinks it needs more power, or performance is suffering, it will switch to basic mode and turn off Aero... you can change an option somewhere so that it doesn't do this, make sure High Performance Mode is selected in power settings for one thing

 

[KJbushway]

I sometimes get error messages that says the graphics card is un-responsive. but If i turn on a game that needs that graphics card it still works. Something about ATI in the message.

 

[Brent]

that's just a video card driver crash on the desktop, it happens sometimes and does recover itself, i'd make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card

Catalyst 11.4 WHQL was just released on game.amd.com , I recommend grabbing them and installing them

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/downloads.aspx

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Some apps disable the Aero theme if you let them.

PowerDVD had a box checked that would do it when started to "conserve resources".

 

[KJbushway]

I do have power DVD.

 

[Brent]

I do have power DVD.

What you described, and what the OP experienced, are not the same things though.

 

[Deks]

Programs that are being run in full-screen and utilize the gpu (games for example) will prompt Windows to turn off Aero by default.

Other than that, spontaneous reversion of transparent Aero to basic non-transparent one happens rarely (but it can happen).
It happened on my computer once or twice over a long period of time, so it's not really a 'sign of things to come' really.

Another cause could be the failure of the graphics driver (which happens also on rare occasions).
Usually Windows recovers from this almost immediately, but in rare instances, a reboot will be required.
If the Glass Aero theme is not restored, then do it manually as others suggested.

No reason to panic though.