Blacked out sections in WORD 2002 when over 75% view

[wordimpact]

My system developed a problem that Microsft cannot (or will not) help with. I use a lot of screendumps and Word docs with pictures or picture dumps from The Web. After these docs have been opened a few times (but sometimes immediately after saving) they develop black splodges - looks like an area has been highlighted for editing - i.e. black rectangular sections within document. Print and print preview are fine. NOTE!!! This only seems to occur with over 75% VIEW! Is this a video problem, a Word virus or even a WINDOWS problem.

I have spent weeks with MS support and on one occasion they said it was a corrupted user account - we created new user account and all docs were fine for a while - then all riverted again.

This is a weird one. I think that it is an MS bug (or a video/display problem).

Although I teach I.T. - I am no Techie - so any suggestions need to be simply explained. I have Office XP and WINDOWS XP HOME. (Wordimpact March 03)

 

[PCmad]

Well at a guess I would say this is a video display/graphic card problem. But just to check, make sure you have all the update patches for Windows XP and Office XP installed. Have a look at your display settings for the video card, try reducing the amount of colours to say 24 bit or 16 bit rather than 32 bit. Try getting the latest device drivers for your graphics card as well. Also try looking on goggle under the newsgroups and see if you can find any help on this. You might be able to find a similar post if you enter the graphics card you have and then say word display problem etc. Good luck

 

[wordimpact]

Thanks to "PCMad" from me (Wordimpact) - Told you I wasn't technical - don't even know how to email you direct to thank you. Note: not too clear on how to check for latest drivers (but will have a go at identifying Graphics card mfr. and visit website & try to find latest drivers). It amazes me that I can teach I.T. programs (with ease and success) but am totally clueless technically!

Thanks again.

PS Am not hopeful that this will cure!

 

[wordimpact]

UPDATE 8.3.03 (from W/impact)

Have checked for new driver = none (but uninstalled and reinstalled driver - no difference, Tried different resolutions and colours = no difference. (By the way - what is the difference between "high colour" and "true colour" - which is better - which is 16 bit, which is 32 bit ??? Which is best for WINDOWS XP HOME?

Could the refresh rate have anything to do with my video problem????? (or anything else)

HELP NEEDED! PLEASE!

 

[PCmad]

Hi Wordimpact, sorry to hear this hasn't worked. Just a thought but if you open the pictures or graphics into a photo editing packaging such as Paint Shop Pro, or Photoshop etc more than 5 times do they open okay? If they look fine no matter how many times you have opened in a paint package maybe the problem lies with the graphics card you have and word xp. Is there anything on the web site of the manufacturer of the graphics card that says known problems when using software? By the way what is the graphics card? I doubt the refresh rate has anything to do with this, it just means how often the screen has a refresh, the higher refresh rate the easier it is on the eyes causing or meant to cause less headaches!!

Difference between 16 bit and 32 refers to the number of colours that can be displayed. 16 bit is something like 16 million colours, 32 guess what 32 million colours.

 

[wordimpact]

PCMAd - Thanks for continued interest & patience ...

1) Re Graphics card - confused about this (don't think I know the diff between a graphics card, graphics adapter graphics controller etc etc etc - I told you I am seriously NOT TECHNICAL - PLEASE BELIEVE ME!!!!!!!!

On the front of the tower PC (E Machines 540) it says "3D AGP Graphics - Intel ....... does this help (it sure doesn't help me)?

2) Re opening picture elsewhere - I need to clarify problem! The common feature re these problem WORD docs is that they all have pictures in them (maybe all with screendumps derived through SNAGIT image capture software). BUT the blacked out areas appear to be within the text areas NOT the pictures (although at a guess I think I recall that some pictures are affected). Remember print preview and print are fine.

3) Re Graphics card drivers - can't go get latest as don't know graphics card mfr. - Remember all worked OK after I created (with MS help) a NEW USER PROFILE ... for a while but then docs reverted. I can't be totally sure if this is a hardware, video, driver, WORD or WINDOWS problem!!

4) I've never used a newsgroup in my life - (although maybe this is one!) and not sure how to use them.

Now you really do know how uncool I am!

Wordimpact (getting despondent)

 

[beerhunter2]

Go to this web site and download and install Belarc Advisor (it's free). It will tell you exactly what hardware, software, drivers and versions you have running on your computer.

http://www.belarc.com/ctadvisor.html?B

Is it Happy Hour yet?