Text overlay problems

(Also posted at Computing.Net with no replies so far at the time of this posting)

I wonder if anyone here can help me out: After using AveDesk and ObjectDock with SysStats installed for a good amount of time, I've ran into a problem that I can't seem to reverse. See, recently, all SysStats additions to my desktop and ObjectDock have run into a problem. The overlays for the little desklets and docklets won't work. As an example, I have the calendar desklet installed on AveDesk, and the background (the boxes for the days) appears fine, but the text overlays won't work. This is the same with the SysStats docklets on ObjectDock. I can see that they're working properly other than the text overlays, yet the text appears fine on the regular docklets such as the one for weather. I've come to the conclusion that its SysStats specific. When viewing videos while these programs are running, when I go to fullscreen the video blanks out, I assume it also has to do with some overlay layer malfunctioning.

I'd been trying several NES emulators lately, a few of which had odd fullscreen problems, so I'd gotten rid of them. After restarting the system a few days later, the problems began happening. I can't seem to find what may have been modified during this time, and I'm definitely in need of help as it seems its lasting.

Please let me know if any more information is needed, or clarification, as I'd really like to get my desktop back to normal! Thank you very much in advance.

#357765

(Also posted at Computing.Net with no replies so far at the time of this posting)

I assume it also has to do with some overlay layer malfunctioning.

This sounds suspiciously like an overlay problem but rather the graphics adapter (hardware) overlay and not the SysStats overlay that you were probably referring to.

There are known issues with graphics cards, software video players and any items on the screen have per-pixel alpha blending thaen this proble can occur.

See if your video player software has any advanced rendering options to adjust the use of overlays. Some have reported success by adjusting these options.

#357838

After viewing all of the settings for what I have in this laptop (ATI Mobility Radeon 7000 IGP according to the driver) there are no settings dealing with that sort of thing. Also, the problems with running a video in fullscreen only happens when these programs are running, when I exit them the video runs perfectly once again. The thing that bothers me so much is that I had the programs running well for weeks, and I honestly can't figure out why they're not right now.

Well, after playing with the settings in my video player (Media Player Classic) I've found that the Overlay Mixer was selected, and with this I get strange results I hadn't gotten when I tested them all earlier when I picked one, this being only a few months ago. Well, I honestly don't know how it was on Overlay Mixer anyway, considering I had settled on a different one, but I figured I'd upload a picture to better show my little problem.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/765/demo14dh.jpg

Notice that the folder is above the video. O.o

But anyway, above it is my tabbed dock, the first five orbs there should be many SysStats docklets, however the text isn't showing as it had before. Its really baffling actually.

Edit: Oh, and I failed to mention the obvious, that while altering the settings in MPC, even after a restart, there was no change in the overlay problem.

#357840

Have a look at this forum thread: http://www.wincustomize.com/browser/forums.aspx?AID=100152

Stardock writes Windows enhancements that use per pixel alphablending which results in similar things as you are seeing with the video player(s). Neil Banfield is one of thier devlopers and I think explains the reasons reasonably clearly.

I don't know why your system would suddenly misbehave after working (you didn't update anything did you?)... Also not really sure that the missing text is even related to the hardware overlay thing...

Sorry, but my expertise has run out about here :-)

#358109

Well, I could tell something was wrong deep in the system somewhere, I'd reinstalled driver's, codecs, programs, reverted to older backups of system files, everything I could think of, and nothing helped. All of the settings I could find were working fine. So, believe it or not, I just spent the last day and a half reinstalling and reconfiguring everything on my system, and now its working fine again. If only I'd a DVD burner, I'd just make my own set of rescue discs right now. Thanks for trying to help though!

#358502