desktop is scrambled, fragmented, broken-looking

[rojerd]

Hi, I've tried searching both this forum and Google, and haven't come up with anything.

I've attached the images that hopefully illustrate the problem, but I'll describe it anyway.

I have installed Windows Vista SP1 onto an older system, though the system was originally built around the same time Vista was released (June 2006).

The specs are as follows:
AMD X2 3800+ s939
ASUS A8V-MX motherboard (with empty PCI-X slot, using onboard VGA); 
2x512mb Kingston DDR 400 RAM
2x512mb DDR 400 RAM (another brand, unsure of type)
Creative Audigy Soundblaster 2Zs
80GB Seagate PATA hard drive
400w Sparkle power supply

The installation went fine.   But as soon as it boots into Windows, for the first time and every time afterward, the desktop is totally scrambled looking.  It's almost like there's a prism on it refracting the output in some places.

The weirdest part is that it's fine in Safe Mode, as well as if I lock it, or hit CTRL ALT DELETE to bring up the task manager (though upon selecting the task manager and returning to the desktop the desktop is screwed up).

I put in the installation CD for the motherboard, but I can't view it on the desktop, and when I try in Safe Mode I get dialogue boxes telling me that it can't access a variety of registry-looking files.  I don't know if this is a problem it would have with Vista to begin with, because the CD was manufactured for XP.  I checked the ASUS site, but there isn't much driver support for Vista.

Any suggestions or assistance would be sincerely appreciated, thanks.

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[JJ 3000]

Asus doesn't have vista drivers for your machine. Your motherboard has the VIA K8M800 chipset. Let's see if the driver from the chip manufacturer will work.

Go to this page:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/drivers.jsp

Choose your version of windows, then under step 3 choose the Hyperion Pro (4 in 1) chipset driver.

[rojerd]

thanks JJ 3000, I've downloaded the file and put it on a USB stick, but I can't run the setup program.

It's impossible to see what I'm doing in "normal" Windows, so I'm booting to safe mode, but I'm getting this error message when I try to run the setup program:
"1607 unable to install installshield scripting runtime"

I've tried right clicking and "Run as Administrator" but I get the same error message.  I've tried enabling the Administrator account from the Command prompt, (using these instructions:  http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/), but the option doesn't come up when I log off/switch user (I don't know if that's an issue with safe mode or not).

*** I just tried both of the above on a "normal" Windows boot, and neither worked.  I tried to enable the Administrator account, which did not work.  I then tried to run the driver Setup file, which returned the following message:
"Sorry, the install wizard can't find the supported hardware in your system.  You should check your hardware and try again.  Please press OK to terminate the install wizard."

It also returned a message saying that the Hyperion software installation was interrupted before it could complete, and did not complete successfully.

Did I fail to do something?  This seems like a really absurd problem to be having ...

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[BC_Programmer]

Your graphics chipset is failing or there is a problem with the driver in 3-D modes. Aero glass uses the 3-D accelerated modes of your graphics adapter; the Control-Alt-Del and locked screens switch out of 3-D accelerated mode, which is likely why it appears fine to you.

I suspect it's a hardware problem. Drivers probably couldn't screw up Vertex Buffers this badly.

I would suggest disabling Aero. If you cannot do this because of the distortion, you can do it in safe mode:

1.Open Notepad
2.Paste the following into it:

Code: [Select]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM]
"Composition"=dword:00000000

Choose to save this file. Change the "Save as type" drop down and choose "All files (*.*)" then give the file a .reg extension (eg. "disableglass.reg").

Double click the file, accept the confirmation, and Reboot normally. Aero Glass will be disabled, which should hopefully clear up your display problems.

[rojerd]

BC_Programmer, thank you very much for the suggestion, but unfortunately it does not appear to have made a difference.  I did as you outlined, and was informed that the instructions(? I paraphrase) had been added to the Registry, but when I rebooted it still looked the same (ie, distorted).

[JJ 3000]

Are you sure you have a ASUS A8V-MX?

Did you get any errors during the Vista installation?

Where did this Vista disk come from?

1607 unable to install installshield scripting runtime

Click Start > All Programs > Accesories. Right click command prompt and choose run as administrator. At the prompt type

sfc /scannow

and press enter. If that doesn't work, download and install a new copy of the windows installer.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8483