Hi folks:

My company provides IT support to a group of Filemaker users running a
custom app built on FM8 Server and using FM 8 (release 2) workstations.

We have one pesky workstation that, even after a reformat/reinstall of
Windows will not properly or consistently render certain elements on the
application screen correctly.

More specifically, tabs across the top of the screen disappear, as does the
grids separating the fields from one another. One can tab around from field
to field, and actually GET around the screen, but when one has to eyeball
the cursor to see where it is, and not have tabs (and maybe buttons)
visible, it gets rather difficult to work.

Here are the unusual things I have to report:
1) I was able to get the user working (temporarily) by logging in using a
profile other than his. That only worked for a day or so, but it did work.
2) When I whacked the Windows install, reformatted the drive and
reinstalled, it was good for about a week.
3) The user is using an application called "Active Desktop Calendar" from
Xemi Computing. The application renders a calendar and to-do list directly
on the user's wallpaper.

That sounds potentially nasty..but I can't blame this application
yet...There is one other user using Active Desktop Calendar, who has no
problems to report. I can't think of anything else to report.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana

On May 30, 2:48 pm, "Dana Friedman" <d... (AT) bway (DOT) net> wrote:

If a problem like hat persists accross a reformat/reinstall of the OS,
the issue is almost surely hardware malfunction, incompatibility. (or
driver related issues, as you likely loaded the same driver when you
reinstalled.)

1) Kill the Active Desktop calendar.

Those sort of applications are often buggy, and even if it works fine
on one machine it may be aggravating the problem on another. Once
you've got the problem licked without it, then trial adding it back
in.

2) Try different video drivers if possible (e.g. chipset reference
drivers).

3) Replace the video card. or, if its integrated try adding a
standalone one or if its got no AGP/PCI-E expansion slot, then the
workstation probably cost less than $400 new, and if its 1-2 years old
is worth less than $200 bucks now, so just toss it and stop wasting
valuable time on it.

-regards,
Dave