Flickering (refreshing) desktop Icons

[Bazzer Smith]

When I run a watch digitat TV on my PC via a Freecom DVB-T USB 'stick'
it's cause the Icons on the desktops to refresh continiously, which is
rather annoying.
I have discovered a method to stop this by right clicking on a blank area of
desktop
(brings up the "arrange icons" etc..menu), however I shouldn't have to do
this should I?

You could say it is the Freecom stick/software which is the problem because
it only
happens when that is on the screen. However those are windows icons and
windows
XP is 'updating them'.

I seem to have seen this before in W98 (can't remember the condiitions).

TIA

 

[Kelly]

See if line 157 helps: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Unfortunately it had no effect on the problem (as I suspected).
Something it certain items on the screen is to flicker and it is not
just desktop items as I first thougt, for example the newsgroup listing
(left hand pane) text is flickering as is the message pane but not
the message or even this reply, it seems to be text with an associated icon/
graphic. It only happend when the USB stick display is in the forground.

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Actually I think I have found a fix for it myself. If you right click
desktop - properties,
settings - advanced - trouble shoot and then set the hardware acceleration
value to zero or the next highest setting it cures the problem!!!!!

I would add that you can set the hardware acceleration back to the
maxumum and the problem will not return, however if you close the
Freecom program and restart it the problem will return if the
hardware acceleration value abouve the two lowest settings, on
the lowest two setting it will not return at all!

Might be an idea to add this 'tweak' to your list, it is rather irrating
having a flicker in the background!!

 

[Kelly]

Hi,

Good catch. Wouldn't have thought it for USB ports, etc.
I do have a write-up under Display for this workaround.
Glad you have it sorted and thanks for the feedback. )

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Well I kind of knew it was not the number of icons because I don't
have very many and I have had more in the past.
Then I was thinking the screen refresh rate but that didn't make sense,
I had a vague recollection the reducing the hardware acceleratrion
could help fix some problems but I don't really understand what hardware
acceleration is anyway, but I gave it a go and got lucky.
However I don't know if will work for other computers with different
hardware, infact other computers may not have the problem in the first
place. My video graphics is Radeon Xpress 200 (onboard) so I don't
know if that is relevant or not.
One think I did find was that I booted up today the acceleration was reset
to maximum, not sure why that should be.

I know I had a very similar problem in W98 on my old system (occasionally)
but I could not identify a cause at the time (had no USB stick then)

 

[Kelly]

Great info....when the acceleration was reset, did it cause the same
issue(s)?

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Yea the problem returned, however I am not sure why my computer 'forget'
the new lower hardware acceleration setting when it was rebooted. I just
tried
rebooting again and it remembered the setting, maybe I 'accidently' set it
back
to the maximum. However I seem to recall it forgetting the screen refresh
rate
when I set it to 75 herts and later found it set at 60 a few times.
Maybe the registry got corrupt and it rolled it back?