Miniscule fonts

[xylophone]

I have XP SP3 on a Dell, with Office 2007 Student and Home, and IE7. I can
right click on Desktop/Properties to get the Display Properties, from where
I can manipulate the specified font and font sizes to my satisfaction, which
I have done. However, none of this seems to have any effect on the
minuscule font sizes that appear elsewhere and over which, for the life of
me, I cannot see how I have any control. For example, the Display
Properties box has tiny font sizes, say size 4, Start/Favourites come up in
a tiny size, likewise Start/All Programs. Weird. Start on its own comes up
in big fonts. I can read the tiny fonts, but they why this behaviour and
how can I adjust these? They are driving me mad?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

First of all, see replies to your related post in OE General newsgroup.

By any chance did you just install a driver update offered by Windows
Update?

If not and this is a sudden, new problem that occurred after WinXP SP3 was
installed, free unlimited installation and compatibility support is
available for Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14
Apr-09. Chat and e-mail support is available only in the United States and
Canada.

• US:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• CA:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-ca&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• UK:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-gb&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• AU:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-au&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• Other: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select
Windows XP | select Windows XP Service Pack 3

 

[xylophone]

Many thanks. I did install a whole wadge of updates in Windows Update
immediately after reinstalling Windows to SP3 from SP1, and then in
Microsoft Update after installing a new Office Home and Student Edition. I
assume that in there there were driver updates.

I shall follow your links and learn. You have helped me many times in the
past, and I am most grateful

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

...I did install a whole wadge of updates in Windows Update

immediately after reinstalling Windows to SP3 from SP1

Did you install the posst-SP3 updates via Windows Update or manually? Are
you sure they installed? Perhaps not...

CrystalBall© sez...

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft
Update, or by using Automatic Updates after you repair a Windows XP
installation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

NB: Also applies to clean installs, upgrade installs, and Recovery installs.

 

[xylophone]

I'm not sure what the point is here I am supposed to understand. I
reinstalled XP via my Dell reinstall CD. Thereafter, I installed the
updates via MS, call it Windows or Microsoft Update I don't now remember
(are they not the same?). Why should these updates not have installed, when
they said they did? More worryingly, I am amazed to be told that such
updates are not successful on a reinstall. I would like that confirmed
please. I understood from MS announcements that XP would be supported for x
years, which is why I and thousands of others bought new PC's with XP and no
crap Vista. So where does this doomsday scenario come from? If you can't
update following a repair, installs, upgrade installs, and Recovery
installs, what is left, and why don't we just pack up and go home!: is how I
see it.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

If your Update History at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com says the
updates were successfully installed, don't worry about it.

 

[xylophone]

Thanks. Panic over.

To get back to my original query, do you have any explanation to offer as to
1) why the fonts I describe are unusually small, and 2) what I can do about
that?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Open a free support incident, Xylophone. See links in a previous reply of
mine.

 

[xylophone]

Thanks. Have done that already.

Open a free support incident, Xylophone. See links in a previous reply of
mine.