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I migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bits and I encountered a display issue in some Microsoft/Windows Live products that did not exist in Windows XP (the same programs do not have this kind of problem on Windows XP).
That issue appears in:
- Windows Live 2011 products (e.g. Messenger and Movie Maker - not with older versions)
- Some newer Microsoft products (e.g. Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Express - not 2005 version; I don't know about 2008)
It affects some image and text elements on these programs, distorting them.
It is so difficult to explain that graphical issue, so I upload an edited image showing one screenshot for each mentioned software above. I did not reduce image quality of screenshots to show the issue, that appears to be some pixels drawn in wrong places, but near the right ones (I put some red arrows near distortion places):
(below it was reduced to Super User question width, but you can see it in http://i.stack.imgur.com/bXiBR.png . imgur reduced its quality a little, I think)
It is not:
- Wrong installation issue: I installed it four times (once I installed as 32 bits) and the problem repeated, and I did it formatting old installation.
- Windows Update issue: all these issues occur since Windows 7 installation and I've already installed all last updates.
- Windows Update issue: I've already installed all last updates.
- DirectX issue: I installed the newer one, and both, newer and older, show the same issue.
- Driver problem: I installed the newer graphical drivers (monitor, adapter...), and both, older and newer drivers, show the same issue.
- Incompatibility with other programs: I installed only Windows 7 + Windows Live Messenger 2011 and the problem appeared.
- User account: it occurs with any user of any kind (common or admin).
- Clear Type: I already tested disabling or adjusting Clear Type, but the issue did not disappear.
- Monitor: I connected external monitor and the same problem occurs.
- A problem that appears with other OS: I tested Windows XP, Ubuntu 32 and 64-bits, Slax, Android-x86... in that machine, but only Windows 7 show that issue...
Suspects:
- .NET: I think the distorted components of mentioned programs in some way use that framework, but I have already executed some other programs that use .NET and they functioned (I don't know about .NET versions...). I installed all .NET frameworks (1.1 SP1, 2.0 SP2, 3.0 SP2, 3.5 SP1 and 4.0), but no effects.
- A hardware problem: well, I "heard" in in ternet something about Bios update for some strange cases in Windows 7, but the manufacturers of that motherboard and notebook have never provided a Bios update...
- DirectX: I heard about problems with early versions of Windows Live products and DirectX.
- SISM672 Northbridge and SiS968 Southbridge Chipsets: In this article http://nano-universo.blogspot.com/2010/05/chipset-sism672-sis-672-968.html (in Portuguese), author says that the real performance of these chipsets is about 16MB video RAM in Windows 7 instead of nominal 256MB (it's a reason for some users to abandon W7 and downgrade to WXP). Also it affects games with Direct3D resources...
- Pixel Shader technology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_shader
The computer is a notebook. Bellow the config:
CCE XLE-425
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T5800 @ 2.00GHz
Caption: Intel64 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 13
L2 cache size: 2.00 KB
Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
Address width: 64
RAM size: 2.87 GB
Model: I40SI1
Manufacturer: OEM
OEM string: This is a SMBIOS 2.5 BIOS |Some of the structures are included |for demonstration purposes only
System type: x64-based PC
Monitor: Monitor Genérico PnP
Manufacturer: (Tipos de monitor padrão)
Screen height: 800
Screen width: 1280
Bios: Ver 1.00PARTTBL
Manufacturer: OEM
Version: ACRSYS - 6040000
Ver: 1.00PARTTBL
Release date: Jul 01 2009
SMBIOSBIOSVersion: 1.03.03CE
SMBIOSMajorVersion: 2
SMBIOSMinorVersion: 5
Bios features:
ISA is supported
PCI is supported
Plug and Play is supported
APM is supported
BIOS is Upgradable (Flash)
BIOS shadowing is allowed
ESCD support is available
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable Boot is supported
EDD (Enhanced Disk Drive) Specification is supported
Int 13h - Japanese Floppy for NEC 9800 1.2mb (3.5, 1k Bytes/Sector, 360 RPM) is supported
Int 13h - 5.25 / 360 KB Floppy Services are supported
Int 13h - 5.25 /1.2MB Floppy Services are supported
Int 13h - 3.5 / 720 KB Floppy Services are supported
Int 13h - 3.5 / 2.88 MB Floppy Services are supported
Int 5h, Print Screen Service is supported
Int 9h, 8042 Keyboard services are supported
Int 14h, Serial Services are supported
Int 17h, printer services are supported
Int 10h, CGA/Mono Video Services are supported
ACPI is supported
USB Legacy is supported
LS-120 boot is supported
ATAPI ZIP Drive boot is supported
Disk drive
Caption: WDC WD2500BEVT-00ZCT0 ATA Device
Description: Unidade de disco
Capabilities: Random Access
Supports Writing
Manufacturer: (Unidades de disco padrão)
Model: WDC WD2500BEVT-00ZCT0 ATA Device
Size: 250 GB
Battery: I40SI1
Caption: Internal Battery
Chemistry: Unknown
Design capacity: 31.68 Watt-Hours
Design voltage: 14.40 Volts
Display configuration: SiS Mirage 3 Graphics
Video controller: SiS Mirage 3 Graphics
Adapter RAM: 128.00 MB
Video processor: SiS672 series
Availability: Running or Full Power
Physical memory
1. Capacity 2.00 GB
2. Capacity 2.00 GB
OnBoard devices
1. Description SiS 7012 PCI Sound Chip
Device type Sound
2. Description SiS 191 EtherNet Chip
Device type Ethernet
3. Description SiS 7013 Modem Chip
Device type Unknown
4. Description SiS 7001 OHCI USB Chip
Device type Unknown
5. Description SiS 7002 EHCI USB Chip
Device type Unknown
6. Description SiS 180 SATA Control Chip
Device type Unknown
Sound device
1. Name Dispositivo de High Definition Audio
1Nice job clearly outlining the problem and the steps you've taken to solve it. – nhinkle – 2011-07-20T05:04:58.840
I gave up using Windows 7. I'll try that again when I buy a newer machine. – kokbira – 2012-01-27T20:53:05.047