All black start box in Windows XP ?

[Gustavus]

I am running Windows XP with SP2. Suddenly (that is to say with no action on my part that I am aware of) clicking on the Start icon in the lower left of the screen opens a solid black menu box where it used to show a selection of programs on the left and system links on the right in the box. If I move the mouse cursor over the black (no clicking required) the items reappear on white backgrounds. The links are all still active -- once they are visible.

I have searched on net and find lots of links to editing the startup screen, but this is not the startup screen -- only the start menu box that opens on clicking on the Start icon.

Help would be much appreciated.

 

[bloodugly]

Have you tried anything at all yet to fix it? System Restore back to before it was doing it? Done a repair installation with your XP disc?

 

[Foadbot]

almost sounds like a video issue, or somthing that would occur if the explorer shell crashes.
hard to say without seeing what you are attempting to describe, even then who knows.

can you post a screenshot that duplicates your problem?

 

[Gustavus]

Thanks for the replies. This was one of those most unsatisfying of problems. As I said it appeared for no apparent reason and stayed for a couple of reboots -- then went away just as mysteriously as it appeared. As best I could tell nothing was affected by it except for the black box where normally the menu of programs and system links appears when you click on Start on the desktop. If I moved the cursor over the locations where they should have appeared, they did appear -- and were active links as they should have been. Since it went away with no action on my part, I will never know what caused it or why it fixed itself. Much searching on net never turned up anything like I was seeing. I was ignorant going in and ignorant coming out on this one. Everything is normal again -- and has been for several reboots.