Different Display Properties box then normal?

[Busie23]

I have two PC's sitting here next to me. Both are the same, with the exception that one has a clean install of win98se while the other has the install from the factory (compaq). The one I did the clean install on has a different looking diplay properties box (right click-> properties) than the other machine.

It looks like this: Odd Display Properties

The one I'm used to seeing: Normal Display Properties

The drivers are identical, so are the remainder of the machines....can't figure out why it looks like this than the standard display box with the one big scroll box at the bottom? I have never seen one look like this before and can't figure out why it does look like this?

 

[pyrojunkie]

That display property window looks like its from an older version of Windows. The drivers wouldn't affect how that part of the properties looks. Maybe using windows update will make it look better for you.

 

[Busie23]

It was a clean install of 98se that I have used numerous times in the past. I rolled it back to the ghost image I made of just the install of 98se and the window looked normal. So it somehow changed after I did window updates and installed the drivers. I know it's not a real big deal but I'm real curious as to why it displays like this, and what caused it.

 

[dexmanone]

Here's a silly question, is it possible on the older one that it has a video card/software and it's own settings?

 

[Busie23]

everything is identical between the two...both are onboard video....I think it had something to do with the video driver that compaq created. It is the same driver that is offered on the intel site for download, but they put it in their own install package and I'm guessing they changed the way it displays for some reason? Not real sure about this, though?

 

[pyrojunkie]

As I posted above, I disagree that it has anything to do with a driver. It must be an edited registry entry for the windows style, as it would look the same on any driver installed into the system.

 

[nineball9]

Curious - what does your other Display Properties panel look like?
I powered up my old Dell P3 which has Win98se running, and my Display Properties looks identical to the one you posted. (Indentical once I disable my wallpaper that is.)

My old sysem is a Dell P3 with an STB 16M TNT video card. It was shipped with Windows 98; I upgraded it to Windows 98se later.

The Control Panel extension that controls the Display Properties is DESK.CPL.

Info about DESK.CPL on my old system:
Created: Friday, August 27, 1999
Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
Internal Name: DESK
Language: English (United States)
Original Filename: DESK.CPL
Product Name: Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) Operating System
Product Version: 4.72.3110.0

File Version: 4.72.3110.0

Good luck!

 

[Busie23]

pyrojunkie...what would change the registry in your opinion? I did the clean install of win98se (plus) the same copy I always use when doing a clean install, and made ghost images periodically until I had my full install of everything I need. It ended up being 3 ghost images total.

First ghost image: Did this after doing the install. No updates, no drivers installed etc. Display prop lookes "normal" up to this point.

Second ghost image: This included all windows updates and basic drivers (display properties looked different here). I normally install the drivers directly from the manufacturers disk/website, but this time I installed the drivers directly from the compaq site (it is compaq PC). The whole machine is Intel based so I figured compaq just whipped up their own snazzy little driver "RomPaqs" which would be the same if I would have gone to the Intel site and downloaded the Intel exe's (815 video, Pro100 Nic, etc). I looked at the sizes of these files and they were very different. All of the Compaq exe were much bigger? Something in there from Compaq is changing something...

Third ghost image: After all drivers were are working properly and installs of basic software (ie, Office, and some other apps we use). Display props still messed up.


The compaq "RomPaqs" have no uninstall, nor do they showup in add/remove, but one of the readme's that were extracted from the rompaq was the intel readme for unistalling the video for the 815 chipset. It involved going into the adapter settings and changing the adapter to VGA. I did this rebooted and installed the regular video driver from intel and the display properties still looked the same? I thought for sure this would change either the drivers or DLL's etc. No luck though?

Any ideas?

Nineball9...

I just looked up that file on the pc that has my "normal" display properties box and i have the same info as you. Version 4.72.3110.0

 

[nineball9]

Busie - Thanks for posting a pic of the "normal" Display Properties screen - it sure makes troubleshooting a lot easier. Both of your Display Properties screens are "normal", at least in the sense that Microsoft wrote them. It's not Compaq's code; it's your Windows configuration settings.

So what's the difference? Windows 98 Active Desktop. (The Web tab immediately indicates this.) Your so-called "odd display properties" screen is running with Active Desktop turned off. Your so-called "normal display properties" screen has Active Desktop turned on.

Crap - did I hate Active Desktop! For me it was the most useless and obnoxious feature of Windows 98. When I got my first PC with Win98, I spent several days removing the "features" of Active Desktop, and reverting to a Win95 classic style. That was in early 1999, so I don't remember all the details.

My old Dell PC was shipped with Win98 installed, and I later purchased and installed Win98se on it. It has no Compaq code on it either! Using Microsoft's Tweak UI, I can easily display both of your Display Properties screens on my Dell. With Tweak UI, it's the IE4 tab, and uncheck the fist line, which reads "Active Desktop Enabled". Without Tweak UI, you can dig around MY Computer - View tab - Folder Options for Active Desktop settings. I did all this in 1999 with Win98 and IE4 and I don't remember the details.

I pulled out my old Win98 Resource Kit manual and started rereading about Active Desktop but gave up. I also did quick scans of the registry with Active Desktop on and off (using Tweak UI), but didn't find much. I suspect it's somewhere in HKCU. (Sorry - I got a bit lost trying to follow your Norton Ghost image installs.)

IIRC (which I probably don't), Win98 shipped with IE4, and Win98se added IE5. My old Dell is now running IE6. MS integrated IE into Win98 (and got hauled off to court), but Tweak UI, written for Win98 with IE4 still works with Win98se and IE6. I don't think you need it to activate/deactivate Active Desktop though.

Good luck!

 

[Busie23]

I did install TweakUI and changed a few things here and there. That is definitely it, as I hate Active Desktop and checked it to be disabled. I will mess with tweakUI tomorrow morning at work and report back. Thanks for the help!