Desktop Icon Labels Now Transparent - how do I restore opacity?

[FONT= "Comic Sans MS"]My computer (Win XP SP2) took a small hiccup this morning and when it re-stabilized, the desktop icon labels presented with a box around them that shows the desktop color (i.e., the color you select in Display Properties/Desktop/Color) behind them. You normally cannot see that color selection at all if your background position is set to "Stretch." I can also see a bit of the color around the icon itself. In other words, the label box has become transparent through the background to the desktop color. Try as I might, I cannot find a control that returns the opacity to the text label box back on. Elsewhere on this forum, there was a reference to enabling "use drop shadows for icon labels" in the Visual Effects/Performance/Options menu "“ but that is not the solution here. It is not the drop shadow on the box "“ it is the box itself. Can anyone guide me? Thx[/FONT]

 

You say it's not this,
"Use drop down shadows for icon labels on the desktop"

So try this,
right-click on the desktop
point to Arrange Icons By >
and make sure that "Lock Web Items on Desktop" is un-checked.

If you have Desktop settings set to "Lock Desktop Items "
you can't remove the background color.
You can do it here too,
Right click on desktop / Properties / Desktop Tab /
Customize Desktop button / Web Tab
and take the check out of "Lock Desktop Items "
Ok / Apply / Ok

 

If Flatiron2's suggestion isn't it, have you tried the drop shadow setting? That setting has nothing to do with a shadow on the box. If it's enabled the text box will be transparent. Without it enabled you'll see exactly what you're describing.

 

[FONT= "Comic Sans MS"][/FONT]So far no solution -

Flatiron2 - Lock Web Items on Desktop is in fact unchecked - also toggled it on and back off - no change.

Arie & Zander - use drop shadows for icon labels is in fact checked on my system. No change when toggled off and back on

 

Well, since it just happened this morning, try giving system restore a shot at it. Maybe going back a day will straighten things out.

 

I was actually just considering system restore.
Will I loose new files, emails, docs etc?
I have not installed anything in the last day or so

 

No, you shouldn't lose any user created files.

 

no joy. system restore did not change the desk top

 

WFC Exile--Many (probably too many) ideas here
http://www.google.com/search?source...LD:2004-31,GGLD:en&q=desktop+icon+label+color

 

Yeah, this is one of those things that I thought it would fix for sure. I don't know where to go from here. Hope your suggestion fixes it.

 

I had the same problem and, following this thread, I went to the link to a Google search and, following one of those links I came to a thread that had my solution. I wasn't sure how to post a link to that so I just am pasting the response here.

Originally Posted by fatjack
I had the same problem and the solution is really simple. If you have ever right clicked on an item and clikced 'set as desktop item...' then this may be the problem. You need to make sure that they are not selected. Do this by goin to control panel, display, destop tab, then selcting 'customize desktop'. Click on the webs tab and make sure none are selcted. Hope this works.

When I did what is described above I saw three lines in the desktop items list box. One of them WAS checked, and it looked as if it was greyed out, but I was still able to uncheck it.

THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM!

 

[FONT= "Comic Sans MS"]Royalty - Thank you. I will give it a try. The problem is on the computer at my business, so I'm afraid I won't be able to post back with results until Tuesday.

One new piece of information:

When I checked my computer at home, I observed that what I am seeing on ALL the desktop icon labels on the computer in distress is what one sees, under normal circumstances, when you click a desktop just icon once, without opening it.

Does that additional information indicate anything new to anyone? [/FONT]

 

[FONT= "Comic Sans MS"] Problem Solved

Thank you all. (never did get through all the links in Welsh Jim's post - but thank you all.)

Details:[/FONT]

[FONT= "Comic Sans MS"]Well, I'm happy to report that this solved my problem too. What was strange was that the file that appeared in and was checked in the Web tab was a temp file in Documents and Settings that came from parts unknown.[/FONT]

 

WFC_Exile--Thanks for posting back with the fix. Now we all have learned.

P.S. It was #21 (PCMagazine article) on the list of Google references I supplied.