Windows Vista Vista visual effects?

After going into advanced sytems settings under visual effects, which is the best overall selection to make under settings?
Was having a DEP issue so I copied and pasted (bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOn), rebooted and was wondering if the setting for let windows select, adjust for best appearance, adjust for best performance or custom had anything to do with the inability to check the greyed out on or off buttons in DEP.
Running Vista Home Premium and have all boxes checked and letting windows select what is best in visual effects.

 

Check your graphics drivers and that does not only include drivers, as such, it also includes the software/manger that runs the drivers/hardware (like nVidia, ATI, Intel, etc, that have software to adjust settings for the "display adapter "). If you have upgraded the graphics "drivers ", you might like to try going back to those that came with the Display Adapter originally (on the original drivers disk).

If you set for "Performance ", it may make the DEP error go away, but that does not mean the system is working correctly.

Find out what is causing the error in the first place.

I see this in Help and Support

Does it think your graphics is a security risk? Maybe the graphics is not "playing nicely ".

Think about other areas. Is the problem definitely in the graphics?

Matt

 

Nvidia Geforce 8500 may/is the problem. The control panel 2.5.373.05 has stopped working. Then DEP message shows up where I can't turn on or turn off in advanced settings. Won't allow me to activate the buttons. Running Vista Home Premium 32bit
Any and all help appreciated....again

 

I think you should uninstall and reinstall the nVidia graphics. nVidia don't make graphics adapters, only the chipset for the adapter. If you are having problems, the best place I recommend getting drivers is at the adapter manufacturer's website. Actual adapters are made by Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, XFX, etc, etc., so find your model number (it will be printed on the adapter card if you can't find it anywhere else) and find the drivers at the manufacturer's website.

There will be an uninstaller in Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features. Don't uninstall nForce drivers, they are motherboard chipset drivers, if you have nVidia chips on your motherboard...ALTHOUGH, I always update motherboard chipset drivers before working on the graphics drivers.

Sorry to throw all these driver searches at you, but your problem could have stemmed from getting drivers "automatically updated" and they are sometimes wrong. Is the system custom-built or OEM (like Dell, HP, Compaq, Sony, Gateway, etc)? There is little information. [Edit: Ah, HP, now that I see the specs in your profile, check at HP].

If you have any trouble installing graphics drivers, boot to the Startup Options and choose "Enable low resolution video "
Advanced startup options (including safe mode)
then run the installer when you get to the desktop.

Matt

 

I did the uninstall nvidia graphics and copied and pasted bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff then rebooted and sure enough the control panel for nvidia graphics is working. However in the DEP area it is still greyed out and can't select either on or off.
My system is OEM from HP and other than this sometime annoying pop up everything else is working great. Thanks Mattman for your insight and response.

 

I can't see why you need to modify bcdedit.exe (the Vista version of Boot.ini). What information are you using that advises to do that?

If settings are greyed out, it usually means that they are being controlled by a higher level setting. If you get an error, look into why it could be happening (like my suggestion of installing the correct drivers/software). Just "turning off" a setting will not repair the problem that is causing it.

Matt

 

I was given that info by a help tech from HP...There are no error messages just greyed out area. This occurs even when I log in admin. I will get the appropriate drivers and install in safe mode and get back to you. Thanks again.

 

You will find you won't be able to install in safe mode. You could uninstall in Windows XP safe mode, but I have found that you cannot uninstall in Vista safe mode. It's probably no use going into safe mode.

Are you looking in the right place for performance settings?
Control Panel -> Performance Information and Tools -> Advanced Tools -> Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows

 

Yes I looked there and both on and off are greyed out. Will not let me make a choice of the two. This all started when I installed IE8.

 

In that box "Performance Options ", are talking about the tab Visual Effects or the tab Data Execution Prevention?

One thing I would ask is have you turned off User Account Control (UAC)?

Checking quickly, I can't see an uninstaller for IE8, but you could try re-installing it.

Do some online scans of your system for malware. There are scanners at the TrendMicro and Symantec websites.

As I said, if the settings are greyed out, there is something at a higher level that has caused it (maybe your security program?).

Matt

 

UAC is on and just reinstalled IE 8, used MAB and showed clean computer. What about my security program? Any helpful hints appreciated.

 

From what I can tell, when you modified bcdedit.exe, it has most likely turned DEP off, from startup, and that is why the settings are greyed out.

Performance settings won't have any effect on the DEP settings.

The HP tech that advised you to run that modification just gave you a workaround. Maybe the HP system has a bug and that is what they do to get it working again.

What are your problems at the moment? The bcdedit.exe modifications seem to be causing the DEP settings to be greyed out. Can you get to the nVidia controls? Have you tried updating the nVidia drivers/software (at HP, if the adapter is supplied by them)?

Matt

 

Problem resolved...Thanks for your time and input.