Blurred or fuzzy icons in Office 2003

[Ohadi Langis]

Successfully installed Office 2003 on a Dell 2.0 Ghz, 40 Gb HD, 512 Mb ram
with 48 Mb ram on video card, Dell 18" flat screen monitor running at 60 Hz
1280 x 1024 (default setting).

The icons in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. are blurred and fuzzy. This
appears to be machine / monitor / video specific problem as an older PC in
our office which has a conventional tube type monitor does not have this
problem with Office 2003.

I would appreciate any suggestions on how to sharpen the icon images as it
is difficult if not impossible to use the software in the installed
condition. I have the option of re-installing Office 2000, and may do so if
I cannot find a solution soon.

Please respond to newsgroup. Thanks.

 

[Pat Willener]

Try if a newer video driver is available for download from Dell.
Not sure if this will fix it, but that's what I would try first.

 

[Guest]

My guess is your a smoker. Try getting a bottle of glass
cleaner, and clean your screen. Doing this more often
than once a year should clear up those fuzzy icons

 

[Ohadi Langis]

I logged into Dell's web site, entered my service tag, and checked the video
drivers for the Intel 845G adapter which came with this machine. It has 48
Mb of its own video memory. The driver from Dell is for March 2003.
Windows XP, SP1, is currently providing a driver on my machine dated
February 2004. Specifically, it is driver 6.14.10 build 3262. I'm
reluctant to load the older driver from Dell based on dates.

However, I increased the refresh rate on the Dell Ultrasharp monitor (18")
from 60 Mhz, which is its default setting at 1280 x 1024 to 72 Mhz, which is
the maximum refresh rate at this setting. The monitor offers a auto-config
button (last one on the right) which re-aligns the screen to the new refresh
rate. That worked up to a point.

To a limited extent this increase in the refresh rate addressed the
fuzziness to the point where I can use Office 2003. I am not happy about
the remaining fuzziness. I wear glasses, and have to put the screen far
enough away that the fuzziness is less of a problem. However, this creates
other problems in terms of having to increase the font size from the control
panel.

OK, enough technical stuff. Here's my rant - Microsoft has made my life more
difficult with this upgrade to Office 2003. I am not pleased that the newer
software has these usability problems. End rant.

 

[Guest]

My Office 2003 install went great. No fuzzy icons.