Outlook and Word icons look like they're only using 16 colors

[JoBrad]

This is sort of related to Outlook, but not totally (I'll explain). I am
using Office 2003, and XP SP3 on a laptop with one external (extended
desktop) monitor (but the problem happens even if I have the second monitor
disabled). When the second display is enabled, Outlook starts on the second
monitor, but the new email window shows up on my primary (laptop) monitor.

If I start Outlook, and then lock my computer (I'm on a domain) before
Outlook actually loads, and then unlock my computer after it's started, and
start to compose an email, the toolbar icons will look as if they're only
using 16 colors. Sometimes this happens in Outlook as well, but mostly just
in the Word toolbars when I'm composing an email. The screen shot below is
just of Outlook, but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:
"16 colors" versus "normal":
http://josephtbradley.com/pictures/Othersites/Outlook.jpg

Notice that it doesn't happen for a custom toolbar (Like the WebEx one), but
only for the standard toolbars. The only way to "fix" it, is to kill the
Outlook and Winword processes, and reload them *without* locking my computer
while they are loading. I can reproduce this every time I load Outlook with
my computer locked, by the way, so it's not just a one time deal. It's very
annoying after a while. Any help or suggestions for this?

 

[Terry Farrell]

This is a Windows issue and not a problem with Word or OL. Have you tried
this with another computer to see if it is just your computer or all the
computers on your network? If I had to guess, I'd say that Windows was
recovering from LOCK whilst trying to start OL in Windows Basic mode instead
of Vista Basic or Vista Aero mode. Look at the arrows on the tools: instead
of Vista style arrows, they are displaying Windows Basic style arrows. Ditto
for folder symbols, etc.

 

[JoBrad]

I only use Outlook on this machine, so, no I didn't try it on another
machine. But I'm not using Vista. Why would this be a Windows issue if other
apps that start during this time don't have their graphics affected? If the
icons are a lower resolution of the icons that normally would show, wouldn't
this also happen to explorer, etc if it was a Windows issue? BTW, I'm not
running Outlook from a network share, and I'm not using a roaming profile -
everything is local - so I don't think the network is relevant here.

 

[Terry Farrell]

What OS are you using? is it patched up to date? Have you checked that your
graphics driver is up to date?

Whilst the graphics are incorrectly displayed, have you looked at the
graphics settings to see if they are still correct? This isn't just a colour
depth problem: the arrows and icons are totally different which isn't an
effect of reducing 32-bit to 16-bit.

Terry

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

He states [Windows] XP SP3.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[JoBrad]

Everything is up to date. My experience is that Office does change the icons
depending on color depth, but I could be wrong. My graphics settings are
fine, though - and, as I mentioned earlier, this only affects word and
outlook.

He states [Windows] XP SP3.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

What OS are you using? is it patched up to date? Have you checked that
your graphics driver is up to date?

Whilst the graphics are incorrectly displayed, have you looked at the
graphics settings to see if they are still correct? This isn't just a
colour depth problem: the arrows and icons are totally different which
isn't an effect of reducing 32-bit to 16-bit.

Terry