Fuzzy desktop icons
- Thread starter nealt
- Start date
OK I start out with a normal screen
I create an alias of a folder in the HD window. It is fuzzy.The home folder is ok.
I then log out and login to the newly created user. Many icons are fuzzy.
I Restart the computer. I watch the boot process. At some point it displays the hd window with the icon alias. However near the end of the restart process the HD window closes and then restarts with all the icons OK.
I create an alias of a folder in the HD window. It is fuzzy.The home folder is ok.
I then log out and login to the newly created user. Many icons are fuzzy.
I Restart the computer. I watch the boot process. At some point it displays the hd window with the icon alias. However near the end of the restart process the HD window closes and then restarts with all the icons OK.
You have a new system folder, but there is still something that is flexing its muscle on the user desktop. That points to something that was installed that is for one user only. Check your home>Applications folder. Anything listed there was installed just for one user.
OK I tried the following. I have 3 hds installed in this Mac Pro.I have been talking about hd1. I erased using disk utility HD2. I did a clean install of ML on it. Guess what? The first time it ran after completion of installation all the labelled folder icons-system, library, applications, etc. were fuzzy just as happens on HD1. I restarted HD2 and for the moment the folder icons are normal. Somewhere the icon info is being stored outside the HDs. Remember zapping the PRAM did not help.
So what is going on?
So what is going on?
DeltaMac
Tech
You already said that the icons appear normal when you log in to another user account.
Are you saying that you erased the hard drive, then installed only OS X, and no other apps or files were added, and you had only the system running with the first user account (the one you made during the setup), and you had NOT restored or copied any of your own apps or files - so that system was completely "unmodified" since the install?
Are you saying that you erased the hard drive, then installed only OS X, and no other apps or files were added, and you had only the system running with the first user account (the one you made during the setup), and you had NOT restored or copied any of your own apps or files - so that system was completely "unmodified" since the install?
DeltaMac
Tech
I don't really understand now.
How does your hard drive show icons at all?
Your system (actually the finder) is what is used to show the icons.
And, you should consider giving a more detailed answer, such as if the new user account is a ANOTHER account that you have created, extra from the first account that you create when setting up your newly installed system.
Did you install ANY other software, or restore ANY old files that you have on a backup - (hopefully not!)
And, earlier, you had sharp icons when booting to safe boot mode. Is that still true?
Are ALL icons now fuzzy, or still only the new ones that YOU create (as alias files, etc.)?
Did you double-check that your display is set for native resolution (that would be the highest setting)?
HD icons means when I double click on the hd icon which opens up a window showing folders.
On the same hd if I create a new user account with nothing added I will eventually get fuzzy icons.
Safe mode seems to be OK
The only folder icons that are fuzzy are the system ones such as SYSTEM, Music, Pictures etc. The blank folder icon is fine. Folders from various apps, say MS Office are fine.
Afrer a restart most of the time the folder icons are ok. Creating an alias of any folder will come out fuzzy.This occurs on all user accounts and on two HDs the original and on another HD with a clean install.
I thought the problem might be memory. I ran Remember, a memory tester all were ok. I tried removing one of the two memory cards, then swapping them. Same problem.
Maybe the video card?
On the same hd if I create a new user account with nothing added I will eventually get fuzzy icons.
Safe mode seems to be OK
The only folder icons that are fuzzy are the system ones such as SYSTEM, Music, Pictures etc. The blank folder icon is fine. Folders from various apps, say MS Office are fine.
Afrer a restart most of the time the folder icons are ok. Creating an alias of any folder will come out fuzzy.This occurs on all user accounts and on two HDs the original and on another HD with a clean install.
I thought the problem might be memory. I ran Remember, a memory tester all were ok. I tried removing one of the two memory cards, then swapping them. Same problem.
Maybe the video card?
DeltaMac
Tech
If safe mode is OK, then the problem is NOT hardware/memory, etc - but is almost guaranteed to be a software problem, and likely some non-Apple software that you have installed.
You have NOT said that you have already installed additional software.
But, of course, you already have done that, as you had already reinstalled MS Office - plus, I'm guessing here, a bunch of others.
Your GOAL is to have a clean system, which means install the OS X system, on a newly erased hard drive. Make sure that the system updates are installed, run Software Update until no updates are available - and check for your icons then.
Please note that you should absolutely not install additional software (such as MS Office
) or restore apps or your own files/pictures/music from a backup, or through any other method, until you get this sorted out.
finally - you should tell us exactly which Mac model you are using... the model identifier in the System Information/hardware will be great!
Thanx!
You have NOT said that you have already installed additional software.
But, of course, you already have done that, as you had already reinstalled MS Office - plus, I'm guessing here, a bunch of others.
Your GOAL is to have a clean system, which means install the OS X system, on a newly erased hard drive. Make sure that the system updates are installed, run Software Update until no updates are available - and check for your icons then.
Please note that you should absolutely not install additional software (such as MS Office
) or restore apps or your own files/pictures/music from a backup, or through any other method, until you get this sorted out.finally - you should tell us exactly which Mac model you are using... the model identifier in the System Information/hardware will be great!
Thanx!
DeltaMac
Tech
You almost answered a couple of the questions, but missed a couple of important details -
Was your MacPro STILL booted to ML when you looked at the icons on the Snow Leopard HD?
Or, did you restart your Mac, and boot to the HD3 with Snow Leopard?
The drivers are only within the booted system, so booting with Snow Leopard will be using completely different graphics drives than those used by Snow Leopard.
Another thought: As the graphics card will be driven somewhat differently when booted to Safe Boot mode - be sure to try reseating the graphics card in its slot.
Are you still using the original graphics card, or have you replaced with a newer card?
Finally, do you have more than one display connected? What display do you have?
Was your MacPro STILL booted to ML when you looked at the icons on the Snow Leopard HD?
Or, did you restart your Mac, and boot to the HD3 with Snow Leopard?
The drivers are only within the booted system, so booting with Snow Leopard will be using completely different graphics drives than those used by Snow Leopard.
Another thought: As the graphics card will be driven somewhat differently when booted to Safe Boot mode - be sure to try reseating the graphics card in its slot.
Are you still using the original graphics card, or have you replaced with a newer card?
Finally, do you have more than one display connected? What display do you have?
DeltaMac
Tech
You continue to see your "fuzzy" icons, only when booted to ML. You should expect that what you see with icons while browsing to another hard drive should reflect the same problem, at least while you remain booted to ML, where you are already having questions.
Booting to a completely different operating system doesn't tell you much, except to verify that the problem exists ONLY when you are booted to ML - which I think you already knew.
And - you could even try removing all other hard drives, except the one that has ML. (I know, not too likely as a fix - however, it's a quick and easy way to change the hardware configuration considerably, and also temporarily removes the system's access to apps and software that are stored on different hard drives. Maybe nothing will change... or, suddenly everything will work as you wish.
_Disconnect_ the second monitor, too, just as a test.
Be sure to try reseating your graphics card.
Can you tell us what display is still attached to your MacPro?
There's 3 possible original graphics cards in your MacPro - which do you have?
Booting to a completely different operating system doesn't tell you much, except to verify that the problem exists ONLY when you are booted to ML - which I think you already knew.
And - you could even try removing all other hard drives, except the one that has ML. (I know, not too likely as a fix - however, it's a quick and easy way to change the hardware configuration considerably, and also temporarily removes the system's access to apps and software that are stored on different hard drives. Maybe nothing will change... or, suddenly everything will work as you wish.
_Disconnect_ the second monitor, too, just as a test.
Be sure to try reseating your graphics card.
Can you tell us what display is still attached to your MacPro?
There's 3 possible original graphics cards in your MacPro - which do you have?
I did this with no benefit.
I searched the internet based on "The Snow Leopard Pixelated (Fuzzy) Icon Bug – " and Mountain Lion Pixelated(fuzzy) Icon Bug.
Apparently lots of people have the problem over the years. Suggestion for fixing it at best only work temporarily.Many articles suspect that there is a bug in the operating system.
I searched the internet based on "The Snow Leopard Pixelated (Fuzzy) Icon Bug – " and Mountain Lion Pixelated(fuzzy) Icon Bug.
Apparently lots of people have the problem over the years. Suggestion for fixing it at best only work temporarily.Many articles suspect that there is a bug in the operating system.