HELP all you super geeks ! Feed Headlines gadget went

[caledesi]

crazy a few days ago. Now the text is that awful hot pink and when I try to read the article it's sorta "glassy" (Aero-ish). I can't read it. I have tried almost everything to no avail. I even went to PERSONALIZE>WINDOW COLOR>MENU...checked every item...could not find that ugly pink...don't know where it came from.

Here goes:

Toshiba Laptop L445D
32-bit
windows 7 Enterprise

VERY vanilla...plain..hey, I am dying here (literally). Hospice is so good to/for me. Advanced MS? I don't anyone knows what is really wrong...it's neurological that's for sure..can't walk, speech is slurred..memory has always been exceptional and still is. Go figure!

I created my own theme (it's a solid grey)

And to think I was in Tech Support...in my younger years...I can't fix this..I feel so ashamed.

If you have any questions, I know most of the lingo!

I "used" to be a touch typist ...now I use OSK 24/7...still it has taken a looong time to type this much..those fine motor skills aren't reliable.

Please help this very fragile woman. TIA!

[Make7]

1. From a quick Google search, it appears there is an issue with gadgets when upgrading to IE11.

According to this link...

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-desktop/my-windows-7-weather-gadget-on-my-desktop-has/e44a7a76-1d9f-4168-bdc6-b920cd87df60

... sometimes setting the DPI (Display Size Settings) to 100% Smaller Fonts seems to fix it. If that isn't an option for you (or it doesn't fix it) then the only recourse seems to be going back to IE10.

I still haven't upgraded to IE11, so I can't recreate the issue you are having - all I can do is point you to that link. Hope it helps.

[caledesi]

2. Never thought about the resolution. It's back to "normal "

Last edited Tue Feb 25, 2014, 04:50 AM - Edit history (1)

for now, but the text on the whole is teeny. My sight is not what it used to be. I forgot to say I am using IE10! Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

BTW, I have always used Google since 2000...until today. I don't use it because it tracks you and has those ads on the right. So I switched to duckduckgo.com because it doesn't track you, no ads and is super-fast. I LOVE it just as much as the beginning of Google. Guess who owns duckduckgo? Google! Think they are trying to tell us something? Duckduckgo must be some kind of kid's game. Never heard of it is the USA. Might have to check it out.

Anyhow the resolution is the answer. I must decide..l can't have everything. It's in-your-face disability...it is so limiting! Did I tell you that my olfactory glands are shot - can't smell a thing.

[Make7]

3. Hmmm... IE9? Maybe it's related to some Windows Update that was installed recently...

... when this problem started. Maybe see what updates were installed about the time the gadgets started acting up and Google (or DuckDuckGo) the KB##### and the text "gadget color" to see if something else might be the culprit.

It's kind of weird that changing the display resolution makes the colors different. Too bad the fix wasn't to use a bigger setting for the display resolution - then you'd be set. It's just such a strange symptom, I can't think of what the problem in that program even is (or what to do to try to fix it).

As with most technical things, I attempt to figure out what changed with the system when the issue first happened (e.g. new software installed, new Windows Updates, new piece of hardware, etc.) and then see if one of them might be to blame. Although that might be more effort than it's worth - maybe you could find some third-party software that serves the same function as the Feed Headline gadget. I don't use anything like that so I can't offer a recommendation, but I would imagine some RSS reader software would have the option of a similar interface. Maybe...?

I think the name DuckDuckGo was a play on the name of the children's game Duck, Duck, Goose. I still use Google probably mostly due to inertia - I use the NoScript extension in FireFox and block javascript from Google so I'm not too worried about what evil they might be doing - I also am hiding their ads with a user style sheet.

Anyway, depending on what overall screen resolution you are using for your desktop (e.g. 1024x768, 1366x768, etc.), you might try lowering that a little to make the stuff on the screen appear a little larger. If you don't like it or some application you use doesn't look right with it, you can always change it back.

I don't think living with the small fonts (100%) display resolution setting is a good workaround. It's probably better to leave things set for what works best for overall size/zoom settings and come up with another application to get your headlines.

And since now I know it doesn't seem to be an IE11 thing, if I get a chance next weekend, I'll try to see if I can recreate the issue on my Windows7 laptop to see if there is a better remedy.

[Downwinder]

4. When I get fatigued, my MS turns black letters blue.

Are you R&R or progressive?

[caledesi]

5. Just for the record - I was finally diagnosed with Advanced MS..;

Last edited Wed Feb 26, 2014, 12:58 AM - Edit history (1)

Secondary progressive - the worst. BFD, no remission -THERE IS NO CURE! It's progressive and not in a good way.

I have some great tips - emaii me.

For inspiration I watch A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN on Netflix 3 times a week. Does me a lot of good, esp. when the fine motor skills don't work...very little interaction.

I have a zillion tips! (some days problem with colors...but not hot pink)

I get tired too, but stay up all night = reason to be fatigued. Problem solved!

Peace out,
Alicia

[caledesi]

6. Hey guys! Just a big txs to Make, et. al.

Want to alleviate further research by saying I am so done with this gadget thing. Now using EasyDisk Ticker. Easy installation and very flexible ...best part is that it's free! Yeah, except for the dying thing, I am a happy camper.