Strange (font???) problem with winxp

[psycho]

All of a sudden - yesterday, I think - my menu's and some window titles and other various text in windows went goofy. It almost seems like a font is missing/corrupt. I don't have hours to spend trying to trakc it down so I figured I would check here and see if anyone has run into this before. I did a google search but I didn't find anything that worked. Most of it was about changing the system font to make your windows more personal...

Thanks,
Kevin

[SETEC_Astronomy]

Would you be able to post a screenshot of what you're experiencing?

[psycho]

This, if it works, is a crop of the "Run..." dialog after I click Start>Run

[SETEC_Astronomy]

Did you install, tweak, uninstall or update anything recently? Do you run antivirus software? Have you performed a scan lately? Malware scanner? Have any kids had access to the computer immediately prior to this occurring?

[CeaSaR]

That's weird, looks almost like trying to view a Word .DOC with Notepad - doesn't recognize any formatting.
As Setec queried, any recent changes, access or other problems?

CeaSaR

[psycho]

I have a virus scanner but I must admit I haven't updated it for more than a month - since the last time I ran it. I meant to do that last night but I forgot.

And no, I don't let anyone use this computer. I can't remember changing anything, either.

Actually, I did install something. It is software for a logic analyser (LA5034).

The install log show that it overwrote some files that I wouldn't think it should need to:

Code: Select all

***  Installation Started 02/08/2010 12:56  ***
Title: LA5034(4.0.1.3) Installation
Source: D:\DOCUME~1\Psycho\LOCALS~1\Temp\_tc\5034 4.0.1.3\LA5034.EXE | 12-02-2009 | 06:28:30 | 7624693
Made Dir: D:\Program Files\LA5034
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\LA5034 User Guide.chm | 02-06-2009 | 09:01:20 | | 551284 | 7441efcc
Made Dir: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\FTDIUNIN.exe | 10-26-2009 | 16:43:20 | 2.3.2.1 | 438784 | 6c825555
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\Ftd2xxun.ini | 12-01-2005 | 14:43:08 | | 89 | 9e89781
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\FTD2XX.sys | 12-15-2005 | 15:27:52 | 3.1.4.1 | 34639 | 220542a5
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\ftd2xx.inf | 11-16-2007 | 10:14:58 | | 3114 | d960d8da
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\FTD2XX.dll | 12-02-2005 | 08:39:22 | 3.1.6.1 | 81920 | 46f146c
File Copy: D:\WINDOWS\system32\FTD2XX.dll | 12-02-2005 | 08:39:22 | 3.1.6.1 | 81920 | 46f146c
File Copy: D:\WINDOWS\system32\TurnButton.ocx | 07-15-2009 | 14:15:48 | 1.0.0.1 | 57344 | 1493e1db
File Copy: D:\WINDOWS\system32\LADll.dll | 08-06-2008 | 14:56:46 | | 49152 | b17ac14e
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\advapi32.dll | | | | 674816 | 921c0d03
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\mfc42u.dll | 04-14-2008 | 12:00:00 | 6.2.8071.0 | 981760 | 8fd44e2f
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcp60.dll | | | | 413696 | 6f95f4c5
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll | | | | 343040 | 7412bd5b
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\rpcrt4.dll | | | | 585216 | c0062bd2
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\secur32.dll | | | | 56832 | 79f60a6d
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\setupapi.dll | | | | 1389568 | b004db0a
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\winmm.dll | | | | 163840 | 33a625ef
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\shlwapi.dll | | | | 473088 | f6712be4
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll | 09-30-2008 | 14:20:10 | 6.0.2900.5686 | 8319488 | 1add094a
File Overwrite: D:\WINDOWS\system32\comctl32.dll | | | | 617472 | 85d7006e
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\LA5034.exe | 12-02-2009 | 14:28:18 | 4.0.1.3 | 3076096 | 2e95082
File Copy: D:\Program Files\LA5034\Uninstall.EXE | 10-26-2009 | 16:43:18 | | 177152 | e125dc08
Shell Link: D:\Documents and Settings\Psycho\Start Menu\Programs\LA5034\Uninstall.lnk
Link Info: D:\Program Files\LA5034\Uninstall.EXE |  |  | 0 | 1 | 0 | 
Shell Link: D:\Documents and Settings\Psycho\Start Menu\Programs\LA5034\LA5034.lnk
Link Info: D:\Program Files\LA5034\LA5034.exe |  |  | 0 | 1 | 0 | 
Shell Link: D:\Documents and Settings\Psycho\Desktop\LA5034.lnk
Link Info: D:\Program Files\LA5034\LA5034.exe |  |  | 0 | 1 | 0 | 
Could not Self-Register: D:\Program Files\LA5034\driver\FTD2XX.sys
Self-Register: D:\WINDOWS\system32\TurnButton.ocx
Self-Register: D:\WINDOWS\system32\mfc42u.dll
Self-Register: D:\WINDOWS\system32\rpcrt4.dll
Self-Register: D:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll
User Rights: Admin

???
Kevin

[haklesup]

Best bet is a system restore if you can find it in all the scrambled text. Try Safe Mode, does it look the same?

[Janitor Tzap]

Kevin,

It looks like you got hit with some malware like SETEC said.

See if you can use the Windows "System Restore", and go back to a date before this started.
If that works.
Then update your scanner software.
The boot the system up in "Safe Mode", and run your scanner software.
{And hope it catches the little bugger!}
Then run the "Disk Cleanup".
Make sure in the "Files To Be Deleted" window, that "Temporary Internet Files",
"WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files" are checked.
Then run it.{You can probably include several others.}

Note: Stuff like "Auto Login" or some special flags that some sites use, that are put on your computer.
So you can access some of that sites functions.
Will get wiped from your drive.
Thus, before you do it.
Write down the settings for those sites.
So, you can restore them without to much trouble.

Why wipe out those settings in the first place you may ask?
Well,
Malware and Virus's normally go, and attach themselves too the temporary cache first.
Before they then burrow in to a system file.

Thus, your killing it at the cache file, before it gets the chance to find a more permanent spot on your hard drive.

Good luck!


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[gerty]

I get similliar looking garbage when I use Vertex software for programming radios.
That's the only time it appears, and it only does it on one computer, my laptop is fine.
Both are XP.

[haklesup]

Check your language settings. Changing the language without the corrisponding language pack might result in binary characters showing up in the system font.

See Control Panel Regional and Language settings.

I can see malware or even a lame setup program mucking that up.

[psycho]

I thought about - and checked - the Language settings... They all look normal. I must admit, however, that I have never messed with any of that so I might be missing something.

I can say that the last software I installed was made in asia somewhere... Search LA5034 on ebay. I am thinking of getting one of these and wanted to look at the software.

Is there something else I can check as far as language/system font settings?

Kevin

[haklesup]

Try the Properties of the desktop (right click desktop). Especially the Appearance tab where there are font and other controls to alter the look of the title bars on windows. Also the settings tab has an advanced button which depending on your video driver may have some font size and other similar controls. Also check the Theme

[psycho]

Well, I did a COMPLETE virus scan with the latest AVG free and that didn't do any good (for the problem at hand)... I will try some more of your suggestions when I get a chance.

Thanks,
Kevin

[MrAl]

Hi there,


That can happen if a file that generates the message is corrupt too, but i dont know if that is the case here
or not. If the string space gets corrupted when it goes to get the correct string it gets a string all right, but
the string is a bunch of garbage characters so comctl32 tries to display it anyway.

[reloadron]

Hi Kevin

Something you can check is your default font settings in the registry. I didn't see the operating system mentioned but should be about the same for XP and Vista systems.

XP you would Click Start and choose Run and type REGEDIT into the Run dialog box. Now you want to navigate the registry in the left pane expanding as you go:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

In the right pane you should see a collection of fonts but what you are interested in is MS Shell Dlg and MS Shell Dlg2 they should reflect Microsoft Sans Serif and Tahoma respectively.

Would be the same in Vista bot to get to REGEDIT you would use Start / Programs / Accessories and choose Run to get the Run dialog box.

Ron