Vista Mystic Dots... What are they?

Hi all. Can someone explain the nature of these two vertical lines on Vista desktop? I have these lines on every Vista installed on my machines... They are in the left top corner on the desktop. Arrow points to them on a picture.

 

not sure, have you changed the background image to something else?

 

It does not matter what the background is... I think I did not have this on my Home Premium version. That was long time ago though.

 

since you got Windows Ultimate, try switching to "DreamScene" background, and see if the two dots still present when video (moving background) is running.

try playing a game (full screen), running a movie (full screen)...

try turning off/on/refresh desktop icons:
(Right Click Desktop - View - Show Desktop Icons)
then hit F5 and fresh the desktop

or it could just be a simple video card driver error, leaving artifacts on screen.
try updating your graphics card driver.

Modded INF Driver for Vista 32-bit:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=16152

if you don't know how to install modded video driver, follow the instructions here:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9243

 

Tried everything..it does not help... I have VAIO TZ and same two dots there...

 

I wonder if the dots is telling you that there are files in the bin?

 

dead/stuck pixels perhaps..

 

They wouldn't show up in a screenshot if they were dead pixels.

 

good thinking.. totally forgot it was a screenshot

 

Loved this one... Thanks for trying to help anyway.

 

Try changing your resolution to the lowest and then back to the highest. Also click on your wallpaper Hold CTRL then use the mouse scroller to resize the icons. See if its the icon or the background itself

Resizing might do something.. give above a try anyway

 

Hi again. It's not the icon as you are moving it and those lines are still there. I am telling you it does not connected to the resolution as my Vaio TZ has 1366x768 and there are same lines on the same place. Vista has it on Business or Ultimate versions only.

 

check the screen refresh rate, experiment with them, try different values and see.

 

Nothing to do with refresh rates here...

 

Did you use the same Vista install DVD for all of the machines that you're getting this problem? Do you have access to another DVD you can try installing with? Also, did you try another background?

 

Different DVD's... One is 64-bit.

 

Are you sure that it isn't a result of additional software that was installed after Vista was installed?

 

Sounds like a mystery to me. One thing we know for sure is that ts not dead pixels. They would not have shown up in a screen shot, and you have the problem on another PC.

You say that you have tried multple desktop backgrounds on both Machines...right? If the dots are still there, then we can rule those out as possibilities. One other question: Are the dots still there when you are watching a video in full sceen?

You say that you have moved the recycle bin icons around and the dots remain in the same place? (Try moving the recycle bin icon to the opposite end of the screen, change the desktop background and then reboot. Try this on both machines and see if the lines are in the same place.

Another question: What type of video card is present in the Sony machine? It could be a video card problem---especially if its the same type of card.

Finally, check the following: Reboot the machine. Watch the screen carefully. Are the dots still present before or during the Windows boot-up? This should help answer the question of whether or not its a Windows problem.

 

This could be a real Possibility. Suland could have installed the same software on both machines. I'd start running a virus scan, perhaps with different software than what Suland is currently using. Also, Try making a recovery disk and doing a system restore to apoint before you installed certain software. If that's not the case, you can use your disk to bring you PC back to where you left off. Hope that helps.

 

Hi all. Checked everything... I do system reinstallations on laptops very often as I have some around all the time and a lot of friends and all they have same thing. Vaio TZ's video card is Intel GMA 950. My HP 8710w has FX1600. I have had DV9500 and it was the same there with 8600GS. Nothing to do with graphics I suppose. These dots (lines) are on while the desktop background is on. Nothing while Internet Explorer or any other soft is opened in full scren or window. I don't think I use any special software... Well, what that could be... I think it appears just after the new system installed...

 

Thank you all, guys! I think, I 've got it! It's ICQ-software. I have turned it off and found the dot's disappear. And then on and then off again and that was it! Thank you all, again!

 

If you don't want the dots while using ICQ, you could try Pidgin or Trillian, which are alternate IM clients that support ICQ.

 

Thanks a lot! I have used those but some features are missing and for now it's not that important for me, as dots are not bothering me - I was just very curious about their birth

 

The case of mysterious dots is finally solved. No need to call ghostbusters guys

 

GOOOOD. Now we can all go to sleep. I suspected it was a software issue, but you said that you had tried system restore. Glad to see you've figured it out, and its documented here so anyone else thathas this problem will find it here