DISPLAY / PERSONALIZATION APPLET
Description: The Personalization Applet (Right-Click the desktop and select Personalize) has been redesigned in Vista and higher to use a series of well-organized, task-oriented pages instead of bare categories. The Personalization page allows you to customize the "look and feel" of your computer. This includes changing the computer's colors, sounds, desktop background, screen saver, font size, and themes. In Windows 2000, XP, and 2003, the Display Properties Applet (Right-Click the desktop and choose Properties) allow you to adjust Themes, Desktop Backgrounds and Icons, Screen Savers, the Appearance, and Display Settings (Screen resolution & Color quality).
Scoping the Issue: Having a problem with one of the Personalization/Display options? If so, you could be running into a driver or hardware issue. The first things to check to confirm this are as follows:
- Check Device Manager for problems with a specific device
- Make sure your Video/Sound driver is up-to-date, and is supported within your OS version
- Are your Speakers turned on?
For Aero to function correctly (Vista and higher), your machine must meet the these requirements:
- The video card must support a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver
- The video card must have a DirectX 9-class graphics processor unit (GPU) that supports Pixel Shader 2.0
- The video card must support 32-bits per pixel
Data Gathering: In all instances, collecting either MPS Reports with the General, Internet and Networking, Business Networks and Server Components diagnostics, or a Performance-oriented MSDT manifest must be done.
- Process Monitor log while reproducing any symptom you are experiencing with the Personalization Applet
- Any policies or registry keys you may have in place that modify the shell.
Additional Resources:
- AskPerf Blog: Two Minute Drill: New Commands for Old Tasks in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
- Windows Help and How-to: Personalizing your computer
- Windows Help and How-to: Troubleshoot problems with Windows Aero
- Windows Help and How-to: Tips for fixing common sound problems in Vista
- Adjust Display and Appearance (XP)
- How to change the theme (XP)
- How to change your monitor resolution (XP)
- Microsoft KB Article 307873: How to Configure and Use Multiple Monitors in Windows XP
- Microsoft KB Article 328312: How to Set Up and Troubleshoot Multiple Monitors in a Windows Server 2003 Environment
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