Crazy Boot Up Characters in Windows Xp

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Guest

I turned my compter on this morning and the system font (XP)seems to have
gone crazy. Even the welcome screen is garbled with weird characters, it
boots right up to the desktop but nothing is readable, so I cant make any
changes in Windows. The same thing happens in Safe Mode, must be a corrupt
system font.
Anybody know how to fix this problem.
Theo
 
I tried that, didnt work. Problem is I've got SP2 installed, can I do a
repair with that installed without stuffing everything up.
Theo
 
Wondering why System Restore did not work?
Did you actually try it, or was it not possible because you could not read
the prompts? We can walk you through it.
At this point, System Restore sure beats a Repair Install of Windows.
 
I was able to to access Sytem Restore in Safe Mode and used it to go back to
the last best config.Even in safe mode most of the characters are garbled but
not as bad.I'm pretty sure the drive is not corrupt(NTFS)as in safe mode I
can read some of the directories. I think its a corrupt font.
Its funny (Sad really)I've been using ME for over 6 years with very little
problem and only went over to XP Home a week ago and now this. I thought XP
was supposed to be alot more stable than ME(Im using ME now on my old drive).
I dont particularly want to start all over again so any help would be
appreciated.
Theo
 
Theo, System Restore is not the same as Last Knon Good Configuration.
Let's do a System Restore.
Close down your other applications!
Go to Help and Support.
Type in System Restore Wizard.
Choose the first option.
Click the bottom button on the left.
Today's date is highlighted on the Calendar. Select a date in bold before
your problem started.
Click the middle button.
Click the middle button on this page too.
This will restart your computer.
Let us know how this went!
 
Unfortunately you seem to be under the impression that I can do all these
things from the desktop, I cant. I have to do things through safe mode and
even that is tough as the fonts are pretty badly garbled there as well. I am
going to have another go through safe mode and see what I can do, I'll see if
I can go as far as you instructed.
The other problem is because the drive is NTSF I cant access it through
windows ME on this drive.
Theo
 
Well I'm back, cant get in to restore, too garbled. I've gone through my
fonts on ME, too try to explain what the characters look like.The characters
are actually the Marlett Font, which are symbols and unreadable. How this
happened I dont know, is there a virus out there that changes your fonts?.
Still not sure what to do, though getting closer.
Theo
 
Still unsure why you cannot boot into normal mode.
In Nomal Mode, Help and Support is the question-mark icon on the Start Menu.
Your first post said you made it to the desktop?
I can instruct you regarding the use of SR In Safe Mode, but I have to
reboot, will take a few minutes.
 
I can boot into normal mode and I can get to the desktop, but I cant read
anything, so impossible to get around. I have found the following on the net,
a bloke with exactly the same problem. IE.The Marlett font has taken over his
system.

Question submitted by duff:

The font...Marlett has taken over my machine and I cant figure out how to
get the default font back. It all started with my zeal to keep current with
the Microsoft upgrades by downloading that irritating ServicePack2 and taking
my chances by NOT backing up my hard drive! (Bad Move and lesson learned).
Anyway...my machine really started to go nuts and I tried System Restore to
get sp2 off the machine but it(sp2) didnt want to leave without causing a
little damage. Well, after a period of temporary panic, I tried one of those
FREE registry tweakers (I forgot which one) and that was about the time...the
pesky Marlett font took complete control of my OS and I cant read ANYTHING!
The funny thing is...my ISP is ok except for mouseovers, drop down menus and
some toolbars. Is there a fix for this mess somewhere? I would sure like to
know how to get my OS back to normal. If anyone can help me...Thank you. If
not, well thanx for reading. :)

Answer from Mike Baynes:

Hi duff. Windows XP SP2 should have created a before-SP2 restore point. It
is a hidden folder on your C drive called $NtServicePackUninstall$ Did you
create a restore point prior to installing the reg hack? You should be able
to restore to that point. XP creates a restore point daily if it is enabled.
Otherwise you can go into Display in Control Panel Click on Appearance tab>
Advanced> Go through the drop down menu and change and Apply the different
fonts in
each of the available windows.
 
Am I correct in assuming that your icons have not been corrupted and that
you can read them? There is nothing you need to read, other than icons.
If you can read the icon for the Start button and the icon for Help and
Support on the Start menu (the question mark), then you can, I think, follow
the instructions I have given you.
I went into Safe Mode, and, either way, the instructions I have given to you
apply.
What specific difficulties are you encountering that prevent you from
completing the System Restore process?
 
I dont know how how many times I have to say this, but I'll do it again,I
cant read anything, the Marlett font has taken over my machine, if this wasnt
the case I wouldnt be here asking for help, I have been using computers,
since the C64.
Any way I have solved the problem and Windows XP has been fixed, partly on
your insistance on doing a restore.
I'll go throught the procedure in case anyone else has this problem in the
future.

I went through the restore procedure in ME without actually doing it, but
made drawings of the screen and where the buttons were(next etc)also drew the
screen with restore dates.I then put my xp harddrive back in and booted into
safe mode, I took the option of doing a restore.
Because I had the screen drawings I was able to click to the relevant parts
of the screen to proceed. I then picked a garbled date and the restore
started working. On rebooting I found I had gone to the date even before SP2,
but I could read everything. So then I did another restore to my last point
and got all my programmes back.
My last restore point was Adobe reader 7 which was the night before all this
happened, so that must have upset my fonts.
Anyway I'm happy, I've got everything back and I take back what I said about
XP, and thanks for your help T Waters, sorry to be a bit edgy but this was
driving me nuts.
Theo
 
Glad you got it sorted.
Sorry I made a distinction between "reading" actual print, and seeing an
icon.
Did not realize the depth of your problem.
Cannot picture a font corrupting an icon, and hope it never happens to me
 
Back on my XP harddrive now, everything fine. It is hard to believe the
extent of the problem. If you can imagine booting up and everything is in
Arabic but worse,even the buttons were missing, you will realize how
difficult it was to do anything. I'm just glad I didnt have to reinstall,
might have been a problem with SP2.
Theo
 
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