[Issue] Toolbar icons black out

[all4pink]

Just wondering if anyone knows why the toolbar icons would black out. (meaning they get black boxes over the top of them) Sometimes I can just click 'save' and they all go back to normal. I can also scroll my mouse across them and most of them go back to normal. But solving this issue would be quite joyful!

[Zizi64]

I never seen this issue.

Maybe your PC is too slow, (or it is slow down by another running applications)
Or maybe it is a videocard driver issue...

Can you upload a screenshot about it?

This problem has occurred recently, or is this a permanent problem since you have installed the AOO3.4.1 on Win7?

[all4pink]

I have tried to snip a screenshot, and "prt sc sysrq" it...but it won't copy here for me. And I don't know how to bring it in from my files. But I do have a screenshot of it if you can tell me how to get it posted.

I have had this problem off and on for a while. It quit for a while after the upgrade, but now it has started doing it again.

Oh yeah, and my PC has been running real slow the past few weeks and I cannot figure out why.

[Hagar Delest]

Save the screenshot as .png, crop it if needed and upload it (see How to attach a document here).

If your machine is running slowly, you should check your system with some free utility. And make a anti-virus scan of course.

[all4pink]

attaching the screen shot. Most times all of the icons are blacked...this screenshot shows only about half of them blacked.

I will troubleshoot my system with a utility check.

[all4pink]

here is a better one with most of them blacked out.

[Hagar Delest]

Tools>Options>OO>View, make sure that Icon size and style field is not set to High contrast.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the edit button if your issue has been fixed.

[all4pink]

It is set on Automatic (Galaxy) default.

[Hagar Delest]

If you change the theme of your Windows account, does it help?

[Bill]

Themes can be disabled for AOO. Right-click the AOO shortcut on the Start Menu and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab and check the "Disable visual themes" setting.

[all4pink]

I did as Bill suggested. The box was unclicked, so I hope that will solve it.

I do not know how to change the windows theme, if that is necessary.

I also ran some utilities to clean up and speed up the computer, so hoping that will help, too.

I will post solved if that problem does not reoccur.
Thank you for all the suggestions!

[Bill]

You may be able to find the Theme settings by right-clicking the Desktop and selecting Personalize. I don't have Windows 7.

[all4pink]

Oh, that theme. Yes I know how to do that but don't understand what that would have to do with open office. So far today the icons have not blacked out but I also cannot now open the files from the "open" file tab when you first open OO. Neither would it let me 'save as' so I could do a back up of the document I had open. I closed OO out and restarted the computer but same problem....
And when you are in the document, it won't open my files from the icon that looks like a file folder....I have to go 'through the backdoor' to my files and open it from there. All I did was what Bill suggested:
[[Themes can be disabled for AOO. Right-click the AOO shortcut on the Start Menu and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab and check the "Disable visual themes" setting.]] That is the only thing I have changed and I don't see how that could keep my files from opening.

I have Microsoft Word 2010, but I just prefer using OO the most, and in spite of challenges I really don't want to change!!!!

[Hagar Delest]

Oh, that theme. Yes I know how to do that but don't understand what that would have to do with open office.

I guess that AOO adapt its rendering depending on the theme used (dark/bright/high contrast, ...).

As for the other issues, try to reset your OpenOffice user profile.

[all4pink]

I have reset my user profile several times in the recent past for issues, therefore I already have user.old in the file location. (also user)

I changed user.old to user.old2 and I am still having the same problem...can't access the files from the open file icon.

[Bill]

Please elaborate on "can't access the files". Is there an error message? Does the Open dialog fail to appear? Can you select files?

[all4pink]

The open dialog fails to appear. It does nothing when I click on the button/icon. Same thing with the 'save as' button. Usually, when I click on them, it opens up my file browser.

[Hagar Delest]

Perhaps you should try to remove AOO, clean the registry and reinstall.

[Bill]

The open dialog fails to appear. It does nothing when I click on the button/icon. Same thing with the 'save as' button. Usually, when I click on them, it opens up my file browser.

Sometimes the dialog opens off-screen and has to be moved back to the screen. To move a dialog back to the screen, press ALT+Space. If the dialog is off-screen, a menu will appear at the edge of the screen. Select Move on the menu, then use the arrow keys to move the window.

[KFerland]

Hello - I have the same issue with blacked out toolbar icons. I previously was running Open Office 3.0 but my spreadsheet software was rendered useless for me because of this.

Today I upgraded to Open Office 4.0 and the problem was initially fixed but after toggling between sheets, the problem came back. A "save as" has solved it for now, but I expect the issue to return and would welcome any suggestions.

Thanks,

Katie

[all4pink]

I did everything suggested by the last 2 posts, including uninstalling, re-downloading, cleaning the registery, and reinstalling AOO.
I still cannot open the file dialog box (if that's what you call it) or do save as.
(sigh)

[all4pink]

So I decided to try uninstalling and running the registry cleaner again. It found these files and it won't fix them because it says they can't be found, and suggests I delete the registry value...guess they expect if you are using a registry cleaner that you should know how to delete the registry value.
This is all seeming like too much trouble and is taking too much time. I'm pretty close to giving up and giving in to using Microsoft works.

[all4pink]

Yeah Katie! Thanks for posting! At least I know I am not going crazy here.

[all4pink]

Whooohooo! It's working now! Cross my fingers it stays. I followed the file trail from those screenshots I sent and found an OpenOffice 3 that was still in there and hand deleted that...ran the CCleaner again, the reinstalled and so far it is working!
Hope this works for you, too, Katie. Good luck!

PS I will post solved after a couple days to make sure it's working good first.

[all4pink]

After about a week of using AOO I am still having the icons black out occasionally...But I am really glad my files are working good, so I will just deal with it as is for now.

[jolly]

Having same problem in spreadsheet
Also affects comments when I click in those
Checked view and contrast - set to Galaxy
any suggestions?

[whbecker3500]

I have had this problem intermittently and could never pin it down. I had to do a reboot to restore proper operation. However I have just realized that I can reproduce this behavior. I am running Kaspersky Internet Security. All is well until I open Kaspersky's "Safe Money" browser window. Then any open documents (either OpenOffice or Libre Office) show the "black icon" problem and scrolling in the document doesn't work properly. Closing the Kaspersky browser window and re-opening the document fixes the problem. Maybe this will be a clue that can help a developer run down the cause.

[schattenmann]

Thank you, whbecker3500! Kaspersky's safe money browser is causing the problem on my system, too. Now that I know this, I can work around it.

[Hagar Delest]

Thanks!
I've reported it as a bug, perhaps the devs will be able to fix it: Issue 126767 - Toolbar icons black out

[oonumberoo]

I have the same black outs, but only when I am working on a website built using Drupal.
I always type text on the website, copy it, and past it into a blank OpenOffice document to then check the spelling. The icons will always be black when the blank page opens.
Don't ask why I prefer to type on the website rather than OpenOffice in the first place.
Thanks.