XP GIF display oddities

[DVGlasgow at aol.com]

Hello folks,

OK, I am unsure whether it is only me with any interest in this thread, but 
it may be that what I have established helps others, and someone who knows XP 
might help me to take the next step.

The story so far is that a customer with XP complained that a list of 
authorised users did not appear in his copy.  (which disabled the buttons navigating 
to screens) It seems that unlike all other versions of Windows, XP cannot 
access the encrypted list of users in a preopenstack handler.  I had to change it 
so that the application has actually launched and THEN looks up the names of 
users.

He then complained that images looked odd.  All Gifs.  Some were home spun, 
but standard icons and the pointy hand cursor also displayed wrongly.  As usual 
I got good advice from this list, but   nothing really hit the target.

I have just discovered that when faced with the original problem, this 
customer tried using the Windows XP Compatibility Wizard.  On the face of it, a 
reasonable thing to try.  However, it was only *after* using this that the display 
problems emerged.    I have a feeling this particular wizard is more of a 
Saruman than a Gandalf.

I am pretty sure I have fixed the original problem.  The question is what 
advice do I give the customer?  It seems that the dreaded wizard remembers the 
exe and creates what it feels is the 'correct' environment automatically 
whenever it is launched.  Is this right?  What exactly does it fiddle with?  How can 
it be persuaded  to not intervene any more?  (please, no quests to the Cracks 
of Doom).

Best wishes,

David Glasgow

Forensic Psychology Software and Services <A 
HREF="http://members.aol.com/dvglasgow/i-psych/i_Psych.htm">i-Psych</A>