Lost application's Graphics Capabilities

[qwert]

This is the strangest problem I've had to deal with in years.

I use an AutoIt script to adjust the window attributes of an external application. The script makes dllCalls to User32.dll and has worked well for several months. Recently, however, I apparently made a call with a wrong set of parameters -- and somehow caused XP to change some low-level color table for the application.

The application now comes up with only about half of its normal colors. It's as though the color palette for the application has been abbreviated to either 8 or 16 colors -- but that's only my impression from viewing the screens.

Here's a major clue: if I rename the application's executable and start it under that new name, it works fine. If I then rename it to the original name, it fails again.

I've tried a full uninstall and reinstall of the application, but XP obviously remembers the old registry entries.

This is an area of Windows that I've never been into before and, in fact, didn't even know was there. I'm at a total loss on how to proceed or what to look for in the registry. I'm hoping someone has seen something like this before.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

(Title updated on 8-17-08 ... see 4th post for better description of problem.)

Edited August 17, 2008 by qwert

[AdmiralAlkex]

You haven't touched the compatibility settings?? Check so you don't have "Run in 256 colors" checked.

Edit: How to use the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP

Edited August 16, 2008 by AdmiralAlkex

[qwert]

You haven't touched the compatibility settings?? Check so you don't have "Run in 256 colors" checked.

Thanks for the good suggestion -- but unfortunately, it didn't lead to anything.

I read about the wizard -- and decided on the manual method via Properties. The compatibility settings were all unchecked. I have never (knowingly) made any changes to these settings of the application, but they were definitely worth checking.

I did notice this cautionary note: "By default, Windows XP uses visual themes that may change the appearance or behavior of other programs." -- so as something to try, I checked "Disable visual themes" and tried running the application. The colors were still missing.

Because the application's executable runs properly under an "assumed name", I used Regedit to closely inspect the differences in the two sets of registry entries. I found them virtually the same, except for the way Bar6 positions were defined. But it doesn't sound like those would affect anything.

So I guess that leaves me at Square One, looking for other things to check/try. Any further ideas?

[qwert]

Here is possibly a better clue:

The application has also lost all capability to display graphic images, like PNGs. In addition, all icons and all shadow effects are missing. It's like the program isn't being allowed to access entire runtime libraries.

Yet the application works in all other respects. I can enter text information and get printed reports. Colors and graphics are the problems.