How to Fix Start Menu Text or Icon Cut-off Problem in Windows XP 3rd Party Themes?

After getting numerous mails and comments regarding this particular problem, today I decided to post this topic.

Many Windows XP users who use 3rd party themes like “VistaVG“, “SevenVG“, face a strange problem. The icon or text of right-side pane entries in start menu is not displayed properly. Sometimes you see half icons and sometimes you see a few starting characters missing as shown in following screenshots:

Case 1:

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XPThemeStartmenuProblem1.jpg

Case 2:

XPThemeStartmenuProblem2.jpg

SOLUTION:

Actually its not a problem. You face this problem because you are using wrong color scheme of the theme.

Most of the XP themes like my “VistaVG” theme contain more than one style, one for default icon size and other for large icon size.

There is an option in Desktop settings “Use large icons” which increase the icon size and you face this problem.

So there are 2 solutions of this problem:

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Solution 1:

Open Desktop Properties, go to “Appearance” tab and select the correct “Color Scheme” from the drop-down menu:

SelectingCorrectThemeStyle.jpg

If you are using “Use large icons” option, then you need to apply the color scheme having “48” in its name cause it has been made for large icon size option.

So if you are using wrong color scheme, change it and your problem will be solved.

Solution 2:

You can also disable “Use large icons” option to fix this problem. Open Desktop Properties, go to “Appearance” tab and click on “Effects” button.

DisableLargeIconsOption.jpg

Now uncheck “Use large icons” option and Click on “OK” button and then apply it.

Published in: Troubleshooting Guides, Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. I am trying to change the default Flower profile picture but no matter what I do using User Accounts applet in Control Panel — it’s always the “red flower”.. (I’m using SevenVg Black RTM Theme). Can someone please help me how to change it? Thanks in advance.

  2. Thank you for simple and clear instructions on fixing VG problem with font size.

  3. I also noticed if you double click the styler tray icon in the taskbar and go to the ‘desktop’ tab you can go to the ‘icon size’ slider tab and slide it to 35.

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