Are My Fonts Supposed To Look Like This?

[Buzzingrobot]

This is a clip from msn.com in IE9 on a new 64-bit install. ClearType is on.

I'm looking at a 1680x1050 display. I feel like I can see individual pixels. Large black headline fonts in browsers are especially bad, with artifacts coming off the edges of characters that should be straight, off the ends of characters like the letter "S", and inside the bowls of letters like "a" and "e".

Looking at the clip here, I see a smear of color between the "L"'s in "killer". The first "t" in "attention" has a smear of color behind it. I see many artifacts in the top line beginning with "Unexpected...."

Why do the fonts look so bad? How can I fix this?

 

[dsperber]

Hate to say it, but your attached screenshot looks perfect on my own screen... created and posted by you however you did it.

In other words, it almost sounds like a hardware or video driver issue on your end.

Internally, apparently the "bitmap" on the windows desktop itself which was captured by the screenshot and then posted here looks perfect to me. No "smearing" where you describe it.

So it must be when going out from the Windows desktop to the screen that whatever visual artifact you're seeing is occurring.

Video graphics card problem? Current driver for your video card installed or not? Monitor?

If you move that image to another part of the screen, does it look the same (i.e. the "smearing" follows the image) or is it "left behind" to negatively impact something else which shows up at that position on the screen?

Is it text only that seems "harmed"? Or graphics images and pictures as well?

Could you please elaborate on your hardware setup? Your "System Specs" are empty.

 

[dsperber]

I'm looking at a 1680x1050 display. I feel like I can see individual pixels. Large black headline fonts in browsers are especially bad, with artifacts coming off the edges of characters that should be straight, off the ends of characters like the letter "S", and inside the bowls of letters like "a" and "e".

Looking at the clip here, I see a smear of color between the "L"'s in "killer". The first "t" in "attention" has a smear of color behind it. I see many artifacts in the top line beginning with "Unexpected...."

What is the back-story on this, if I may ask?

Have you used this same monitor with your previous machine? Is this 1680x1050 the same resolution you've always used, or is it new?

Is there any other new video-related hardware (e.g. video card, different cable, different monitor) in your machine that you've just installed Win7 onto? Is this a new machine? Have you ever used it before?

Are you just installing Win7 onto an old machine that used to run WinXP or Vista? Or is this a brand new machine you just built yourself and are now installing Win7 for the first time on it?

Again, that screenshot you posted which you claim shows the visual artifact you're complaining about... well it looks absolutely perfect and blemish-free to me. Since the screenshot comes from the bitmap and Windows desktop rather than from the screen itself, this strongly suggests a hardware error such as a failing monitor or video card. Or perhaps something bad in the video drivers you're using with that video card and monitor and resolution you've set.

But it sure sounds to me like a hardware-related issue somewhere between the video card and monitor, and nothing to do with Win7 itself that you've just installed.

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Looks good from over here....
Is your system old or new?
Desktop or laptop...Desktop....Take case off and make sure all hardware has solid connection and clean or spray the cobwebs off.
Laptop....Under warranty/ call manufacture
Make sure all drives up to date..
THW

 

[lehnerus2000]

Does it happen with all programs or does it only happen in certain programs (e.g. Chrome, Firefox or IE)?

Is the resolution the correct one for your monitor?

Is the Display set to more than 100% (Control Panel > Display)?

Have you tried "Adjust ClearType text" (Control Panel > Display > Adjust ClearType text)?