All the text on my Windows menus and icons have turned to symbols - text is gone! How should I get them back???

Greetings, scfowler!

1. Delete the Iconcache.db file from your profile directory, located in c:\documents and settings\{userID}\local Settings\Application data
Reboot the computer and icons will be recreated.

2. Here is a registry fix to repair the icon view, but TweakUI is easier, without you having to edit registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop\WindowMetrics]
"Shell Icon BPP"="16"
"Shell Icon Size"="32"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000

3. Download TweakUI to repair the icons
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/default.mspx

Cheers!

Thanks! I'll give it a try...

"Fixes" didn't work...

1. Iconcache.db does not exist in my c:\documents and settings\{userID}\local Settings\Application data folder. I'm using Wiindows XP Home edition...Don't know if that matters.
2. Can't make any changes to the registry because I can't see any text in the Registry - all the menu selections in my applications are messed up as well...
3. I downloaded TweakUI, but because I had an older version on this machine already, it  won't install until I uninstall the old version. I can't uninstall the old version because all the text has turned into symbols - not just with my icons - but all programs as well!!!

I am able to view the entire C drive from another computer on the network, however - not sure if this would help with the problem or not...


Hoping for some more ideas...

do you remember when this fist happened? did you download/install anything?  

it almost sounds like someone has gotten your fonts changed to "wingdings" font type.  which is not  selectable type in the options but, there is a way of forcing it to use what ever font you want.

is there a way you can capture some of what is being displayed to see what exact characters it is using?

The person who owns the computer was installing a CD-R drive. It seemed to go ok. Then he installed Nero which came with the drive. That's when he noticed the problems...

I don't think it's wing dings... the symbols are just a few repeated over and over... small squares, small circles, verticle lines, etc.

I could do a screen capture, but not sure if I can submit it to this site or not...

I have not attempted a repair install yet...

Well, obviously, the easy answer would be to restore the OS, that will solve any software problems, but the problem may just return.

it is possible that this got changed when in stalling nero, since nero comes in several languages:  
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/localetable.mspx#InstallLanguage
or
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/intl/nls_2ip1.asp?frame=true

What finally worked was the repair install suggested by War1. It took awhile, but nothing was lost and everything appears to be back to normal. Many thanks to both of you...