Random dots obscuring text in certain applications?

[ithica]

So far as I can tell, this issue is not affecting anything beyond the cosmetic appearance of text strings in a limited number of applications. However, it does seem very odd to me and I'm a bit worried about a corruption/virus/malware infection which I can not detect using a number of programs. What worries me is the programs affected really. This is not a problem occurring in any browser or in the BIOS or during the boot screens. It doesn't seem to affect any normal windows software (by which I mean microsoft products included with Win7.) I notice it primarily in things like Malwarebyte's, Spybot S&D, Alcohol 120%, and a few others. I'm hoping it's a font issue or something but I can't seem to get any reasonable search results anywhere. The problem is the text displayed by the above programs is often covered in random dots; sometimes just one or two and sometimes enough to obscure whole words. They change if you highlight a word and they move as the text changes (as it does during a scan.)

Could it be related to a video card? I saw a mention about dots and a crappy set-up video card with no external power; just the PCI-e slot power. I have a Sapphire HD4670 1GB card that I am disappointed with anyway. I used to run an older nVidia 8600GT... other specs Gigabyte 785G series board with a Phenom II x 2 550 BE, 12GB DDR3 1333mhz RAM, Win 7 Pro x64 with SP1 (problem existed with 4GB RAM and pre-SP1)

Thanks for any help

 

[reprotected]

Desktop > Right-Click > Personalize > Display > Adjust ClearType Text, and proceed through those tests.

If that does not work, upgrade your video card drivers (you did upgrade them to a Windows 7 compatible one right?)

 

[ithica]

ClearType had no effect; it was already on so I tried to redo the selections and I also tried again with it off. I have tried 3 drivers for my video card with no effect on the issue. I am going to try to get a different monitor and see if that changes anything... I need a back-up anyway because I can not enter safe-mode with this one (It's a 42" LCD TV and errors <NOT SUPPORTED> after the safe-mode drivers load up.)