Skip to content

Firefox or Internet Explorer doesn’t display all pictures or backgrounds

For some reason, I have seen this issue about six times in the past few weeks with Windows XP computers. The browser (both Firefox and/or Internet Explorer) symptoms include:

  • Web sites don’t display all images
  • Text seems distorted
  • Backgrounds don’t display

The solution to your browser not displaying the images or backgrounds properly is removing the high contrast setting in the Control Panel. Here’s how:

  1. Click Start
  2. Click Settings –> Control Panel
  3. Double-click the Accessibility options
  4. Click the Display tab
  5. Un-check the “use high contrast” box
  6. Click Apply
  7. Click OK

If your web site viewing is looking a little goofy, and pictures, menus and text aren’t displaying properly, give these steps a try!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Tags:

39 thoughts on “Firefox or Internet Explorer doesn’t display all pictures or backgrounds”

    1. Daniel

      Thank you so much. I was trying to fix my fathers computer at work and was unable to see half the websites. Now I feel normal again haha thank you!

    4. Ben

      That did the trick. It was strange how in using websites or email such as GMAIL or EBAY or even just home pages like YAHOO! or GOOGLE, I would not see lots of backgrounds/or ad banners which would just be blank squares or empty space on the pages, or with email – chat icons and status displays would not show up, and on Ebay, lots of formatted background images and even entire buttons (probably formatted image stuff) would not show up, but after unchecking the high contrast option in that accessibility menu, now these pages show those backgrounds, chat statuses pictures/colors, and buttons and some ad banners now show up –> and in both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

      However, the title bars at the top of every page became huge – so I had to change the appearances and themes windows XP font to become normal size (because it became set to extra large for some reason).

      THANKS!

  3. Joe

    Thanks for the tips. I tried it but the box was already unchecked and firefox still doesn’t work properly. Guess just gotta keep on looking

  5. David

    Solved the problem for me after about a year of frustation. I and most people who’ve posted questions and advice about this have pretty much assumed it was related to some security setting or software. Please inform Microsoft about this; they don’t seem to have a clue. I’ve never found search terms that turned up this information at MS.

  7. carmelina

    Thanks so much for that, this has been doing my head in for weeks!!! I have installed drivers here and there! One little tick was causing me this pain in the rear!!
    Thanks again.

  9. Anonymous

    Absolutely amazing! thank you so much for this – i’ve spent the last few hours trying to figure this problem out, and the whole time I thought it was internet-related since other browsers weren’t having the same problem. As an above poster said – you are a savior!!

  10. FlyingHippo

    THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!

    I’ve scanned for viruses/malware with 7 different scanners. Tried almost every setting in IE and FF. I’ve been working on it for 12 straight hours.

    Must frustrating 50 bucks I’ve ever earned!

  11. Bob

    I had this [web-page] display problem plaguing me for quite some time. I tried updating IE from 7 to 8 & installed Firefox, updated Java, drivers for ATI display to no avail. I’m not sure at this point how the ‘High Contrast’ setting got turned on, but turning it off fixed my problem! I guess the tipoff should have been the fact that BOTH browsers were improperly displaying *.css formatted objects ==> display setting(s)!
    Thanks! So simple- ‘whoda thunk it?’

  12. TimG

    Genius!!! THANX, I’ve been trying to figure this out for a client for weeks! I knew it was some sort of system thing, because it affected Firefox and IE8… but just couldn’t find where.
    Thanks again
    Tim

  13. Bill

    why would anybody had ‘high contrast settings’ turned on in the first place? i mean everybody would notice goofy looking screen with that setting. I found it doesn’t do any change to displaying images or not.

    1. Rick

      I think it usually happens as a result of an update or an errant click. Sometimes, however, low vision people find it helps.

  15. Dorothy Card

    AMAZING!!!! Bought a new laptop. For over 2 years I’ve tried to fix my display. Nothing worked, even my smart grandchildren couldn’t fix it. I figured I was just an old Grandma and couldn’t figure it out. I put up with it and got used to it. Then tonight I tried again and found your fix. It worked! I can’t believe it! Thank you!

    1. Rick

      Great story and comment! Glad you found HelpMeRick.com….please bookmark it and learn even more! Then tell your grandkids and your friends about our site as well. Thanks for leaving your comment.

  18. IB

    Yes!!! It worked! I’m a 45 yr old mom who stubbornly kept searching for an answer week after week even though my 19 techie son gave up. woohoo. Thank you.

  27. Nestor

    Thanks a lot i had an issue with a customer for over an hour and try everything to fix the problem, with this i turn the high contrast on and off and the problem was fixed. customer had this problem for a very long time and with other procedures she was unable to fix. thanks a lot!

  29. Melanie

    Dude!!! Thank you!!! I had been havin’ this problem for like EVER!!!! I hated it and firefox worked for like less then a week again after i fixed my computer but then it went back to it bein’ all weird…. I did what you said and change the appearance like that start bar and everythin’ back to it’s original blue and now it’s all workin’ again~ Thank you SOOOOO much~! I really appreciate it <3

  30. carol

    Un freaking believable!! THANK YOU. I have spent the last day trying to update an older computer and could not figure this out. I have reloaded, updated, cried 🙂
    thanks for this simple solution.

Comments are closed.