Question: Paradox isn't displaying buttons in its dialog boxes. How do I fix this?

Answer: There appear to be two main causes for this, each depending on your environment:

• If you're running an older version of Paradox under a newer version of Windows, configure the application compatibility properties for your copy of Paradox.

• If you're running a newer version of Paradox under an older version of Windows, configure your video driver to support greater color depths.

The following sections discuss each case in more detail.

Setting Application Compatibility Properties

If you're running an older version of Paradox in a newer version of Windows, e.g. Paradox 7.32 in Windows XP, you need to set application compatibility properties for your copy of Paradox.

Older versions of Paradox were developed for the versions of Windows available at the time. Given the changes that Microsoft has introduced to the operating system over the years, it's occasionally necessary to exert a little control over how Windows executes older programs.

To do this:

1. If Paradox is currently running, close the program.

2. Right-click your Paradox Start menu icon and then choose Properties.

3. When the property sheet appears, choose the Compatibility tab.

4. Click the checkbox next to Run this program is compatibility mode for to enable the drop-down list of compatible operating system choices.

5. From the drop-down list, choose the option for Windows NT 4.0

6. Choose OK and then restart Paradox.

Be sure to choose an appropriate operating system in Step 5. For example, if you're running Paradox 7 for Windows 95/NT, then choose Windows NT 4.0 for the compatible operating system. On the other hand, if you're running Paradox 7 for Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups, set the operating system to Windows 95 or Windows 98/ME. For more information, please see BDE Error: "Insufficient Shared Memory Available".

Checking Video Color Depth

If you're running a recent version of Paradox in an older version of Windows, you may need to change your video driver settings to support more colors. Given the differences between different versions of Windows and the variety of available video drivers, it's difficult to outline a specific series of steps, but the following should get you started:

1. For best results, close all open applications.

2. Right-click the Windows Desktop and then choose Properties from the shortcut menu. The Display properties property sheet should appear.

3. Choose the Settings tab and notice it contains two controls near the bottom of the window. One controls the screen resolution and the other changes the video depth (the number of supported colors).

4. Drop down the list for the video depth and look for values that suggest more than 256 colors. Most modern video drivers will contain values like High color, 16-bit colors, True Color, and so on. You need to select one of these values.

5. You may need to restart Windows for your new choices to take effect; therefore, it's a good idea to save any unsaved data before applying any changes.

Please be aware that selecting a high color depth may reduce your current screen resolution. If that's not acceptable or you do not see an apppropriate color depth, you should check your video manufacturer's web site for updated drivers for your version of Windows. Alternatively, it may be time to upgrade your video card.

Note: This section is based, in part, on UseNET posts collected by Bertil Isberg.