OT: windows xp trouble.., just wondering if anyone else had this Options

[partsman]

I know I'm stretching the limits of the help idea, but i'm loosing my mind over this. Recently, my laptop has developed a neat trick. When you go to the start button, and place the mouse on "all programs", the list of all the programs comes up. When you roll the mouse over a program name, the files should show up right? All I get is a clear "box" that you can just make out, sort of what would appear normally, just with all the files in there. If you hold the mouse over the empty space, a decription comes up by the pointer.

I also noticed that in my word, excel, outlook, and powerpoint, when you go up to the top (toolbar?) where it says "file edit view etc" and click as if you wanted to save a file, or start a new one, all the drop down words are gone, and it's the same clear box. I have already re-installed office, and still have the same trouble. This seems to only happen to Microsoft programs. If I go to the top of this screen, and click on "file" the drop down box has all the options in it.

Has anyone else hit this trouble? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

Eric