Something strange happened to one of our employees few weeks ago where her Outlook 2013 was performing very slowly, showing distorted menu as well as blurred fonts. When I was contacted to look at the issue, I did the normal troubleshooting by recreating a new profile as well as repairing Microsoft Office but to no avail.
After days of troubleshooting and testing the issue did not go away. This issue was really eating into my time at work and I just couldn’t find the solutions. The employee in this case began to lose confidence in me and was suggesting that I call Microsoft to fix the issue.
I just couldn’t give up this easily. When everything I tried didn’t work, I switched the laptop with a brand new and installed Microsoft Office 2013. I then told her that this will not occur on this new laptop.
To my surprise, it did just few hours after rebuilding the laptop and configuring her profile. I was stunned. This is where she really lost hope that I was the one to fix her Outlook problem.
Just when I was about to surrender and accept that I have failed, I looked just one last time at Outlook Advanced options. In there was a little feature called Hardware Graphics Acceleration.
If just occurred to me that since we’re dealing with graphic and distorted menu issues, it may just be that the graphic acceleration feature is the culprit. So I checked the box to disable “Hardware graphic accelerations”
Here’s the happy ending…. since then, the employee has never experienced the same issue with distorted text and menu as well as blurred fonts. So, if you find your self in similar situation, go and disable this feature to fix the problem.
- How to disable hardware graphics acceleration in Outlook 2013?
To disable this feature, open Outlook 2013 and select File –> Options
Next, scroll down to Advanced and tick the box to “Disable hardware graphics acceleration”
That’s it!
This should mostly fix the problem with distorted and messy ribbon and fonts.
If you’re experiencing these with Outlook, menu bars not painted properly until I mouse-over them again, or fonts are blurry, then disabling the hardware acceleration will fix it. Other times the display would look corrupted and the navigation tree would not be properly rendered.
Enjoy! and wish you good luck fixing your issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes distorted display in Outlook 2013?
Distorted display in Outlook 2013 may be caused by the Hardware Graphics Acceleration feature.
How can I fix blurred fonts in Outlook 2013?
To fix blurred fonts in Outlook 2013, you can disable the Hardware Graphics Acceleration feature.
What troubleshooting steps can be taken for slow performance in Outlook 2013?
Troubleshooting steps for slow performance in Outlook 2013 include recreating a new profile and repairing Microsoft Office.
Why is it important to check Outlook Advanced options?
Checking Outlook Advanced options is important as it may reveal settings like Hardware Graphics Acceleration that could be causing display issues.
How can I prevent distorted menu in Microsoft Office applications?
To prevent distorted menu in Microsoft Office applications, consider disabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration.
What is the impact of enabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Outlook 2013?
Enabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Outlook 2013 may lead to issues like distorted menu and blurred fonts.
Is Microsoft Office performance affected by Hardware Graphics Acceleration?
Yes, enabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Microsoft Office may impact performance and cause display issues.
What was the solution for the distorted text and menu issue in Outlook 2013?
Disabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration was the solution to the distorted text and menu issue in Outlook 2013.