OSX 10.5.8 menus blank after clean install and update

[Arnomalz]

Hello everyone, I am not exactly a Mac beginner, since my first Mac Plus was from 1986

On a Mac G5 dual 2 GHz I have the following problem : After reinstalling the system 10.5 from an original DVD 5 times, then executing the Combo Update to 10.5.8 the same error
appears : the menus for system prefs and time machine open, but they are just white, without any text. So I used disk utility to repair the permissions and to repair the harddisk. I also
removed some files like apple.finder.plist, apple.systempreferences.plist, apple.recentitems.plist from the Prefs folder and used disk utilities to rebuild permissions.
I started from the DVD and repaired with disk utility.
I have reformatted the HD before install. The machine works well, I get no random errors otherwise.
Does anyone know what else I can do ? Thanks a lot !

 

[toMACsh]

Please explain "menus blank".

 

[MacInWin]

Welcome to the forum. Have you opened Font Book to see if there are missing fonts or other errors? I'm surprised that a nuke and pave reinstall still shows the problem.

 

[Arnomalz]

Blank menus

Please explain "menus blank".

Thank You tomacash. This means that when I open system preferences, time machine or the terminal, the menu opens a window. This window is a homogeneous white rectangle without any graphical elements, like an empty page.
The menu items works perfectly, but I dont know what I am klicking. I aim somewhere low on the right side to close it again.

I have used preferential treatment and it sais that all prefs are fine.

Disk tools does not find any errors with the disk or with permissions. The Mac does not crash, it works fine.

Answer second Mac helper : No, I have not checked the font folder yet. Will do that asap.

Thank you both for your input, I was getting depressed with this problem ...

 

[Arnomalz]

The user/font folder contains 74 fonts, system/../font has 34 fonts.

 

[toMACsh]

Something set incorrectly in Universal Access???

 

[Arnomalz]

@toMacash : today I checked all font folders, then reformatted the drive and made another clean install with DVD 10.5.6 2Z691-6327-A : first boot : System Preferences are a white rectangle, same for time machine, Console, Preview. Terminal works.
Made a reset of the PRAM - no change. Have a good evening, need to go home.

 

[toMACsh]

So I think you're saying you cannot check Universal Access settings because System Preferences gives you a white box.

Try removing com.apple.systemuiserver.plist, it can't hurt. (I think that's right - it's the system user interface prefrences.)

 

[MacInWin]

My mind refuses to accept that a repartition, reformat and reinstall preserves ANYTHING on the drive. So the problem is either in the installation itself (which is highly unlikely because if it was the installation there would have been an uproar when it first came out) or the OP isn't really doing a full nuke and pave reinstall as he is reporting. Something does NOT make sense here.

 

[Arnomalz]

Hello friends : after removing a non-apple video-card, all errors have disappeared and the Mac works flawlessly. It was a graphic error, and not due to some software-problem of the Mac. I was surprised, but happy. Thanks for your help !