Graphic distortion (tiny white dots) in Dock icons, other icons, menubars

Several readers have reported an issue where graphic distortion appears in various icons, particularly in the Dock or on the Desktop. Other users report manifestation of the issue in the menubar. Below, see an image of the problem:

Several readers report that the problem occurs directly after running specific applications -- usually image manipulation programs -- like iPhoto and Graphic Converter.

MacFixIt reader Doug writes:

"Am having trouble with the graphics on my G5 running Mac OS X 10.4.6. In the finder, the dock, top menu bar and the cursor are all 'broken up.' It appears as chunks are not properly displayed. Some programs are also exhibiting the same problem. I have tried TechTool Pro, DiskWarrior and fixing permissions with no luck. There may be an issue with the Wacom tablet . . . iPhoto was showing this problem and after opening and closing the Wacom tablet preferences iPhoto appeared to work fine."

Ostensibly, this appears to be a driver issue that will be fixed in a forthcoming revision of Mac OS X, since the problem affects various Mac models, occurs under varying circumstances with regard to running programs, and does not appear to be directly tied to a hardware defect like problematic RAM.

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.

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