I don't use Vista, but can you navigate to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Fonts\Font settings? Then click Restore default font settings.

Many free fonts are available here:http://www.dafont.com/

Could you ask the brothers girlfriend what happened before this problem started?

Did you try creating a new user account and see if it looks the same? Here's a tutorial on how to do that: User Account - Create

You could also try uninstalling Kaspersky and replace with MSE which you can download from here: Download Security Essentials 4.0.1526 Vista - FileHippo.com

Sorry if I've missed it, but does the SFC scannow revert with violations or is it clean? Try it 2 more times.

You may also want to do a clean boot: Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup - Windows 7 Forums

By the way, what are the specs of this pc? Is it up to date?

Download and install speccy from here Download Speccy 1.17.340 - FileHippo.com and let us know the specs on your next post.

Will be waiting.
KK

Thanks for everyone's help!

Windows8--> That would be awesome, thanks. I don't even need French... just English please.

Britton30--> Nope. There is no "Font Settings" in Vista. Already checked. Thanks.

koolkat77--> In answer to all your questions.... She doesn't know. Her kids use the computer all the time, very young kids. So asking them is just as good as ... well, not asking them. Creating a new accont sounds like a good idea, I may give that a try. And oh, that's another thing - Kaspersky fonts are all screwed up even worse than the browswers! That's why I really think its a font problem. And, I tried sfc /scannow 3 times now and still issue still the same. Its a newer PC, not state of the art (heck, it has Vista....) so .... that should tell ya something. I will also try Speccy soon, I really want to try the fonts thing. Hey.... If Windows 7 fonts are the same as Vista, I may be able to do it myself - i have 2 Windows 7 computers and 2 XP computers in the house other than that Vista one.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!

I copied my entire fonts directory from the Windows 7 laptop to my brother's Vista desktop, AND - it works. Perfectly. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL!

Will that program let me boot from CD to do a full restore? Kinda like Norton Ghost?