In certain applications like Notepad and Clipboard, when I move the mouse cursor to a menu (File, Edit, etc.), the menu title gets discolored -- a whitish box appears around the title ("File"). Then, after I've already click on the menu title, the whole menu title changes color to whitish (I think this is normal); but after I leave the menu to go back to typing, the whole menu title remains discolored. If I switch applications and return to Notepad, the colors return to normal. Can anyone help explain what's going on and how to fix it? Some friends abused my computer and installed spyware that I took out over the summer, so I don't know if any of those affected my system's color settings.

It might be the spyware but the only time I had similar problems was when I have a problem graphics card. Turning off hardware acceleration (on display properties, settings, advanced, troubleshooting). But this may not be the same problem as you have.