1)  We just uploaded a new  v4.31 this afternoon to the cart downloads page with a few small css changes.  Try downloading and deploying the ascx pages where your buttons are misaligned.  On the page that you are not seeing button text open up the corresponding rex file and make sure the resource key exists for the button.  Maybe the resx files didnt get copied when you upgraded try copying all the resx files from the zip you downloaded.

2)  The options button takes you to the product detail page its not an add to cart button so it shouldnt be hidden when you check hide add to cart in the settings,  You still should be able to hide it by setting the visible property of the div

3)  It was a consious dicision to name the mini cart button "checkout" instead of "view cart" as we thought it was a stronger call to action.  Im sure you have noticed that in v4.31 all the button text is now localized in resx files located in the app_localresources folder so its easy to change the text on the button by changing the key value in the resx.

4.  Try suggestion from item 1 above.

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At your service,
Dave Smith