[LiquifiedSkittles]

Can someone please help me??

Just a few hours ago at work, my laptop was fine. When I got home I went to boot it up to email a file I'd been working on to myself so I could work on it from my desktop, but to my surprise, all my files and folders are missing, my desktop image has changed to. Someone help!

Also: A program I installed yesterday is not showing up on the start menu with all the other programs, but there is still a folder for it in the Program Files folder

I don't know what to do, any ideas??

Thanks in advance...

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Spyware or OS corruption. My personal solution is to back everything up, format, and reinstall, but there are ways to fix it, I believe.

[Kurenai]

Spyware or OS corruption. My personal solution is to back everything up, format, and reinstall, but there are ways to fix it, I believe.

[fleamailman]

welcome to geekstogo

yes that sounds like a malware infection
here is the cure then
http://www.geekstogo..._Log-t2852.html

[LiquifiedSkittles]

Are you sure that's it?

I'm sorry I don't really know.

Just to be sure let me explain a little better:

I tried to start it up and got an error message at the "windows is starting up" screen saying it needed to load windows in a "Temporary Profile" and so everything's different and I can't seem to make it go back to normal no matter how many times I restart.

Also, System Restore can't restore anything.

Thanks for the help =]

[fleamailman]

It is rare that things happen by themselves, more likely some malware has corupted your system, and whatever cure I will offer here might return to the bad situation later tha is if it were and infection, hence I suggested you checking with security first. but we could try these first
also what os, is it xp home or pro

- one could try booting in safemode and choosing 'last know good configuration
- one could try a repair with XPcd

eitherway, I would do a good clean up of the system if either of those two suggestions work

if you need info about safemode or repair with cd, or clean, let me know, I will post them

Edited by fleamailman, 05 November 2006 - 05:29 PM.

[LiquifiedSkittles]

Okay I tried the last known good figuration thing, and it still brought up the empty folders and changed desktop image.

I don't have a cd, I just got this computer the other day on eBay and there wasn't a cd.

Oh and it's Windows XP Professional

Thanks again

[LiquifiedSkittles]

UPDATE:

I've found that my files and folders are still here I just have to go through My Computer> Drive C:> Documents and Settings> user to get to them. I can't acces them with the regular My Documents and My Pictures folders

How can I fix this?

Any furter help would be much appreciated.

[LiquifiedSkittles]

UPDATE:

I've found that my files and folders are still here I just have to go through My Computer> Drive C:> Documents and Settings> user to get to them. I can't acces them with the regular My Documents and My Pictures folders

How can I fix this?

Any furter help would be much appreciated.

[LiquifiedSkittles]

UPDATE:

I've found that my files and folders are still here I just have to go through My Computer> Drive C:> Documents and Settings> user to get to them. I can't acces them with the regular My Documents and My Pictures folders

How can I fix this?

Any furter help would be much appreciated.

[fleamailman]

questions:
- tell me about the program you installed, did this happen because of that
- in what way has your desktop image changed
- if it the case that folders like my computer are missing from the desktop then does this restore them:

runbox command
- press keyboard buttons: winkey + r
- paste this in slot: desk.cpl @0,0
- press: enter
- click button: customize desktop
- see if 'my computer', 'my documents', 'internet explorer' boxes are ticked
(if so tick them)
- click: ok
(window closes)
- click: apply
(those that you ticked should be there on your screen)

btw the winkey is the button that on the keyboard that has microsoft flag

[LiquifiedSkittles]

Ah I appreciate your help so much. Thank you.

But I don't have a winkey

[fleamailman]

you mean that there is no key on your keyboard that has the windows flag

no problem
- click: start
- click: run
- paste this in slot: desk.cpl @0,0
- press: enter
- click button: customize desktop
- see if 'my computer', 'my documents', 'internet explorer' boxes are ticked
(if so tick them)
- click: ok
(window closes)
- click: apply
(those that you ticked should be there on your screen)

btw what about the other questions I asked

Edited by fleamailman, 05 November 2006 - 08:30 PM.

[LiquifiedSkittles]

Oh well I don't believe the program caused what happened. It's Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8.

I did what you told me with the desktop customize, and it brought the icons back, but I still can't access my files through the My Documents folder, I have to go the other way around through My Computer, is there a way to fix that at all?

And no there is no key with the windows flag. The computer is an IBM Thinkpad T20.

Thanks again for all your help

[†Gladiator†]

try system restore and restore ur computer to a date b4 everything went fubar.

[LiquifiedSkittles]

try system restore and restore ur computer to a date b4 everything went fubar.

Thanks for the suggestion, but System Restore was one of the first things I tried.

I'm not that slow

Also: If you had read the rest of the thread you'd know that System Restore did nothing.

Thank you anyway.