[Riddle Me This]

Not long ago, I had a virus almost wipe my system. The Anti-Virus protection needed to be upgraded and such, but we got rid of it.

But that's not my problem. After the virus was gone, I could not change my background! The main account seemed slightly ajar, for the desktop background wouldnt change, and the "blue bar" with all the folder options has dissapeared.

The background options were restored, but when I enter any folder, or anything at all, the blue bar with the "Start Slideshow" "Get pictures from scanner or camera" etc. options is mysteriously missing. It's quite odd, because my secondary account has it. Im sure its just a stupid mistake on my part, something im not seeing..

The only time it appears is if I search, and that's when the search companion appears.

(If it makes any difference, if I highlight alot of paint items and try to edit them all at once, even if I say "Yes" to the "Your computer may run slowly if you choose to edit __ items at once. Continue?" they don't open. I tend to edit and copy elements of my art from place to place, and opening each by hand is really hard, and it shouldnt need to be that way.)

I cannot understand why one account was never affected, but the main one has so many problems.
I would really like it if someone could help me get the blue bar back. Am I making a mistake? Or is there a registry file missing like it was with the background?


A little help would be nice.
~Riddle Me This

Edited by Riddle Me This, 24 January 2009 - 03:09 PM.

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Hi Riddle Me This and Welcome! to Geeks-to-Go.

It is often found that serious malware infections cause user accounts to become (and remain) corrupted, even after complete removal. The likely reason that your 'main' account is affected and the other is not is that the main account is corrupted.

To remedy this problem, switch to a new account as your main. It is entirely possible to transfer all your data and custom settings to the new account. In fact it is little more than a "Copy and Paste" procedure.

Microsoft explains: http://support.micro...om/?kbid=811151

Essentially, it boils down to creating a new Admin level account, and performing the 'copy' from the 'old' account and to the 'new' account using a third account that also has Admin level rights.

Just be careful not to include the specific files mentioned in the KB: Ntuser.dat/Ntuser.dat.log/Ntuser.ini.

If you need help with this procedure, just post back. I've done it successfully many times.

Wait a few days (or so) to be sure that you have all your data in the new account and then just delete the 'old,' corrupted account altogether.

After the 'old' account is gone, you can even rename the 'new' account with the 'old' name if you want.

[1101doc]

Hi Riddle Me This and Welcome! to Geeks-to-Go.

It is often found that serious malware infections cause user accounts to become (and remain) corrupted, even after complete removal. The likely reason that your 'main' account is affected and the other is not is that the main account is corrupted.

To remedy this problem, switch to a new account as your main. It is entirely possible to transfer all your data and custom settings to the new account. In fact it is little more than a "Copy and Paste" procedure.

Microsoft explains: http://support.micro...om/?kbid=811151

Essentially, it boils down to creating a new Admin level account, and performing the 'copy' from the 'old' account and to the 'new' account using a third account that also has Admin level rights.

Just be careful not to include the specific files mentioned in the KB: Ntuser.dat/Ntuser.dat.log/Ntuser.ini.

If you need help with this procedure, just post back. I've done it successfully many times.

Wait a few days (or so) to be sure that you have all your data in the new account and then just delete the 'old,' corrupted account altogether.

After the 'old' account is gone, you can even rename the 'new' account with the 'old' name if you want.

[Riddle Me This]

Thank you very much! Now that is where there's a problem as well.

(I always have administrator options enabled, no matter which account I create)

The secondary account is perfectly fine, and I could move to a new one, but everytime I make a new one, the Java does not work. I've tried numerous times to re-install it, but it does not work. It's quite odd, because on the main account, everything works, with the exeptions in my original post. Java is fine on the main.

(Is there any option to NOT create a new account? Like when I went on here to get my background files fixed, it was a zip file that fixed itself, Can that not be the case for this? Something in the system registry?)

This is hard for me, i've been able to deal with all the other problems on my computer and helped friends. Im just so unsure of this one. Please excuse me if i'm rambling on the options that are useless.

It's a shame about viruses.
~ Riddle Me This

[1101doc]

I have been assuming that "Use common tasks in folders" is checked in
Control Panel>System>Advanced>Performance>Settings>Visual Effects.
Is it?

[Riddle Me This]

I had it checked. The bar was still not there. I tried unchecking it, then applying, and "rechecking" it and applying. It seemed to have worked.

What a dumb mistake. I had looked at the checkmark for an endless amount of time, but never thought of the above solution..

Thanks for helping me solve that...

But, would I need to start a new question for my Java problem? Or why the "edit" wont work on more than one at a time?

Sorry if we just went in a circle there.. I feel terrible that I made that mistake.

Thank-you very much
~Riddle Me This

[1101doc]

No problem. Glad you got it sorted.

Yes. Best to start a new topic for the java question. You'll get more focused response than if we just continue here. After all, I'm good, but I don't know everything.