Computer question

[gnomonist]

That's windows for you.  Always having malfunctions or viruses at the drop of a hat. 

 

Here's a suggestion, though.  Is it possible you (or someone) made what you are describing your desktop picture, i.e. a picture of another desktop? Then they would be fake, unresponsive icons just like you described.

 

 

[other one]

first thing you need to do is change any passwords that migh give someone access to your bank accounts if they are on your computer

[missmuffet]

does the bottom still have the traditional windows tool bar and menu button, and does it still have your regular windows icons?

 

It could be someone (either a hacker or someone you allowed onto you computer) simply changed your background image as a joke-can you go into start > control panel > appearance and personalization >desktop background, and choosing a different background. If it allows you to change to a different background, then we can assume someone changed your background, and hope thats all it was (could be a friend, or a amateur hacker with to much time on his hand) I would still run a good anti-virus scan such as Avast! and install a good, solid firewall such as Comodo. If you cannot change it that way, we will go from there.

Thanks Pat.I have downloaded Avast and it is working well.I am doing a complete scan.It has already found 6 infected file.The McAfee scans have never found anything.I might just pay for the better program.

[missmuffet]

first thing you need to do is change any passwords that migh give someone access to your bank accounts if they are on your computer

Thanks I have changed the password to my on-line banking.

[The_Patriot21]

 

does the bottom still have the traditional windows tool bar and menu button, and does it still have your regular windows icons?

 

It could be someone (either a hacker or someone you allowed onto you computer) simply changed your background image as a joke-can you go into start > control panel > appearance and personalization >desktop background, and choosing a different background. If it allows you to change to a different background, then we can assume someone changed your background, and hope thats all it was (could be a friend, or a amateur hacker with to much time on his hand) I would still run a good anti-virus scan such as Avast! and install a good, solid firewall such as Comodo. If you cannot change it that way, we will go from there.

Thanks Pat.I have downloaded Avast and it is working well.I am doing a complete scan.It has already found 6 infected file.The McAfee scans have never found anything.I might just pay for the better program.

 

 

The better program gives you the exact same anti-virus-it just adds other features like firewall, and real time protection (scans each web page you open, and downloaded files etc) In all honesty, avasts antivirus is great, but the features the paid programs offer arnt worth it-especially if you combine it with with comodos firewall (which is free and better then Avasts firewall)  and you can get the same protection for free.

 

Now, another thing I forget, if Avast alone doesnt take care of the issue, download and run a program called Rkill, It is not an antivirus, but it can help. What happens is, some viruses actually prevent Anti-viruses from working right or even starting-and what Rkill does, is go in and allow the anti-viruses to work properly, so you want to run Rkill, and then run Avast! again after running rkill.

[missmuffet]

 

 

does the bottom still have the traditional windows tool bar and menu button, and does it still have your regular windows icons?

 

It could be someone (either a hacker or someone you allowed onto you computer) simply changed your background image as a joke-can you go into start > control panel > appearance and personalization >desktop background, and choosing a different background. If it allows you to change to a different background, then we can assume someone changed your background, and hope thats all it was (could be a friend, or a amateur hacker with to much time on his hand) I would still run a good anti-virus scan such as Avast! and install a good, solid firewall such as Comodo. If you cannot change it that way, we will go from there.

Thanks Pat.I have downloaded Avast and it is working well.I am doing a complete scan.It has already found 6 infected file.The McAfee scans have never found anything.I might just pay for the better program.

 

 

The better program gives you the exact same anti-virus-it just adds other features like firewall, and real time protection (scans each web page you open, and downloaded files etc) In all honesty, avasts antivirus is great, but the features the paid programs offer arnt worth it-especially if you combine it with with comodos firewall (which is free and better then Avasts firewall)  and you can get the same protection for free.

 

Now, another thing I forget, if Avast alone doesnt take care of the issue, download and run a program called Rkill, It is not an antivirus, but it can help. What happens is, some viruses actually prevent Anti-viruses from working right or even starting-and what Rkill does, is go in and allow the anti-viruses to work properly, so you want to run Rkill, and then run Avast! again after running rkill.

 

So it it safe to combine Avast with comodos firewall at the same time?The two downloads will not conflict with anything?

[The_Patriot21]

yes, absolutly, as long as you only download the firewall from comodo-the firewall, just helps prevent hackers from getting in, it doesnt search for malware, Avast! just looks for malware, the two work very well together-I Install them on every client computer I work on.

[missmuffet]

So you install computers? Oh boy I've got an expert  .Well,I did install Comodo.Thanks for the advise.I remember someone telling me that you could not download the two together.Obviously they did not know what they were talking about.I did get some more icons on my desktop that I am not familiar with  .

[The_Patriot21]

I do build and repair computers as a side job. As far as installing together, as long as you dont install comodos antivirus, they will run. Comodo Anti-virus and Avast antivirus, do not work well together if both are set to active protection. Of course, if you set one as manual, that prevents that problem. But if you just use avast antivirus and comodo firewall alone, you wont (shouldnt anyway) have any problems.

[Taker]

problem "I run windows vista on my computer" solution, stop running windows vista.