help! pc driving me mad

rich737

Hi guys, been lurking around here for quite sometime and decided to pop my cherry and post my firt thread through shear frustration. Yesterday, i turned the pc on to discover that all the icons on my desktop have changed to generic icons (white box with a screenshot inside) and i can't open any without a message coming up asking me what program i'd like to use to open the application. Upon further inspection i found to my horror that i can't right click on my desktop, all the files on my c:/ have generic icons and all the programs in the start menu have changed as well - Help! I've trawled the web to try and find a fix, but nothing has turned up. Please can someone offer me some advice or a solution. Thanks you

-TangleFoot-

Does this help? You may have an infection.

rich737

Thanks for the prompt reply tanglefoot. Unfortunately, method one is a no go as i've downloaded the the file and can't open the programe from desktop to run it. Method 2 is also not working, i can't run, command from the run prompt. At the bottom of the page it mentions this;

If you're unable to launch Regedit.exe even from Command Prompt, try this: copy regedit.exe regedit.com regedit.com

Any ideas of how to interept this?

beardiedog

rich737 wrote: »

Thanks for the prompt reply tanglefoot. Unfortunately, method one is a no go as i've downloaded the the file and can't open the programe from desktop to run it. Method 2 is also not working, i can't run, command from the run prompt. At the bottom of the page it mentions this;

If you're unable to launch Regedit.exe even from Command Prompt, try this: copy regedit.exe regedit.com regedit.com

Any ideas of how to interept this?

I'm no expert but I interpret this as meaning 'type this in the command prompt and press enter' - worth a try anyway.

rich737

Thanks again, but it's still not working. I am starting to tear my hair out.

beardiedog

rich737 wrote: »

Thanks again, but it's still not working. I am starting to tear my hair out.

Try doing a system restore which should get you back to a point where the system was working and after which you can run a virus check.

rich737

Thanks beardiebog. just tried to do the system restore, but as with other programs the system resotre button/icon wont let me open it to perform the restore

beardiedog

Hmm? This is weird. Have you tried launching programs from the Start Programs menu? Have you tried going into safe mode and running the command prompt? Also try running anti-virus from there. Have you tried performing a repair using the XP SP2 (or Vista) CD?

rich737

i've tried launching programs from the Start menu without any joy. I've just trawled the internet and it looks as though i've got some kind of virus which changes the .exe files, i am not very technical when it comes to computers. My next plan of attack is to start in safe mode and try and find a restore point that way. I tried a few minutes ago to open in safe mode, but the log in screen wasn't accepting my username and password; this just gets better

beardiedog

Keep trying. This might help http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/my-icons-have-all-changed-to-lnk/132017.html

If all else fails a complete install is usually the only solution. Good luck!

rich737

Thank you so much beardiedog, the isssue the guy is having on the forum seems to be identical to the issue i am facing. I tried to restore through the safe mode and it would allow me to do it. i am know going to try, as suggested, what is outlined on the forum. Thank you for all your help; i'll let you know how i get on. Thanks