Start up programmes blocked

melimel

Hi All
I have a (fairly rubbish) Acer Aspire 7520.
This morning have switched it on and got a new icon in the bottom right toolbar saying that windows had blocked certain start up programmes. I clicked on the icon and it produced this list of 'stuff' (no technology in this user!) with ticks alongside each item. I was given an option to disable and having no reason to suspect a bad move I did just that. I then got the message to restart my computer. I did that and my desktop appeared but that is all that did. The windows sidebar had gone, I like the clock and date big, and no matter what i try to do I cannot get it back except as a black blank circle. All the quick start icons on the bottom right toolbar have gone and so has the acer empowering toolbar.
I know that the computer still works as I am using it right now to send this but how on earth do i restore to what was there before? And more importantly why on earth would this happen out of the blue. Clearly lots of settings have been removed.
My operating platform is windows vista.
I also use the ms security essentials virus protection which says everything is fine and have never had a problem with since I loaded it. Finally possibly slightly different item but maybe not, windows defender will not switch on and has not for some time now. not sure if this is related to security essentials and whether it is even necessary or not. Please advise.
As mentioned above not a techie person here so please make any answers as basic as possible, many thanks in advance

aliEnRIK

Sounds like something nasty was blocked which you allowed

Download MALWAREBYTES (Make sure you click 'DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION')
http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
Open malwarebytes and goto UPDATE and click 'check for updates'. After its updated goto SCANNER and click PERFORM QUICK SCAN then click SCAN
Remove everything thats found (needs to be ticked)
Post the COMPLETE log here AFTER youve deleted everything it finds
If anything was found then do the exact same but run a FULL scan


reboot

Download HIJACK THIS
http://download.cnet.com/3001-8022_4-10227353.html?spi=f323e4ed53a8a1b6c63e66c4b678a8f6
(It auto downloads, do NOT click to download anything off the page)
Click MAIN MENU then DO A SYSTEM SCAN AND SAVE A LOGFILE(Takes seconds) then post the log so we can see whats running
(do NOT do anything else with Hijack but scan and post the FULL log)
If you get a message that you cant write to the hosts file then Press the SHIFT key, and whilst holding it RIGHT CLICK and select RUN AS (admin)

closed

windows defender does this, and is part of mse, uninstalling and switching to avast should cure it.

aliEnRIK

Yep. Think I missread, the OPs blocked everything?

andygb

These are exactly the symptoms I had with my old Acer (also running Vista) back in December.
I followed all the instructions given to me on here, and I am running Malwarebytes every day (I am now totally paranoid). I tried to download Avast this morning but it wouldn't let me.

closed

how wouldn't it let you?

andygb

closed wrote: »

how wouldn't it let you?

Sorry for not getting back earlier.
OK, I downloaded Avast via Firefox. I went into "tools" on Firefox and clicked on the download, and Avast started to download. Then it stopped, and a message said something like "Windows has not allowed this programme to download".

closed

never seen a message like that, is that the correct syntax?

andygb

closed wrote: »

never seen a message like that, is that the correct syntax?

Here is the entire message:

Microsoft Windows

Avast antivirus Update has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.


Having done this, it did not crash the PC, and allowed me to work normally. Is this a conflict between MSE/Defender/Malwarebytes and Avast, or is there, as I suspect, still something wrong with my PC.
I have checked in the programs list, and Avast is not on there, it is still just sitting in Firefox, waiting to be downloaded.
There is a new program (18/1/11) in the programs list called - Feedback Tool Microsoft Corporation. I have not noticed this before.

debitcardmayhem

You should not have 2 anti virus progs installed, you need to remove MSE first then install avast.