Tinapip said:
I had spayware and virus. After cleaning up with spyfighter and Trend
Micro
my wallpaper on my desktop is gone. I also do not understand why my
recycle
bin shows there is something in it but when I click on it it shows nothing
there. Any help provided would be so appreciated.
If the picture file you used as your desktop background (wallpaper) was
infected with some malware and your spyware removal software got rid of it,
you should be reassured and not worried. But again, you want your computer
to work well and you are asking the right questions to try to protect your
investment. Good for you.
Hidden files and Folders:
There are files and folders in Windows (all version) that are "invisible" or
hidden (the proper term) to shield users from viewing, moving around or
deleting essential files and folders Windows uses to keep everything nice
and tidy. There is nothing spooky about it and it is it perfectly normal. If
your recycle bin contains some items you can't see, these must be items with
the hidden attribute that got caught by the spyware removal software (lucky
you!) and got placed in the recycle bin. Again, worrying is a good defense
strategy with all the malware going on, but let's see if there is cause for
rejoicing for you have done some cleaning and your system should not be
working well. To view all files (including the hidden files), open any
window where you can see files and folders and select Folder Options from
the Tools menu. Select the View tab. In Advanced Settings under the (yellow
folder icon) Hidden files and folders settings, select Show hidden files and
folders. Some of the hidden files will now be visible to you. To show some
more hidden files, deselect Hide protected operating system files
(Recommended) and answer Yes to the warning dialog box. Click OK to close
Folder Options.
You can now see all your files. Browse all you want and verify that the
recycling bin indeed contains items as it claimed it did. The hidden files
and folders icons will show in a lighter color. Do not discard or move them
as they are part of Windows' normal operation. If Windows is working
properly now and some items have ended up in the recycling bin after you
have used your antivirus and anti-spyware program, I guess they needed to be
flushed out and this is good news.
When satisfied that all is well, you should go back to Folder Options and
select Do not show hidden files and folders and Hide operation system files
(Recommended) to bring everything back to the way it is now.
As for your wallpaper, right click your desktop, select Properties and click
the Desktop tab to select a new background picture among the selected ones
offered to you. Beware of free offers found on the Internet about beautiful
wallpaper pictures that automatically change every five minutes; some of
these may be worth the time and money invested by the offering party as the
carry paid advertising displayed on your computer as annoying pop-up
windows. This is the sort of things that good anti spyware and spam remover
will catch and throw away.
I hope this help.
Mark Delaney, MCT.
