Active desktop recovery - no user accounts XP Home edition - what now

[ng_reader]

I have XP Home edition on an AMD 64 cpu.

If you read this NG regularly, i had a question about VPN dialer popping up.
It was a virus, it's gone, thanks.

But, afterwards my desktop, which was a photograph of a personal nature, was
gone.

Now I stare at a blank red screen. Red?

Of course I can change it back, but my question is, since I never created
any user accounts, and I see that image flash past (as my desktop) on its
way to that red screen background, what happened?

How do I stop my Windows XP Home machine from taking that next step, that I
don't want it to.

And while were on it, isn't Active Desktop just a waste of CPU time, or does
it really serve a purpose. (These questions might be related)

Old man curious.

 

[Malke]

I have XP Home edition on an AMD 64 cpu.

If you read this NG regularly, i had a question about VPN dialer popping
up. It was a virus, it's gone, thanks.

But, afterwards my desktop, which was a photograph of a personal nature,
was gone.

Now I stare at a blank red screen. Red?

Of course I can change it back, but my question is, since I never created
any user accounts, and I see that image flash past (as my desktop) on its
way to that red screen background, what happened?

First of all, the microsoft newsgroup - and this one in particular - gets a
*lot* of traffic. So although your troubles are vivid in your mind, that
doesn't mean anyone else remembers them. I certainly don't. So it would
have been better to post in the same thread if it was recent.

Secondly, you *do* have user accounts. There is the built-in Administrator
account which is normally hidden. This account can only be accessed in Safe
Mode in XP Home. Then there is *your* user account which you either created
or, if you have a machine that came with the operating system preinstalled,
it is called "owner" or the like.

Thirdly, if you are really using the built-in Administrator account for
everyday use, you should at least create one other user account with
administrative privileges as an emergency backup account. You don't ever
have to use it and it will not take up much room.

As for the red desktop, it sounds like you still have traces of a
Smitfraud-like virus. Since I don't know anything about what you had and/or
did, you may want to run one of the Smitfraud removal tools here:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Smitfraud_Trojan

If you are comfortable about the machine being clean, then set the
background to "none", turn off Active Desktop from the Web tab, and Apply.
This should get rid of the red "flash". Then set your desktop picture to
what you want.

Here is information about Active Desktop:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q171437/

You can use it or not, as you prefer.

Malke

 

[ng_reader]

First of all, the microsoft newsgroup - and this one in particular - gets
a
*lot* of traffic. So although your troubles are vivid in your mind, that
doesn't mean anyone else remembers them. I certainly don't. So it would
have been better to post in the same thread if it was recent.

Secondly, you *do* have user accounts. There is the built-in Administrator
account which is normally hidden. This account can only be accessed in
Safe
Mode in XP Home. Then there is *your* user account which you either
created
or, if you have a machine that came with the operating system
preinstalled,
it is called "owner" or the like.

Thirdly, if you are really using the built-in Administrator account for
everyday use, you should at least create one other user account with
administrative privileges as an emergency backup account. You don't ever
have to use it and it will not take up much room.

As for the red desktop, it sounds like you still have traces of a
Smitfraud-like virus. Since I don't know anything about what you had
and/or
did, you may want to run one of the Smitfraud removal tools here:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Smitfraud_Trojan

If you are comfortable about the machine being clean, then set the
background to "none", turn off Active Desktop from the Web tab, and Apply.
This should get rid of the red "flash". Then set your desktop picture to
what you want.

Here is information about Active Desktop:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q171437/

You can use it or not, as you prefer.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

Thanks for replying. Meant no sarcasm with my OP. Visited your website,
enjoyed your sense of humor.

Did not utilize a tool for Smitfraud, as it does not come up as a trojan.
Currently I am using Ad-Aware, SpyBot, MS freebie and also Prevx1.

Belts AND suspenders.

Still undecided about active desktop, but agree in principal with the idea.