Windows XP Icons barely visible

[11echo]

I recently had a highjack virus infect my computer. The usual, "a virus has infected your hard drive and you need to buy a special program to remove it"! ...I've had these before, and have always been able to re-boot in safe mode and go to restore point and re-boot and bypass the problem. This time the virus made all my programs invisible so you couldn't go to the system tools. I finally was able to use RUN and manually bring up the restore point, and everything worked! BUT now half my desktop icons are barely visible! ...Mostly my shortcuts, and when I try loading word documents or JPGs they won't come up.
Anybody got a "fix" for me? THX! ...the FNG!

 

[V_R]

System restore wont remove a virus. If i take it as read and that is what you have done, you will still be infected.

Suggest you run Malwarebytes and Eset Online Scanner for a start.

 

[11echo]

I used Malwarebytes to remove the virus before I did the restore point ...actually this icon was one of the few still visible. AND I re-used it after the fact just to check the system out.

 

[V_R]

How do you mean 'barely visible', as in they are hidden like Windows system files and folders?

Screenshot?

 

[11echo]

Yeah kinda like that. Some of the main icons are "solid" looking, but a number of my shortcut icons are like "half visible" ...like the hidden files in windows. I can click on them and they take me to the file, but when I click on JPGs and Word doc. nothing comes up. I'm not sure what other files are affected, I haven't had time to look are hard at my computer yet.

 

[11echo]

Screenshot ...Sorry I'm not at my computer now, I have to try later today and get back with you.

 

[V_R]

Hmm, just been reading about a virus that changes all your documents attributes to hidden folders and files on another forum. Maybe that is what you have?

Seems MWB's and combofix can clean it up.

 

[11echo]

NICE! ...Bad enough having trouble, but having "cutting edge" trouble takes the cake! ...AND par for my computer. ;D-=-=

 

[11echo]

OK ...I've found the problem, this virus went in and changed the properties of all my files to "hidden" & "read only" ...I down loaded "combofix" and ran that so it "appears" I'm back on track. THX for the help!

 

[V_R]

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Did you have the "antivirus 20XX" virus? is that was gave you the prompt in your OP? if that is the case, you need to download RKILL.EXE (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/anti-virus/rkill), boot to safe mode windows, run RKILL and then run malwarebytes (or comparable malware/spyware software. Malwarebytes always caught it for me).

RKILL, when run in safe mode, will flash the screen and give you the "you are running in safe mode" prompt again. click OK and you should be good to do what you need to do. I have scanned without this in both safe and normal modes and have not found the infected files.

just a thought.