Settings altered

[Ben Stevenson]

Maybe a virus or malicious spyware altered quite alot of my original
settings. Did a complete spyware and anti-virus check and got rid of
whatever was there. But the altered settings cannot be reset. When I do a
reset, it comes back to square one everytime I do a restart.

Two examples are:

1. The icons on my desktop are arranged in a certain way of categories and
spacing, but with every restart they go back to the disorderly way that the
spyware had done it.

2. One of my cleaning utilities now calls for a password before it can
launch. This has never been the case before. How can I get rid of this
password call?

TIA

 

[sandy58]

Maybe a virus or malicious spyware altered quite alot of my original
settings. Did a complete spyware and anti-virus check and got rid of
whatever was there. But the altered settings cannot be reset. When I do a
reset, it comes back to square one everytime I do a restart.

Two examples are:

1.   The icons on my desktop are arranged in a certain way of categories and
spacing, but with every restart they go back to the disorderly way that the
spyware had done it.

2.   One of my cleaning utilities now calls for a password before it can
launch. This has never been the case before. How can I get rid of this
password call?

TIA

"Maybe a virus or malicious spyware altered quite alot of my original
settings. Did a complete spyware and anti-virus check and got rid of
whatever was there. But the altered settings cannot be reset. When I
do a
reset, it comes back to square one everytime I do a restart."

So you don't really know if you had a virus, spyware whatever? Sounds
like an attack of paranoia.

Two examples are:

"1. The icons on my desktop are arranged in a certain way of
categories and
spacing, but with every restart they go back to the disorderly way
that the
spyware had done it."

Use the "right-click" on blank space on desktop then the "Arrange
icons by" options

"2. One of my cleaning utilities now calls for a password before it
can
launch. This has never been the case before. How can I get rid of this
password call?"

This one is easy with two options....1) Find a suitable password &
enter it in the correct place....or 2) Delete the offending "cleaning
utility". End of problem.

Next?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Maybe a virus or malicious spyware altered quite alot of my original
settings. Did a complete spyware and anti-virus check

Exactly what programs did you scan with? What makes you think that
using those particular programs made it "complete"?

and got rid of
whatever was there.

Exactly *what* was there that you got rid of?

Also bear in mind that, despite what many people think, the effect of
malware is not necessarily simply present until the malware is
removed. Lots of malware (viruses in particular) can do severe damage
to your system that can never be repaired. Sometimes the only solution
is reinstallation of Windows.

But the altered settings cannot be reset. When I do a
reset, it comes back to square one everytime I do a restart.

Two examples are:

1. The icons on my desktop are arranged in a certain way of categories and
spacing, but with every restart they go back to the disorderly way that the
spyware had done it.

2. One of my cleaning utilities now calls for a password before it can
launch. This has never been the case before. How can I get rid of this
password call?

What cleaning utility? And since you say "one of my cleaning
utilities," what other cleaning utilities do you run? Most cleaning
utilities are useless, and many are very dangerous, and could be
responsible for some of your problems.