who can tell me if something is wrong with my PC

[goalsurfer]

I recently got an attack of harmfull urls and was warned about it by my virus progam Avast - paid version. At the same time a program with windows logo had nested somewhere in my Documents and settings directory together with a quite big (32px let's say) red bal with white cross. The Avast warnings mentioned this last icon as the process of the harmfull urls. The whole thing was a spontaneous installled error fix program that gave a certain number of error about hardware clusters partly damaged. A short scan with Avast gave 1 error. After this being repaired the error fix program still gave the same number of errors. I tried to delete it as it asked about $75 to fix everything only payable by credit card. First this didn't work but after a complete scan and update of virus installation I could supprime it.
Today I did a defragmentation without any message about damage and also a hardware check tells nothing specials.
But most of my maps and files are hidden except for those I made already visible again. On my desktop there is nothing, I can't even right click anymore. I couldn't find out how to call back my maps on my desktop yet, I can check them with explorer and even after making them visible in the map nothing appears on my desktop.
Thanks for some explanation and eventual help to make my deskop back functional.

[keyon]

When crazy stuff like this happens to my computer, I do a clean reinstall of the operating system.
It helps if you already keep your working files / documents on an external hard drive, so you don't have to spend a lot of time backing up files off the computer before wiping it clean.

However, be warned this can get a little tricky on older computers -- since some of the drivers you'll need (for certain hardware like dvd drives, soundcards, etc.) may no longer be provided by the manufacturer (online). That pretty much means having to replace the devices with something new. In that case, you might be better off just buying a new computer.

[confettiguru]

Are you saying you paid them $75?

[dgswilson]

Avast gave 1 error. After this being repaired the error fix program still gave the same number of errors

The "error fix program" may be the beast. If you know of some person with a shop take the computer to them. If not there is always the chains who usually charge around $70 min. You could install Ubuntu's latest. Great OS and few people working to ruin your day. I haven't defragged, run spyware/virus, been forced to update or felt like a serf of the Gates empire in a long time.

[alphaomega]

Not sure where you were and what you downloaded, but you have a crapware on your computer. I had one client to get similar thing and the only way to remove it was formating the drive. After that he installed Windows 7, which will ask every time if you willing to install any exe file. Regardless where it comes from. You can scan and rescan your computer, antivirus will not remove it because it is not a virus as antivirus applications recognise it. I don't know if a trojan iss attached to it, but if you follow the trace, it leads to Ukraine.

[mikmik]

Do a system restore before you shell out money or waste your installation! Go to your start button, (All) Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Restore. Then do what it says below: select restore my computer to an earlier time, then pick a date back before you first had the start of this problem. Your computer should restart and finish the restore process. Then it will load windows and a box will appear saying the restoration was good, or it couldn't restore. Usually it says 'Your computer was successfully Restored....' Here is a link for doing it in XP (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084)

Here is for Vista and 7: How to geek (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/#comment-40831). This also has some help if you can't start in safe mode.

This is a common malware that disables all kinds of things. It might have disabled system restore, but try booting into safe mode - start your computer(or restart) and keep tapping your F8 key. You'll get a text screen that has several options, so you use arrow keys to go down and highlight 'Safe mode' and when windows loads, it will be a black desktop with big and stupid looking icons and task bar. The go to start button, All Programs menu, Accessories, System tools, Restore. Pick 'Restore my computer to an earlier date(or something like that) and pick a date back a couple of days before you noticed the problems. The click restore and your computer will do stuff and reboot.
If you can't get system restore, there are several other things that can be done, so lets us know what happens.

Another site with regedit instructions, Kelly's Korner XP (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm), but this is very technical. There a several other things to try if you can't restore.

Also, what version of Windows do you have, XP, Vista, or 7? 32 or 64 bit? Tell us that.
Do you have access to another computer? A USB memory stick? You might have almost everything prevented from running and not be able to get onto internet.

Did you pay the $75? I have to go, but will be back soon :-P

[deepsand]

A case of scareware. The miscreant is/was a program that pretends to find problems where there are none via a "free scan," and then tries to con you into paying for the "full version" that will "fix" the problems. The most extreme will actually deliberately interfere with normal operations so in an attempt to coerce you into paying.

[swampdeer]

I've fixed these evil things 4 or 5 times now on different machines. They all vary slightly but all pretend to be a windows component detecting ficticious problems and infections.

I found the only way was booting into 'safemode with networking' and running ComboFix, (downloadable for free.)

It complained about AVG being installed but through trial and error I found that simply renaming the AVG folder temporarily did the trick. ComboFix ran, scanned, removed infected files and reinstalled 'system restore' which I had disabled before hand.

All fixed without a problem. I didn't master this technique until about the 3rd time I did it though! 1st time took about 8 hours! So it is sometimes quicker to re-format, re-install everything.

Good luck

[deepsand]

I generally just seek out the offending process, and manually remove its files and associated Registry Hive entries.

[goalsurfer]

No, I didn't pay $75 because they only accepted credit cards, else I had wasted them. As far as I know I got the 'error fix' in the ashtree and after emptying this one I suppose I got rid of it completely. I get no special warnings while avast was further working.

I have windows XP.

Thanks for your help but my computer is too desorganised to follow your guidelines. E.g. everything from the desktop is now in the toolbar, I mean that part between the start button and the task bar. Mikmik said to go to the start button and then to all programs, accessories, system tools, restore. I can't go further then system tools, most has disappeared from there. And a restore was what I tried immediately after the attack, but I remember I couldn't go back to an earlier date. Most of my files had been made hidden.

I would like to reinstall but it said it can't find a section to start, so I thought I could maybe format the c drive as the most files are backed up, but it can't format. Strange, because a defragmentation went without problems. It becomes difficult to go on working on it because now programs crash continiously.

If I don't succeed tonight I go to the shop tomorrow. It is a second hand HP from a cyber bar I suppose. They sell them for €100 (= 100 + 10 or 20 $). Thus it won't be a big loss. I have it one year + some months and I think that's normal. I'm quite satisfied with this way of working, it's much easier than with my acer laptop of €1000 that regularly had to go back to the factory for three or more weeks.

[deepsand]

I have windows XP.

If Recovery Console is installed, have you tried using that?

[goalsurfer]

What do you mean by recovery? Do you mean a reinstall? I don't have that, I have a cd-rom to reinstall.

Or do you mean recover to an earlier date? I told I tried that immediately, but couldn't go back on the calendar. Now my pc is that much desorganised that in 'system tools' that there is only internet explorer in that map.

But it doesn't matter as I go to the store tomorrow, they'll fix it for me.

[deepsand]

Recovery Console is a suite of tools, provided by Microsoft, used for diagnosing and repairing Windows machines. When installed on a machine, it is placed in its own bootable partition; in some cases it's on the install CD only. Among other things, it allows for you to do a non-destructive re-install.

[goalsurfer]

Thanks For the tip. I never heared about that.

My programs go backwards and I wonder if that isn't because of a hard disk error and if it has much sense to do further on my own.

But I'll take a look.

[deepsand]

If it's not on your install CD, there are several sources of downloads on-line, both for burning an bootable ISO image to CD, or for a bootable USB drive; it's even available for floppy diskettes!

See recovery console download (http://www.google.com/search?q=recovery+console+download&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a).

[goalsurfer]

Deepsand, windows is reinstalled. There are no signs there is something wrong with my PC. Thanks for support.

[deepsand]

With an eye toward possible future needs, I strongly recommend that you make sure Recovery Console is on hand.