Re: Lost Help/Support and Search

I run AdAware on that PC...
The problems started about a week to a week and a half ago. I downloaded
RegCure to fix bad registries in the computer. I also added 256MB of memory
to that PC. I'm not sure if the computer is supposed to recognize it as new
hardware or not. If so, it didn't. but the new memory shows up on a system
profile.
This is affecting several other things. I cannot change or add user
accounts. I cannot access Windows Updates.

"Rock" wrote:

"DMSafarik" wrote

On my desktop (not the one I'm on now) when I try to access Help/Support
form
the Start menu, nothing shows up. It is still there because I saw it when
I
clicked on Help from a program. However, I couldn't access anything inside
Help.
When I try to access Search from the Start Menu, the only thing I see is
the
puppy at the bottom and no search parameter options.
there have been other problems I have been experiencing as well. On
websites, I can not click on buttons to access other pages, and sometimes
links don't work, either. Also, some programs aren't functioning the way
they
should. For example, I upgraded Norton Internet Security 2007 and again,
it
was like the programs stalled and the buttons didn't work. I tried getting
help from Norton, but I can't download the program they want me to
download
since nothing happens when I clisk on the buttons.

What is the malware status of the computer? How do you check that? Here
are some links for dealing with malware.

Malware Removal
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

THE PARASITE FIGHT
Finding, Removing & Protecting Yourself From Scumware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Richard Harper’s Guide to Cleaning Pests
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm

First make sure the computer is clean of malware. After that one of the
basic questions to ask is, when did these problems start? Was it sudden,
did all show up at the same time? Or has this been going on for some time
in a gradual way? If sudden then what changes occurred to the system right
before the problems started? Hardware or software installed?

If this has been developing over time and the problems have existed for some
time you might want to to do a repair install.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Lastly, IMO, you are much better off without Norton Internet Security or any
of the Norton Home products. NIS is bloated, resource heavy, and doesn't
work very well. Even on a well running system it can cause problems sooner
or later. There are other less resource intensive, and in some cases free,
programs to provide Anti-virus, firewall and non viral anti-malware.
Removing NIS or any Norton product doesn't always go well. Make sure you
use their removal utilities on the Symantec Web site and hope for the best.

Anti-Virus: AVG (free), Avast (free), Anti-Vir(free), Ca Etrust (low cost)
Firewall: Zone alarm (free), Sunbelt Software's Kerio Personal Firewall
(low cost)
Anti-malware: Adaware SE Personal (free), Spybot S&D (free), Windows
Defender (free), SpywareBlaster (free), BHO Demon (free).

--
Rock [MVP - User/Shell]


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