Re: Lost Help/Support and Search

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

"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]

.

Quantcast