How-To Geek

Strange things happening:

1. Taskbar changed appearance - from little icons to things that look like tabs with icons on them and the titles of things. Also, the address window that used to be on the taskbar disappeared.

2. A file that I specifically made to keep certain pictures all together, changed by itself into many files totally renamed into files named pics (1), Pics (2), etc., which means nothing to me because I don't know what is in them until I open them and look. Why did that happen?

3. Sometimes the icons on the desktop do not appear when I start up my computer. To get my desktop icons, I have to go to the search window and type in "desktop." Then a window opens with all the desktop stuff on it. Then at some point they get back on the desktop again until the next time I start up my computer.

4. I can't seem to keep icons on the desktop or on the taskbar. They keep going away, and I have to go to the start menu or the search window to get them, but they won't stay where I put them.

5. When I click on the "E," instead of opening up IE like it used to, a sign comes up that says, "Open File - Security Warning." It asks me if I want to open it. Name: F:/Desktop/Internte Explorer.Ink. Unknown Publisher. At the bottom it tells me it might be harmful to my computer. Since I know it is Internet Explorer, I open it and it opens like it used to without this warning sign. What is going on?

6. Many other weird things are happening, too, which I can't remember at the moment; there are just so many. All these little changes from normal are very irritating and time consuming. How can I make things stay the way they should be?

I wish you guys made housecalls!

I have a feeling you're going to say I have a virus; but why, when I have all this stuff below supposedly working to prevent that:

Norton free from Comcast; SpeedMaxPC; Malwarebytes; and SuperAntiSpyware, and I run them all the time. Why am I having all these problems???? How much more protection do I need from these morons who have nothing better to do than bother innocent people?

Sorry to dump so much stuff on you, but this is exactly what is happening, and I think it must be all related somehow.

Thanks. Pat

Pat, reading previous postings it seems you have multiple problems with your machine.

To reiterate Jim's suggestion above you really need to get rid of SpeedMaxPc. This is really a nasty piece of software, (my preference is 'crapware' if not malware.)

This app is just junkware and in my experience seeing it before is to reinstall the OS and start again. Repair is just not possible to have the machine running prior to these problems.

If you have not saved your data elsewhere you should really do this now.

This should resolve your previous posts as well!

Mike

Or go back to a rstore point or image from before that program was installed.

The reason I have SpeedMaxPc is from a recommendation from one of you guys a long time ago. Somebody goofed, I guess. I will get rid of it.

I don't know if I can reinstall Windows 7. I've got all the CD's that came with it, but that seems like an overwhelming job to a person like me. It was hard enough the first time when I had a DELL guy walk me through it. Ugh! That was awful!

I will try that other stuff listed above.

I have accidentally fixed a couple of things already that I guess weren't really broke. I just didn't know how to do it before. The file changing itself into other files and renaming them is a weird one. That definitely seems like a problem.

Thanks, guys. Pat