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Could it be a virus

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by yatangha, 2010/01/09.

  1. 2010/01/09
    yatangha

    yatangha Inactive Thread Starter

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    As I will be 82 this year and do not enjoy the best of health I haven't been using WindowsBBS.
    I apologise for this.
    I am not very computer wise and do not have access to any local help.
    I am using WindowsXP Pro SP3.
    A couple of weeks ago when I tried to switch my computer on it tried to install, I think, an old version of Windows.
    This went on for a while and not knowing what to do I switched it of manually.
    I eventually got it started and did a restore.
    This seemed to work Ok until I discovered that all my Cookies were gone.
    I then had to restore them all again.
    I use the paid up version of AVG Anti-Virus but it didn't report any viruses.
    Could it have been a Virus?
     
    yatangha,
    #1
  2. 2010/01/09
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Welcome to WindowsBBS :)
    :confused: That sounds rather unlikely - I guess you cannot give any more detail on this? Could possibly have been a series of updates.
    Do you mean a System Restore in which case your Cookies should have been left alone or do you mean a Recovery using either the Recovery Partition on your drive - if present or a Recovery CD? In this case you would have lost more than your Cookies as a Recovery formats the drive and restores the computer to the factory state as delivered.
     
    PeteC,
    #2


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  4. 2010/01/09
    yatangha

    yatangha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hi Pete,
    It was definitely a system restore, back to about 2 weeks.
    My personal Pointers, Galloping Horse( Working in background ) Tasmanian Devil ( Busy ) were OK then.

    After the System Restore they, the icons, had returned to the Windows Icons, all my Bpay address were gone ie. Water Rates , Electricity, Bank Transfers Council Rates etc...
    I now have to build them up again each time I want to Bpay a bill.

    I have no idea what Recovery means.

    I was just wondering if a virus could have caused it to happen.
    My computer seems to be working OK now and I am not worried about restoring, Icons, bpay names etc... when the occassion arises.

    One thing I definitely do know is that while the computer was trying to reinstall an earlier version, and before I manually stopped it by turning my computer off manually, I saw some of the Windows Icons on the screen.

    Are you in one of the below zero states
    We have a 43deg C, 105.8 F ann\d another forecast for tomorrow.
     
    yatangha,
    #3
  5. 2010/01/10
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    It sounds to me as if the System Restore failed to function correctly - System Restore basically monitors only system files and personal data should not be affected.
    In the 'good old days' each computer was delivered with a full installation CD for Windows. Over the years that has changed to what is referred to as a Recovery CD. A Recovery CD formats the drive and restores the computer to the state in which it left the factory - all data and programs installed after delivery are wiped out.

    I would not see your problem as being virus related, but if you are concerned ......

    Please read this as indicated at the head of the Malware & Virus Removal forum and post the logs requested in a new thread.
    I am puzzled by what you say and have no idea what was going on, except, as I posted earlier it may have been updates being installed. There is no way in which a previous version of Windows can be installed. It is possible that your action at that time is the source of the problems you are currently encountering. I really do not know.
    I am in the UK where we have the worst winter for 20+ years with snow blanketing the country - we are not used to that :) Temps where I live have dropped below -5 deg C, but in other places as low as -20 deg C - the same temps that I experienced during a visit to Yellowstone last October.

    Where on earth are you at 43 deg C?
     
    PeteC,
    #4
  6. 2010/01/10
    yatangha

    yatangha Inactive Thread Starter

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    I live in Pt. Pirie Sth. Australia and today it is again 43º C.
    In Melbourne Victoria they are expected to get 44º C
    Extreme bush fire warnings have been issued for both these States.
    Thanks for your help. I must have been having a bad day. I am also a teetotaller.
    They reckon the world has global warming. Possibly the UK hasn't been informed of this.
     
    yatangha,
    #5
  7. 2010/01/11
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    My thoughts exactly :)
     
    PeteC,
    #6

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