My girlfriends computer kind of blinked the other day when she was
using it.
All the normal icons disappeared and were replaced by generic icons.
2x clicking on these icons will not open a program.
I cannot open any programs by going to START--->ALL
PROGRAMS--->whatever. And all of those icons are generic.

All the icons under the START menu are generic EXCEPT for her email
program and Internet Explorer. And I can run those just fine, I can
even send emails with attachments from the HD.

When I click on the CONTROL PANEL, I get a very odd error message. It
says (more or less) "CANNOT PLACE A SHORTCUT HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
PLACE IT ON THE DESKTOP." I cannot get the Control Panel to open
nor anything else.

I started the computer in safe mode, same problem.

Any suggestions or advice is more then appreciated.

(I've also tried to reboot several times with no resolution of the
problem.)

Right now all I can think to do it to remove the HD and put it into
another computer and make a copy of the HD. But then I do not know if
this problem was caused by a virus or what.

Thank You Gents in advance if you chose to help me.

Bonnie P.

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Bonnie Peebles
<Bonniepeebles@10&Imin.Com> wrote:

My *guess* is that you've had an entire directory destroyed or removed.
That's what your symptoms sound like. My *guess* would be the
"C:\Program Files" directory is gone, renamed, or moved. I suppose you
might try doing a search ....

Unless you can find where it got moved to and move or rename it back, or
restore it from a backup, I think you're screwed.

Yes, that *is* a common problem caused by some malicious viruses or
Trojans. ;-{

Backup, backup, and backup again.
Also run with Anti-Virus software installed.

I suspect you'll probably have to end up reinstalling everything.
;-{

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