I'm surprised at that Jon, since I was under the impression that spyware couldn't install itself much less modify the registry unless you specifically installed it by clicking on the usual install program warning, either on its own or as part of what you thought was a safe program to install. I've never had spyware either but then again I'm very careful what I install. Perhaps having the two accounts is just making you more careful what you install? The trap most people fall into is to click OK on the warning box without reading it just because the preceding page says that a warning box will pop up :-0

I used to have two logins but found it an immense pain in the neck in the end since any fiddling about with devices/drivers/registry etc. required a new log on and therefore couldn't be done during the working day when I wanted the screen setup to remain the same.

The problem has changed a bit now because of thees browser hijacks which install as BHO's and are a real pain.

Can you install a browser helper object without bringing up a grey warning box?

Kayak, i cant remember to be honest but i think you can.

It was the worm nachi.b virus i had apparantly, it hid on my broadband line and is now on my new laptop, had it removed professionaly and it then hid itself in system restore!
So far its cost me a new lap top 1299 and 120 for 2 hours computer doctor fees...b*stards!
Now using Norton anti-virus which i have to shut down on a weekly basis and run a sweep with AVG anti virus system which apparantly will clear stuff that gets through Norton.
Also a Sygare firewall has been used.
It could have been worse, i half expected to find the virus to be "worm dil" getting his own back after i got my mate in BA to tell him his flight was delayed when it wasnt, he missed it i hear. :-)

Your supposed to turn system restore off before removing the virus plonker ... your mate at BA told me to tell you :-)

Dil
I paid some so called expert 60 for an hour and 60 call out charge to sort the problem out for me, i will take your point up with him monday!
d.

"it hid on my broadband line", lol dailos :-)

It beginning to sound as i might have been ripped off!, is that not possible Kayak, he told me the virus can hide on my line via the exchange?
d (dumbo) :(

Viruses do hide on broadband lines, in the same way as little monsters often hide behind your graphics card :-)

Seriously he may have meant that you got the virus from your internet connection. This is entirely possible since once a machine is infected it will scan for other machines near it on the internet and try to infect them.

Basically in order to keep virus-free you need to:

1. Go through Windows Update and install all of the updates to Windows and Internet Explorer. If in doubt, install everything. Many of the bugs that let viruses in are quickly fixed but if you don't keep your system up to date you won't have the latest fixes.

2. Turn on the notification for new critical updates and install them promptly.

3. Be very very careful when opening emails. Never open an email with an attachment unless you expect it and know the sender. Never ever click OK to the warning box if you are about to be shown an exe, scr, or pif file.

4. Be very very careful when downloading programs from the internet. Steer clear of most of them unless you know them to be safe. Whenever you get a warning box saying something is about to be installed, read the box carefully and think whether it is what you expect, particularly if the web page you came from said to click OK!

5. If you do all of that, you won't actually need firewalls, virus scanners, or adware removers. I have been operating happily for years without any of these, although I now have a firewall because it happens to come with my router. The message here is that all of these programs are over-hyped and won't protect you effectively if you don't get points 1 though 4 right. If you do have virus scanners, be sure to keep them up to date with new virus definitions.

In addition to Kayak's excellent advise, you should consider setting the updates to automatically install. This does require that you leave the computer on at the scheduled time.

well adaware seems to have got rid of it but I now cannot seem to get the standard toolbar up - home back forward etc - any ideas?

on edit - operator error - sorted now.

Hey Dalios, think what you would have saved if you had just asked for some help here, we could have sorted it all out for free. I think there are a few decades worth of IT professionals here, I can only contribute about 27 years worth ;-)

Skinny, you all OK now?

Yes thanks very much Spaceman.

My son in law's speakers are not working.
The light on the right hand speaker is on .

I have had a look at sounds audio devices in the control panel.
The screen is white and is not working the audio device is disabled.

He has XP windows.
In Display managers in sounds there are 5 ? in yellow.
Unable to uninstall.
How can you help

Give me 10k Dailos and I'll tell you where England are going wrong .... on second thoughts I'll do it for free , my pleasure :-)

ARLY BARLEY, first try uninstalling the devices. Normally when there are several connected devices, one is the master device and you need to remove that one in Device Manager: the others will be removed automatically but wouldn't be removed if you tried to do them individually. The master device should have an obvious name like "sound card driver" but won't necessarily be flagged as having a problem. Then reboot and the devices should all be reinstalled. If that fails you will need to reinstall the sound card driver.

I have a problem with the graphics. Recently started using Dow Jones Newswires service. Initially OK, but I now find that it is causing the monitor to "jump" as if a monitor problem. The monitor is fine without this software running.

I have tried adjusting refresh rates and resolutions etc, using 1280x1024@70Hz

I have changed the graphics card to another unit and the problem persists so it would seem not specific to the card.

XP pro, 1024Mb 400DDR, and Barton 2500 processor, Gigabyte motherboard, so I would assume nothing to do with the available memory etc.

Asides from stop using DJ, any thoughts?

2Abbey

This could be a difficult one to track down but I would start by downloading the latest drivers for your graphics card.