Desk top will not open

[JeansWinXP]

Hello,
when I double click OR right click open on my desktop icons, they don't do anything, then my desktop is frozen and I have to shutdown computer and reboot. Desktop is UN frozen again, until I try to open another shortcut icon. Not All of them do this, but a lot of them. These are desktop icons/shortcuts I put on the desktop.

 

[soundguruman]

Sounds pretty much like a virus infection. Can you open internet at all? A lot of viruses block internet connections, but try anyway. aford loves to download and scan with malware bytes, if you can get on the internet, download that and try to scan with it. Seems like that has worked before.

Could not get on the internet?
A. Have you tried to run system restore, setting the drive back to a time before the computer became corrupted? Some of the new viruses prevent system restore from running, but it''s worth a try. Restore does not erase your personal files and is reversible.
click start
click all programs
click accessories
click system tools
click system restore
check the box that says restore my computer to an earlier time, click next
select a bold date on the calender, a date before the problem started, click next
follow through with the restore directions
restart the computer after it finishes
if the system restore does not work, select an even earlier bold date on the calender and repeat the procedure
try this with at least four earlier dates before giving up and trying something else

could not run system restore?

B. Obtain a disk from the office supply store or Amazon, buy Panda Internet Security 2010 or Norton 360
Make sure your internet is connected
Put the disk in the drive and start the computer
The disk will connect, update, scan, neutralize the virus without starting windows, but it does not work with all viruses. A great deal of times it does work.
If the system is successfully restored, delete your current security and install and run the more advanced security from now on. Only use one security solution, not multiple systems.

C. In the last solution, you need a second computer with XP installed, and a high quality updated antivirus installed.
Remove the infected drive and install it as a second drive in the functional XP computer
Scan the bad drive with the functional anti virus in the second computer, quarantine or neutralize the virus.
Copy and back up your personal files from the bad drive with the second computer, this is very important.

D. If you were able to fix the drive, good. That has worked a bunch of times. In fact for me, it has worked every time.
If you were unable to get the virus out, you will need to reformat the drive, reinstall the OS and drivers, load your back up personal files that you saved with the second XP computer. Now you may want to use that more advanced security system I mentioned above, from now on, might be a good idea.

 

[JeansWinXP]

Hi
Yes, I can get to internet through "some" of my other icons, and through Internet Explorer (8), I believe it is particular shortcut icons that don't respond to the double click or right click>open, nothing happens, then freeze the desktop.

I just installed Norton Anti Virus 2010 5/28/2010 and Norton Utilities 5/27/2010, and I am fairly sure it has been since then that my icon problem started. I did read in another WinXP forum, that it might possibly be a conflict with (Norton)Symantec Intrusion Prevention add-on, and to disable it until Norton comes up with a fix or workaround.

I have just done the disable, and will be checking the desk top icons to see if they now work. I have auto live update set and will do a complete scan also, I just did one a few days ago and nothing showed up in Norton .
Thank you for your advice and I will print it out, and follow that next if needed.
I will come back and let you know if/what worked...
Thanks
Jeannie
JeansWinXP
________________________________________________

Sounds pretty much like a virus infection. Can you open internet at all? A lot of viruses block internet connections, but try anyway. aford loves to download and scan with malware bytes, if you can get on the internet, download that and try to scan with it. Seems like that has worked before.

Could not get on the internet?
A. Have you tried to run system restore, setting the drive back to a time before the computer became corrupted? Some of the new viruses prevent system restore from running, but it''s worth a try. Restore does not erase your personal files and is reversible.
click start
click all programs
click accessories
click system tools
click system restore
check the box that says restore my computer to an earlier time, click next
select a bold date on the calender, a date before the problem started, click next
follow through with the restore directions
restart the computer after it finishes
if the system restore does not work, select an even earlier bold date on the calender and repeat the procedure
try this with at least four earlier dates before giving up and trying something else

could not run system restore?

B. Obtain a disk from the office supply store or Amazon, buy Panda Internet Security 2010 or Norton 360
Make sure your internet is connected
Put the disk in the drive and start the computer
The disk will connect, update, scan, neutralize the virus without starting windows, but it does not work with all viruses. A great deal of times it does work.
If the system is successfully restored, delete your current security and install and run the more advanced security from now on. Only use one security solution, not multiple systems.

C. In the last solution, you need a second computer with XP installed, and a high quality updated antivirus installed.
Remove the infected drive and install it as a second drive in the functional XP computer
Scan the bad drive with the functional anti virus in the second computer, quarantine or neutralize the virus.
Copy and back up your personal files from the bad drive with the second computer, this is very important.

D. If you were able to fix the drive, good. That has worked a bunch of times. In fact for me, it has worked every time.
If you were unable to get the virus out, you will need to reformat the drive, reinstall the OS and drivers, load your back up personal files that you saved with the second XP computer. Now you may want to use that more advanced security system I mentioned above, from now on, might be a good idea.

 

[soundguruman]

Well alrighty then, update the Norton first, (some viruses will block your anti virus update) then scan away. However if you go back with a restore to before you installed Norton, You will need to reinstall it.

 

[JeansWinXP]

Hello... I disabled the Norton Antivirus 2010 - add-on Symantec Intrusion Preventive and restarted my computer and, happily, my desk top icons are now working and really have a really quick open time after double clicking the icon to go to the internet pages. I am going to go to the Norton/Symantec forum and see if this fix is known to others with the desk top icons not opening and freezing the desk top. ... AND if there is or will be a fix for the problem....
Thank you Soundguruman Sooooo Much for your help. I did print them out just in case I have any other problems....
Jeannie
JeansWinXP

 

[soundguruman]

are you saying that a conflict between antivirus and intrusion prevent caused the icons to disable? I think that's what you are finding out here.
I knew that multiple security programs could cause conflicts, but two programs from the same manufacturer? That's a new one.
If you want to get all those features, anti virus, intrusion prevent, etc...all in one program, try the Panda Internet Security, a suggestion.

 

[JeansWinXP]

Well, not sure Where to conflict was... maybe between Intrusion and my desktop Icon functions AND opening and using my Internet Explorer 8 was hanging and sometimes just not opening up at all... , Seemed to be the fix for the icon and internet explorer problem, when I disabled the intrusion preventative, ... but that Intrusion is an add-on that appeared when I installed Norton Anti virus 2010. I did read that fix in another forum, otherwise I wouldn't have ever thought of that particular fix. It is still working, but I am going back to the Norton forum to see if anyone has a work around instead of just to disable it.
Ok.. thanks for all your help ! , I will check out that panda Internet Security.
Jeannie
JeansWinXP