System restore after a virus

[darrinriley]

i received a virus and removed it. i am now trying to use the system restore back date before i received the virus however the computer will not allow me to use a date prior to the virus getting into the system. Can you help?

 

[me 1]

sorry, but I have to ask:
If you removed the virus and everything is ok, then why do U need system restore?

Anyways,
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302796

 

[Hawkeye22]

That may be a bad idea anyhow. If the system restore feature backed up an infected file, restoring will reintroduce it.

Also, the virus may have wiped all prior restore point ensuring that any new restore points created will contain infected files.

 

[darrinriley]

sorry, but I have to ask:
If you removed the virus and everything is ok, then why do U need system restore?

Anyways,
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302796

well not everything is the same as it was before the virus got onto the computer
doing a system restore will bring the computer back to how I had it orginally

 

[darrinriley]

That may be a bad idea anyhow. If the system restore feature backed up an infected file, restoring will reintroduce it.

Also, the virus may have wiped all prior restore point ensuring that any new restore points created will contain infected files.

once i got the virus i research and found malwaresbytes for free through file hippo. i download it and ran it. the virus disappered but the desktop settings did not return to the orginal settings. i then receive the same virus on my work computer. i took it the company's IT and he removed the virus manually and show me how to unhide all the files that where closed by the virus. He then did a system restore which brought the work computer back to it original settings. i then went back to my personal computer and unhidded everything but when i ran system restore to a date prior to the virus the system restore would say can not restore to this date. i tried doing it under safe mode with command prompt for window XP pro but i recieved the same message "can not restore to this date". if you have any suggestions i am all ears. i don't believe that the virus was that damging just a scam to get people to pay for the virus removal.

 

[Hawkeye22]

If the date is grayed out, no restore point is available for that day. Other than that, see this link.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302796

 

[darrinriley]

i am not having problemw with grayed out dates the system restore will not restore prior to the date the virus got onto the computer. it gose through the process and then says could not restore to that date pict another date.

 

[Hawkeye22]

Other than trying to run system restore from safe mode, I don't know what else for you to try.

 

[me 1]

Oh come on, if you're Windows it's working ok, and it's just a few settings...
By desktop settings, U mean wallpaper, icons, quicklaunch , apparence, that stuff...?
That can easy be changed back, or is it something else ? Sorry but I have to ask.
U can make a system restore by recovery console, but I don't see the point and I usually recommend it when U CAN'T get into Windows ...

 

[Hawkeye22]

Personally, if it were me, I would have just restored from a known clean backup image and be done with it.

Because the OP can't get system restore to work properly I am convinced that even though the malware removal may have been successful, it has left the OS in a semi-broken state.

My recommendation is a clean install since the OP has no backups.