Windows XP help please!

[skittles945]

Hello, I have a number of problems running Windows XP. I think I accidentally highlighted the wrong thing in the add/remove programs list, and now have a number of problems. I'm not sure what program was deleted, I was removing a number of HP games, Safari, and think I must have removed something important because I noticed the problems started right after that. I can't open the All Programs section in the start menu, Windows Media Player won't work, and the left double-click doesn't work when trying to open a program (right clicking and selecting open still works though). There are a few things missing from the start menu, including the Search, Help and Support, Set Program Access and Defaults, Printers and Fax, and Run... All the icons in the start menu have been replaced by a little white box with symbols in it, and that same icon has mysteriously appeared on my desktop with no title. I ran a scan for viruses just in case which came back clean. What did I remove and what can I do to fix these problems? Please help!

 

[Hawkeye22]

I don't know of any program that would effect your start menu like that and cause double clicking to stop functioning. This sure sounds like a virus. I'd try running scans with some other software. Malwarebytes is a good place to start.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

 

[skittles945]

Thanks for the suggestion but Malwarebytes is what I used once this happened... any other ideas?

 

[ktownmike]

Do a system restore to a point it was previously working after

Downloading the select version of

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

And running it.

 

[skittles945]

I ran a full scan and it found nothing. I don't know how to do a system restore, can you help?

 

[Hawkeye22]

System restore:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084

 

[skittles945]

Thanks again for your help, but now I have new problems. I'm missing a bunch of things in the start menu so I was able to find the system tools in windows explorer. There is an icon for a shortcut to system restore there, but when I select it, a box comes up that says webpage error, and asks if I want to debug the webpage (underneath this it says Line:22 Error: Access is denied). If I select Yes, a Just-In-Time Debugging box opens, and asks me to select a debugger from the list - this list is empty.

We had our computer set up of two of us can use it, and neither of us is the designated system administrator so I'm not sure why it says access denied. On the link you gave, it has steps to verify if you are the administrator, but I can't do that either because the Run... option is also missing from the start menu. Do you have any other ideas?

 

[ktownmike]

Keep tapping f8 during reboot, choose safe mode and give you the option to do a system restore. Before you do that pick your version and run http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

 

[skittles945]

I just tried in safe mode, but had most of the same problems. When I tried to do the system restore it just opened a blank box. I think it's toast...