had what I think is a virus on computer, deleted it with avg6.0, used adware too, turned off system restore etc., downloaded a load of fixes from symantec but whenever I turn computer on these icons about 6 of em still keep appearing on my desktop no matter how many times I delete them and restart my system can anyone help please?  Also changes homepage every time I restart computer too, scanning computer now shows it to be clear?  I'm totally confused.

i have found that, if I delete my temp internet files and cookies before I run the AVG, that the virus is removed before running AVG.I know which particular pops ups are causing the virus, I would recommend also putting panicware free pop up stopper on.

good luck

I have just done that and unfortunately it hasn't worked.  I'm totally baffled, saying no virus detected on two separate checkers but homepage always changed and these icons keep coming up on desktop (same ones each time)  I'm lost!

Are you using two seperate virus checkers? if so they could be conflicting and not giving a accurate result. Also if there in the archives sometimes they cant be found. Best advice IMO is to back up important files on floppy and wipe clean (reformat) and start again. Unless you want to keep having this prob if you cant fix it.

if the icons have a particular name, go to start, search, and type in their particular name. If the names of the icons come up then delete the files (making sure you are not deleting system files) alternatively, go to start, right click and explore, have a look in program files and check that this virus hasnt added a new program to your PC. If you can find the one you are looking for then delete it.

If none of that works and you would like more help  PM me and I'll try helping you

I have rang PC word they advised me to download spybot but still they come back, so I haven't called them back. They did say I may have to format to original settings!  What a pain!  I'm not technical minded enough to know what else to do I'm afraid but will just try the above once.

I often format my pc but, I would only recommend doing one if you have all your system disks and are perfectly happy in what you are doing. You lose a lot of info and unless you havnt got much on your PC its not worth doing unless you are definately virus infected. Have you updated AVG 6 recently?

like i say if you need any more help PM me or my msn messenger is nikkinokkinu@hotmail.com  I will help where at all ncessary

If you reformat make sure you have ALL the drivers, CD's, software etc... for everything that you want put back on the system. Also save any work to floppy as everything will be wiped. If your not running XP maybe its worth considering upgrading. I had to reformat my pc and i was on win 98 2nd edtion so i upgraded to XP. Depending on your area i know some people who can do this for you.

i do have windows xp.  They say it's spyware rather than a virus, just can't get rid of those damn icons, problem is my youngest is only 10 and although we all have our own user area some of the icons are not how shall I say appropriately named for her to see so have had to tell her computer broken for a while.  Nothing seems to make the icons go or the homepage to remain on msn as it always has been on something american right now even though i keep changing it.

I have pm'd privately but thought other users may like to know of a program I discovered last night. Its called Bazooka Spyware Scanner.

go to www.download.com to download. It found loads of stuff on my pc and also provided me with detailed instructions on how to remove the infection files. I was amazed because i thought I was clear, using my firewall, anti virus and adaware, but this brought up 6 more spyware programs embedded deep in my registry!!

good luck all  :-)

Do you make sure your anti virus and Ad-aware etc are regularly updated? I've kept forgetting to update my Ad-aware and I've just run it then updated and run again and it got 220 new objects second time!!

Kath. (embarrassed but now clean :D)

You have what is commonly known as a "home page hijack" on your system, do a search on Google to find out more.

They can be a bl**dy nightmare to remove, I had to alter the registry settings and system startup files on my system once to kill one off !

You could try Spyware Blaster if Adaware didn't get it this one might.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

In the tools section you can alter the home page and elsewhere lock it out to further attacks.

i've just downloaded that and homepage is now back to original for this I thank you immensely the only problem I have now is the icons because they won't go but hopefully with ebonydawn's download which I have done but don't understand it may just get rid of them  here's hoping! fingers crossed etc.,  Thanks Lesley

It's likely that the icons are being placed there from something in your system start up but you could do more harm than good by deleting the wrong things in there.

You could try this though although I don't know if it is ideal ?

You can hide an icon which just makes it invisible by right clicking it selecting properties/general/ and ticking the "hidden" box then ok.

Maybe not the best long term solution though.

Let me guess the icons on your desktop, one looks like the Internet Explorer 'E' icon, and one looks like a tower block yes?

And as well as changing your homepage, have you looked in your favourites list lately? I suspect you will find that there's about 15 new items in your list including new folders....

Like Fablab said, its not a virus, more of a hijack/spyware.

I usually find this happens every so often, usually if you've just installed a games programme, or visited a site that's less than trustworthy - I don't mean you've been looking at anything dodgy, just less reputable than the bbc or something we generally trust, maybe you followed a link to something on Google and that particular site was the troublemaker.

When this happens, I always run ad-aware, spybot, delete all the icons from my desktop, delete all the new 'favourites' that have appared,then go into system tools and do a disk clean-up and defrag, and set my homepage back to what it should be and restart.  So far, everything has always gone, I've never switched back on to find the icons still there after I've deleted them though.  If this keeps happening, it sounds like you need to do what Fablab says and get rid of them through the Registry Key thingy, but this is dodgy and I only do this if I'm REALLY sure I'm getting rid of the right thing!  Do you have any chums who are a bit good with pc's who could come round and do it for you?

I'm currently suffering with a self-installing toolbar that I just CAN NOT get rid of.  I've searched my program files for it to no avail, and I can't see it in the registry key set-up, so for the time being I'm stuck with it until I can get a chum to come round and do a proper re-format for me.

yes you are right and my favourites have been added to.  I'm gonna get my eldest son to look at it when I catch him but he works shifts and when he's just got up not a good time to get him to do anythin on PC so will have to wait a few days and then he'll hopefully sort it now Ebonydawn has given me a few pointers.  The homepage is fixed just need rid of the icons.  Don't know what site or whoever was on computer last before it happened as there are 5 regular users of the PC ages from 42 down to 10 and although I try to keep track of what they are doing I can't sit with em all the time.  Hopefully it will get sorted soon.

Hi again Lesley

You say there are 5 other users. Do they have their own profiles? If so go to user accounts and make them limited users, then only the system administrator (you) can make drastic changes.

Also if you downloaded Bazooka (and it found things you cant remove)and arnt sure how to follows the instrcutions, I could possibly help you by messenger, either aol, msn or yahoo.

hope things are getting better  :-)