Strange Problem with Win XP 6

[TheCardMan]

I am running Win XP Pro with Symantec Internet Security Suite 2006. All of a sudden when I turn the computer on it looks like I lost everything. I no longer have my icons i used to have on my desktop, my quick launch button are gone and when I go into my documents nothing is there. Also when opening IE I get a Symantec Internet Security Home Page,not my normal Yahoo.com page. I have Cable modem if internet services.

Looking into it further I find that my profile is somehow pointing to a Temp folder Profile. I still see my profile folder in "Documents and Settings" and all my files are in there. But I can not point to it. If I copy/paste some files from my original profile folder and send it to the Temp folder, it shows up on the desktop. But after I restart it is gone again. I can not pull up iTunes with my music. Etc..

It will not allow me to change my home page in IE. I set it and restart and it goes back to the Symantec page. The page say something to the fact that Symantec has taken over IE due to a problem with your system. Don't know the exact wording but something like that.

I called Symantec and if I understood the guy correctly, which was hard, he said it was a easy fix. Something invaded my PC and that if they transfer me to thier professional services group they can fix it for a FEE. I said no way am I paying for something your product did not stop in the first place! So thay pointed me to a link that showed me how to regain permissions to allow the change in IE, but that did not work.

Anybody have any idea where I can start to resolve this?? Here of this before?

 

[ASG0856]

Have you checked through the Report Logs? This should tell you what the problem is.

Have You run a full system scan to see if it clears the problem?

Is there a facility on the Symentec Web Page, to which you are directed, to run a security Scan which may clear the problem?
ASG

 

[TheCardMan]

Where can I find the reports log?

I did run a full scan and it did not help.

Thx

 

[BMcAnly]

I ran into a similar problem. You can download/install/update NOD32 (trial). Run a scan in safe mode. It worked for me.

 

[linney]

The exact wording of any error message might help track down a solution.

Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

811151 - How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151

In Safe Mode you may be able to make changes that Symantec is preventing you from doing? This does not fix your main problem in that you have caught something nasty on your machine.

 

[joeh17]

Symptoms kindof sound like a duplicate profile also, since pretty much everything you lost was user specific. Do you have a .000 or .001 profile under Docs and Settings?

 

[DTracy]

Just move the thing back a couple of days from system restore.

 

[wolluf]

If system restore doesn't work, might be worth creating a new user and see if this successfully creates a non temporary profile when you log on. Then use linney's link above to copy your old profile to this new one.

 

[ASG0856]

Where are the Reports?
If you open the Internet Secutiry program , there will be a Reports and Statistics Option. Clicking on this will let you look at several different activities, one of which will list what the attack was.
ASG

 

[TheCardMan]

Removed Symantec and the IE home page can now be set back to normal. I am now attempting to move the users profile as outlined above.