Latest Windows Updates Cause Folders to disappear from desktop

[hello people]

Hey guys...these latest Updates have caused my various folders...music, downloads, images, docs....all my self made folders to disappear from the desktop. In addition Windows reverted back to default settings, I lost all my Firefox favourites and FF wasn't recognised anymore as my default browser, Windowes themes all reverted to default....basically a big scramble and mess. I did system restore and am back to normal...but Windows still wants to update.

What should I do? These updates are messing my PC up...but the updates are listed as 'critical'....what should I do?

thanks

 

[NoelDP]

It sounds as if the system has created a new User Profile because of corruption.
Try using System Restore to get back to a time before the problem arose.

 

[NoelDP]

Sorry - misread it....

Please follow the instructions at http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...4840-windows-update-posting-instructions.html and post the requested information.

 

[hello people]

Ok...well the restore point that my PC went back to was not acceptable for me because I lost too much saved stuff between the restore points. So I had to undo the restore...which leaves me with my folders gone from desktop. If I search for the names of those folders they can be 'found' in Windows Explorer and they say they are on the 'desktop'....which they aren't...but everything is there in the folders.

So...how can I get them back?

How can I fix what these updates have done?

Should I follow the directions gven in post 3?



thanks

 

[NoelDP]

That sounds like you have a variant of ZeroAccess malware present. - or your folders have moved off-screen because of resolution changes.



Please boot to Safe Mode with Networking and download and install Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free version) from http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/ - UNtick 'Enable free trial of MBAM PRO' at the end of the installation - and update it, then run a full scan in your main account, and Quick scans in any other user accounts.

Delete everything it finds

 

[hello people]

I just ran a full scan on C drive....what do you mean by 'main account' and 'other user accounts'? I'm the only user of the computer.

The full C drive scan turned up nothing.

What to do now?

Will a reinstall solve this problem?

 

[NoelDP]

It certainly *should* do, unless there's a rootkit present.
Since you only have one active account, that's your main one

Check your desktop Personalisation details - the screen resolution etc., and ensure that you have up-to-date drivers installed for the graphics adapter.

 

[hello people]

Ok

I am following this Remove ZeroAccess rootkit (Uninstall Guide) advice...but I don't see how it can help me get back my stuff that was in folders on my desktop.

Immediately after the Windows updates my computer restarted and the folders were gone and everything was set back to default (Windows themes etc)...so I searched My Computer for folders I knew were on my desk...they were found and the search indicated that yeah they are on the desktop...of course...they were not.

So I did a system restore...which got the folders back no problem...only the folders were restored back to an earlier time where a lot of the content that I had put in those folders was not present. So I undid system restore.

Now when I search My Computer for those desktop folders most of the content is gone...seemingly it only finds what was in there at the last restore point...which means I have lost a lot of stuff.

Can you undo a system restore undo??

lol

What a mess.

At this stage I want to reinstall...but if you say there is some lurking rootkit thing then that won't do me any good.

 

[NoelDP]

There are some very sophisticated rootkits out there, and they can need more than just a standard reformat/reinstall. If you find any real trace, then I recommend visiting a specialist malware site for assistance, as they will probably be able to recover at least some of your files.

Make sure that you enable viewing of Hidden and System files when looking for your files - they may simply have had the attribute switched.

There's also the possibility of physical damage to the disk being the root cause - you may want to test that using the HD manufacturer's utility.

 

[hello people]

Good times ahead

 

[hello people]

Might be time to turn Mac

 

[hello people]

The plot thickens...


Seems I have NOT lost any of the folders or files that were on my desktop.


They can be found here, where 'Floating' is the name of one of the folders I had on my desktop:


C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop\Floating


Everything is there...all the other folders that used to be on my desktop and that disappeared are there too.
I tried to copy a simple doc file from that location to the desktop...no problem. So theoretically I can just copy the lot from that location right back onto the desktop....restart and keep my fingers crossed that they stay there on the restart.


The question is...why and how did they go from the desktop to the Windows\System32\config\systemprofile location where they are now???


And that's led me to this site:


Solved: c:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop - Tech Support Guy Forums


Where the guy seems to be describing my problem...and it happened to him right after an....update...hmmm...
I don't have the energy to read it tonight...so will check it out later.

 

[zoznoz]

Hey, I have the same problem as well. 15 'updates', 12 of which classified important, automatically installed when I shut down my computer last night. I wake up this morning to find a default background, default sidebar and my folders/non-default icons missing. I tried to system restore it back 2 weeks, which said it failed cause I had an anti-virus program open or something. Although my system didn't restore, it seems everything is back to normal even with all my files between the last two weeks. The updates are still there and I am very suspicious about this. A quick malware scan showed nothing, a flame virus detector (found on here) showed nothing and same for AVG free. Does windows release a list of updates, so I can verify which ones are correct? Is there anything else I should do?

The following is my full malware bytes scan, found nothing...

11/01/2013 12:32:47 PM
mbam-log-2013-01-11 (12-32-47).txt

Scan type: Full scan (C:\|D:\|)
Scan options enabled: Memory | Startup | Registry | File System | Heuristics/Extra | Heuristics/Shuriken | PUP | PUM
Scan options disabled: P2P
Objects scanned: 405223
Time elapsed: 46 minute(s), 49 second(s)

Memory Processes Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Files Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)

(end)

 

[NoelDP]

@zoznoz
Please start a NEW THREAD of your own with all the details.

 

[hello people]

How about my latest news?

I've just tried this:

Trojan.Zeroaccess Removal Tool | Symantec

I just ran that and it didn't find anything. Scan didn't seem to last for more than 5 seconds though...so...who knows.

I haven't lost any data at all...as I said earlier...I found the location where everything from my desktop went to. I don't know why it's where it is...but I was able to copy it all and paste it to an external.

So...everything is alright...except for the fact that 160gig worth of stuff that used to be on my desktop warped itself over to some obscure folder in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop...

But...I still think that I am going to do a reinstall...now I just have to figure out how to do a reinstall that completely nukes the hell out of everything and installs a totally new instance of Windows.

 

[hello people]

Any thoughts?

 

[NoelDP]

None of any consequence
It sounds to me like a case of a corrupted link somewhere.
What on earth the files would be doing in that location, I have no idea, and would be afraid to hazard a guess!

 

[hello people]

Virus?

 

[NoelDP]

dunno - not one that I know of!

 

[hello people]

Well I've had some people...or maybe it was just one person started all this...telling me that I may have Zero Access Rootkit virus...

I've scanned the hell out of my PC...it's clean