Help ... my PC is running amok!

[Twills]

When I am working in any program or on-line, every few minutes Start
menu suddenly pops up and then, in quick succession, a series of about 6 or 7
what seems to be random windows that would normally be accessed from the
start menu. It ends with the home page of a program or some other screen
such as Windows Explorer. The whole system then freezes up. By hitting
Ctl/Alt/Del I can select 'end' to get rid of the unwanted screen, and then I
can close the other screens. Sometimes I can simply resume with what I was
doing, but other times that program closes automatically. It also messes
with my desktop, rearranging the icons and adding new short-cut icons or
duplicating existing ones. It has switches the bar which is usually at the
bottom of the screen to the top or side.


I have run my Norton Anti-Virus and Spyware Doctor programs, but nothing has
been detected. I have also run McAfee Stinger with the same result.

I am very cautious about what sites I visit and what I download, and with
the above two programs running, I cannot see how a virus may have slipped the
net.

Can anyone suggest what the problem might be, as it is truly driving me crazy.

Many thanks.

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

"Twills" > wrote in message
...
> When I am working in any program or on-line, every few minutes Start
> menu suddenly pops up and then, in quick succession, a series of about 6
or 7
> what seems to be random windows that would normally be accessed from the
> start menu. It ends with the home page of a program or some other screen
> such as Windows Explorer. The whole system then freezes up. By hitting
> Ctl/Alt/Del I can select 'end' to get rid of the unwanted screen, and then
I
> can close the other screens. Sometimes I can simply resume with what I was
> doing, but other times that program closes automatically. It also messes
> with my desktop, rearranging the icons and adding new short-cut icons or
> duplicating existing ones. It has switches the bar which is usually at the
> bottom of the screen to the top or side.
>
>
> I have run my Norton Anti-Virus and Spyware Doctor programs, but nothing
has
> been detected. I have also run McAfee Stinger with the same result.
>
> I am very cautious about what sites I visit and what I download, and with
> the above two programs running, I cannot see how a virus may have slipped
the
> net.
>
> Can anyone suggest what the problem might be, as it is truly driving me
crazy.
>
> Many thanks.
>

Run msconfig.exe via Start/Run, then untick every unknown
item under the Startup tab. Does this fix the problem?

Also: Do you have a hardware or software firewall (or an
ADSL router)?

[EL RAMBO]

You should do what pegasus suggested and I would personally download the
following freeware from cnet.com downloads at:
http://www.winhelponline.com/
download ad aware and spyboot and run a scan. they usually will detect
malware that other popular security programs will not.
Best of luck
truly

Rambo

did that help?
--
http://spaces.msn.com/members/soytutata


"Twills" wrote:

> When I am working in any program or on-line, every few minutes Start
> menu suddenly pops up and then, in quick succession, a series of about 6 or 7
> what seems to be random windows that would normally be accessed from the
> start menu. It ends with the home page of a program or some other screen
> such as Windows Explorer. The whole system then freezes up. By hitting
> Ctl/Alt/Del I can select 'end' to get rid of the unwanted screen, and then I
> can close the other screens. Sometimes I can simply resume with what I was
> doing, but other times that program closes automatically. It also messes
> with my desktop, rearranging the icons and adding new short-cut icons or
> duplicating existing ones. It has switches the bar which is usually at the
> bottom of the screen to the top or side.
>
>
> I have run my Norton Anti-Virus and Spyware Doctor programs, but nothing has
> been detected. I have also run McAfee Stinger with the same result.
>
> I am very cautious about what sites I visit and what I download, and with
> the above two programs running, I cannot see how a virus may have slipped the
> net.
>
> Can anyone suggest what the problem might be, as it is truly driving me crazy.
>
> Many thanks.
>