Can't straighten out my folders...their order is very messed up.

1a. Was Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) originally offered & installed via Windows Update or did you intentionally choose to install it?

1b. In Windows Explorer [WinKey+E], navigate to & right-click on

    • **C:\Program Files**Microsoft Security Client <=this folder

Select Properties: What is the Created date displayed on the resulting General tab?

1c. What ANTIMALWARE CLIENT version is currently installed? To find out, open MSE & click on the downward-pointing arrow to the right of HELP then select ABOUT SECURITY ESSENTIALS.

2. What anti-virus application was installed before you installed MSE, was your subscription still current, and did you uninstall it before you installed MSE?

3a. Assuming you used/Activate it, had the preinstalled McAfee free-trial period already expired by the time you replaced it with another anti-virus application (e.g., MSE)?

3b. Did you (a) uninstall the McAfee free-trialware AND THEN (b) download/run the McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool & reboot (c) BEFORE you installed any other anti-virus application?

4. Has SAS, Spybot and/or MBAM ever detected & removed anything?
5. Is Spybot Resident Tea Timer enabled?
6. Do you have backups of ALL the changes CCleaner's Registry Cleaner has EVER made to your computer? [1]

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[1] Injudicious use of registry cleaners may be playing a role here. TIP: If you ever again think your Registry needs to be cleaned, repaired, boosted, tuned-up, cured, tweaked, fixed, maximized, "swept" or optimised (it doesn't), read http://chris.pirillo.com/are-registry-cleaners-safe-to-use/ and/or http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/04/why-i-dont-use-registry-cleaners/ then draw your own conclusions.  Related => http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2563254

1a. I chose to install it. Working on my old computer I found that the paid security sites slowed the computer down and cause problems.  I have had no problems with this program (that I know of).

1b. 1/30/2011

1c. Antimalware Client Version: 4.3.215.0

Engine Version: 1.1.9700.0

Antivirus definition: 1.155.2339.0

Antispyware definition: 1.155.2339.0

Network Inspection System Engine Version: 2.1.9700.0

Network Inspection System Definition Version: 106.0.0.0

2. What anti-virus application was installed before you installed MSE, was your subscription still current, and did you uninstall it before you installed MSE? At age 63 I must say I don’t really remember.  According to my receipt it had McAfee and I THINK I had tried Avast or some other program that began with the letter A but didn’t care for them. See 3a. 

3a.I can’t remember. But I did find notes that say on 1/29/08 “would not let me connect to online mcafee login, dell help, etc.  After doing a restore point to try and fix it myself I called Dell.  They had me save all then turn off and on the press F* and do ‘restore to factory image’.  Then uninstall and reinstall McAfee.  This may have triggered me to look for another program.

3b. Again, sorry but I can’t remember and can find nothing that I documented that would answer this.

4 Usually only “minor” things like adware.  But I do remember having to contact Dell (I had a 3-year support plan) because I did get the virus that tells you that you must install some kind of program to keep viruses out of your computer and it completely locked up my computer.  I don’t know why there are no notes on this but I do remember this is when I installed MBAM and that took away the problem.  That’s also when I began using “web of trust” if I recall.  But mostly they find nothing that is a real problem. 

5. I went to Spybot to find out what this is and while they claim it is always enabled, I could neither find a way to get to “it” on my computer nor can I remember it ever stopping me from doing anything.  I have only had this program installed for a few months.
6. I don’t like admitting this but at first I did backup before they fixed things but now I never do and don’t even know where they’d be on the computer.

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[1] Okay, I’ve read both and what I get from this is that, I can use CCleaner to clean my computer but do NOT use the Registry cleaner section?  I will no longer use this feature after reading this.  I usually follow the advice of Kim Komando which is where I learned about the cleaner but I am not a paid user there and all of my cleaners, protection is the free variety.

1a. I chose to install it. Working on my old computer I found that the paid security sites slowed the computer down and cause problems.  I have had no problems with this program (that I know of).

1b. 1/30/2011

1c. Antimalware Client Version: 4.3.215.0

 

2.At age 63 I must say I don’t really remember.  According to my receipt it had McAfee and I THINK I had tried Avast or some other program that began with the letter A but didn’t care for them. See 3a.

3a.I can’t remember. But I did find notes that say on 1/29/08 “would not let me connect to online mcafee login, dell help, etc.  After doing a restore point to try and fix it myself I called Dell.  They had me save all then turn off and on the press F* and do ‘restore to factory image’.  Then uninstall and reinstall McAfee.  This may have triggered me to look for another program.

3b. Again, sorry but I can’t remember and can find nothing that I documented that would answer this.

4 Usually only “minor” things like adware.  But I do remember having to contact Dell (I had a 3-year support plan) because I did get the virus that tells you that you must install some kind of program to keep viruses out of your computer and it  completely locked up my computer.  I don’t know why there are no notes on this but I do remember this is when I installed MBAM and that took away the problem.  That’s also when I began using “web of trust” if I recall.  But mostly they find nothing that is a real problem.

5. I went to Spybot to find out what this is and while they claim it is always enabled, I could neither find a way to get to “it” on my computer nor can I remember it ever stopping me from doing anything.  I have only had this program installed for a few months.
6. I don’t like admitting this but at first I did backup before they fixed things but now I never do and don’t even know where they’d be on the computer.

IN RE your footnote: Okay, I’ve read both and what I get from this is that, I can use CCleaner to clean my computer but do NOT use the Registry cleaner...

Roll up your sleeves & try the following multi-step fix that I've cooked up just for your computer. (Nothing in the fix can possibly harm your computer.)

ACTIONS

[You will want to print these instructions for offline reference. IMPORTANT => DON'T SKIP ANY STEP & perform all Steps in one, uninterrupted session! If a Step says to reboot,reboot! ]

1. Right-click on the following link, select SAVE TARGET AS... & download the McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool, saving it to your desktop: http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust\_support\_patches/MCPR.exe
2. Close all open applications (i.e., anything with an icon on the taskbar).
3. If you have ANY CCleaner Registry Cleaner backups, restore ALL of them then reboot. See...

• CCleaner - How do I restore registry backups?:

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/faq/using/how-do-i-restore-registry-backups

4. Right-click on the file you saved in Step #1 above and select Run as Administrator to run the utility. Don't TOUCH your keyboard until the run completes, then reboot.
5. Re-assert Internet Explorer as the default Browser in the CUSTOM (<=important!) section of Set Program Access and Computer Defaults. [1]

6a. Right-click on the following link. select SAVE TARGET AS & save the download to your desktop: http://www.slipstick.com/problems/reg/chromehtml.reg [2]

6b. Double-click on the file you saved in #6a above (i.e., chromehtml.reg) and accept the prompt to MERGE the data with your registry.

7. Open Internet Explorer (only!) to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737 [ignore any DOES NOT APPLY warnings as well as the APPLIES TO section] & run the Fix It.

Note=> For optimal results, check the Delete personal settings option.

8a. Open Internet Explorer (only!) to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910336 [ignore the title & Symptoms].

8b. IMPORTANT! => Dismiss/close the Windows Update troubleshooter pop-up! - then...

8c. Ignoring any "Not recommended" or similar warnings, run Fix It 50202 in DEFAULT and then AGGRESSIVE modes. [3]

9. Reboot once more & test - then...
10. Reply to this post with a status report.

COMMENT: You may have a corrupted User Profile. If so, we may be able to replace it. We'll see about that later on.

Good luck!

PS: Don't tempt fate => Stop using CCleaner's Registry Cleaner from now on.

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[1] After we've finished this thread, feel free to reassert Firefox ot Chrome as your default if you wish.

[2] Trusted Source: http://www.slipstick.com/problems/this-operation-has-been-cancelled-due-to-restrictions/

[3] Full Disclosure: Running the Fix It in AGGRESSIVE mode will delete your Update History but not the list of Installed Updates.

This is a more tight request for info from Windows. Do each command individually. Only copy the info relating to your user not the other users that is will show.

Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Type (or copy and paste by right clicking in the Command Prompt window and choosing Paste).

Then configure the command prompt. Right click the Command Prompt's titlebar - Properties - Layout tab - and enter 1000 for Screen Buffer Size Height and 43 (or 50) for Window Size Height. Change the Color (Color tab) and Font (Font tab) if you want.

reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" /v desktop

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User Shell Folders" /v "Common Desktop"

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /s /v /f "ProfileImagePath"

tree c:\users

dir c:\users /ad /s

To copy the text output right click the window - Mark then select the text and press Enter. Setting the Properties for the window means you can now scroll up to select the text that has scrolled off the top of the screen.

Okay, a lot of things going on here so it might be a day before I can do this.  To clarify, I'm doing this to be able to restore the mess I made of my documents folder, correct?  I'm not clear after reading all of this that that will be the case.