graphic/avatar issue

[scarfyrre]

Hi  I'm a mod on a message board and sometimes we get reports on avatars.  Well, I can't see some of them (I see some), and the tech says there's no reason for this.  I don't know if this happens on other forums or web sites because no one actually says for me to check it out.

I use IE6, nvidia graphics card, XP, um, not sure what else might be needed.  I used to play games like DAoC and WoW and never had a problem, so I'm not sure what's up, but suddenly certain applications are disappearing on my computer.  I've lost paint and the calculator so far.

So, I can't see some avatars on a message board and something is eating applications.  No viruses found and I've run several different virus finders.

I'm stumped.

[Fed]

Do it for me & come back with any findings.  

Online Virus Scan and Spyware Scan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm

Online Malware Scan
http://www.ewido.net/en/

[Rob Pomeroy]

something is eating applications

What exactly do you mean by that?

[scarfyrre]

I've run Panda, McAfee, and other virus scans and I haven't any viruses.  The only thing the malware programs show (which I've also run about four or five) is harmless tracking cookies that I zap instsantly.  I'm still at a loss.

As for eating applications, that's what I mean.  They've gone poof.  They're no longer on my system.  Not listed on Accessories (or anywhere else) and not found when I do a search.  Poof.

I don't randomly delete lines of code or muck with my registry.  I just delete whaever program I don't use via add/remove (DAoC, Guild Wars, and some other games).  I'm not a wiz at computers, but I'm not someone that tries to "tidy" their computer and wipe the OS (I know someone who did that).

The graphics on this web site, I'm thinking it's them and not me.  I can see some but not others, and I don't get a red X or any other symbol.  It's just blank.

The Paint and calulator disappearing is something I cannot figure out.

Thanks

[Rob Pomeroy]

Does anyone else have access to this computer? Applications do NOT disappear on their own.

[scarfyrre]

My son sometimes plays Toon Town on it, but I generally start the game for him.  He doesn't touch anything else for fear of grounding.  He's seven and knows nothing about how my computer works.  And I tend to be extremely protective of my machine.

Generally, it's just me on it.  I check email, play a bit of WoW, go to my boards and MySpace, and tha's about it.  Virus up to date, I don't open spam, blah, blah, blah.

I'm stumped.

[Rob Pomeroy]

At the risk of being repetive, programs do not disappear on their own.  Someone or something is removing them.  Are you using an up to date firewall?  Is our computer part of a network?  How do you connect to the internet?  When you say the programs have disappeared, do you mean just from the Start Menu?  Have you looked on the hard drive (e.g. searched for "paint.exe")?

[scarfyrre]

Truly, I'm not stupid when it comes to computers.  I'm very careful with my machine, no one adds or removes programs without me actually doing it.  I have two firewalls, everything is up to date, and I've said I've searched and found neither paint nor the calculator.  I would have no reason to remove either.  So unless one of my dogs is messing with my computer, they went poof.

And I believe they probably could because a file needed for puttiing the sound icon in my tray went poof, and I've not installed nor removed software or hardware for that.  Microsoft is aware of that problem.

I assure you, I know enough about computers to know about firewalls, virus software, malware remover, not to muck with the registry, not to remove anything Microsoft related (basic XP), and all that good stuff.  I took a break between the Commodore 64 and my 486 with Win 3.1, but I've been using them steadily since 1996.  I install hardware and software on my own, I've installed drivers and an OS several times on built machines, and I take very good care of my computer.  Three people live in this house, and one is 7 and he doesn't have the ability to do anything without me, and the other is my husband who knows better to touch anything on my machine.  He has two of his own.

So, yea, I'm stumped.  It's annoying, but nothing major.  I'd just hate for the "computer demon" to eat anything else.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Oh.

I overlooked one other cause: harddrive failure.  It seems unlikely that hard drive problems would cause exactly this kind of problem, but it is not completely impossible.  Suggest running a full scandisk test (including surface scan).

By the way, you didn't answer my question: is (e.g.) Paint just missing from the Start Menu, or has it vanished from the hard drive?  On XP, it is normally located at %SystemRoot%\system32\mspaint.exe

[scarfyrre]

Not a thing with Paint.  I can reinstall it once I find the XP disc, but that is just weird.  So, calculator and Paint went poof, the file for my sound went crazy, and for some reason only I have the problem of not seeing avatars if uploaded instead of hosted on TAPS board.

Maybe the ghost that kept hiding things from me deleted the stuff.

Oh, plus my pop up blocker gets wonky and sometimes makes me hit ctrl and sometimes it doesn't.

I hope it's not my harddrive, but I reckon I better get to backing up.  Thanks for the help, I really do appreciate you answering my posts.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Hard drives have a way of failing at the worst possible

















Just kidding.  Do that backup.  At this stage, a resintallation would not go amiss.  Yes, I know that's the default "if all else fails" answer, but I didn't think you'd take me seriously if I suggested calling a priest to exorcise your application-munching PC demon.

[dl65]

 scarfyrre......  This turning into a very interesting topic . You have never said if you have SP2 installed and all the available updates from M/S ........
Reading your posts, I wonder what else is missing or has gone poof from the accessories folder ........
Could you take a screenshot of your accessories folder and post it for us to see..... This is what mine looks like ........ oops you can't take a screen shot ..... you dont have paint.

Have a look and see if any others are missing .

dl65  

[Fed]

Is that Adobe Reader & Realplayer I see there DL65?  

[Fed]

Search for [highlight]mspaint.exe[/highlight]
BTW, did you ever run Ewido?

[soybean]

Is that Adobe Reader & Realplayer I see there DL65?  

dl65, remove Adobe Reader 6.0 and install the latest version, 7.0.8.  It's must faster.