Windows XP forum: virus changes desktop icons

what anti-malware programs you have used.

This is what you need;

A Firewall: I suggest you goto http://www.zonelabs.com and download and install their free ZoneAlarm firewall. This will help protect your computer from hackers. Once the ZoneAlarm firewall is installed and running, you can turn off the XP firewall, (which you should have been using).

Try an online scan for malware at http://housecall.trendmicro.com and set it to "fix all problems" and run the scan.

Also, you need an antivirus program. I suggest AVG7, a free program from http://www.grisoft.com.

And an anti-adware program. Free program is Ad-Aware SE Personal from http://www.lavasoftusa.com

And 2 spyware programs, Spybot Search and Destroy from http://www.safer-networking.org/

and SpywareBlaster from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

I am also trying out Microsoft's new, (or newly acquired), AntiSpyware software in addition to all the above. It seems ok so far.

Make sure your Windows Operating System, (OS), is up to date. To do this, goto Start, and click the Windows Update link. Beware, if you have not been to Windows Update before, there may be a lot of critical and other updates your OS needs to download.

All of these anti-malware programs (except the firewall), need to have their virus/adware/spyware definitions updated as soon as they are installed, and then each one used to scan your computer immediately. Then keep the definitions updated regularly, and scan often.

If none of this fixes the icon problem, goto http://www.microsoft.com and search there for "Tweakui", This is a utility program for Windows, (you need the XP version), that you can use to personalize your Operating System. One of the options it has is to "Repair/rebuild icons".

Good luck

Mark