My Computer Interface is Ruined

[Zuwxiv]

My computer is all messed up right now. It's not completely destroyed, applications work fine. I'm using Firefox right now, no problems. But anyway, here's what my desktop is looking like:



Note that my cursor has those bar-dots around it and look at the system tray icons.


Sequence of events:
Avast Antivirus needed to be re-registered (the free version) so I took the opportunity to try AVG for a while. I download and install AVG. About a week later, my computer tells me that it has an update to install, so I click the "Shut down and install update" button. (XP, downloaded the update automatically)

I honestly don't know if that was the last thing I did, but soon thereafter my computer is like that.

I scanned with AVG, it was having some weird problems, so I switched back to Avast. I did a boot-time scan, it got nothing. But when the boot-time scan was operating, tons of white rectangles were throughout the screen, spaced equidistant to eachother. Weird symbols were flashing - Japanese or something, or just weird symbols? - in the boxes. It just looked like the display was somehow messed up, I could try to describe it more accurately but that's the most of it.

Avast found nothing. Rescanned from the program, found nothing. Scanned with Ad-Aware, found nothing. Which is wierd, because I normally find at least something, but I'm not sure. I am careful about what I download, I don't use crap programs (for instance, browsing MySpace with IE and clicking on everything - not me.), I've been very good as far as this stuff goes - I've actually never had a problem with this computer. Other people have access to the PC, but I don't think anyone has used it recently.

Now I'm thinking that, if it was some Windows update that messed it up, it could be the drivers - which I'm updating now. I'm not sure if any virus can act like that through Windows, appearing like a normal update. All of my processes seem fine, but svchost.exe is taking up more memory than usual - but I think my wireless network may account for this. No damage so far, nothing seems wrong other than the appearance of some icons and the mouse, but it's bloody annoying.

Anyway, has anyone experienced something like this, and does anyone know how to fix it?

(Grr, this is why I like my iBook more...)

[westy159]

Your right, there could be a serious accident with the plane upside down like that.

But seriously i think (i'll give you a basic lecture here as you seem fairly experienced with computers) you should try downloading the latest drivers for your video card (but dont install them once they are downloaded!). Go into 'add or remove program' which is in your control panel and remove the old drivers, it will ask you to reboot your computer, do so, once the PC is loaded up again install the new drivers, after that it should ask to reboot again, do so and on load up...well, you tell me how things look.

[Incinerate_IV]

Use Driver Cleaner to clean uninstall it first.

[Zuwxiv]

Nice and clean!

A couple glitches:
Firefox is scrolling weird.
AVG thinks it's still installed.
The XP loading screen when the computer first starts up is still covered in strange boxes, I'll post a picture soon.

But I don't care, it works fine and that's what matters. And I think my system restore previously has more to do with that than anything else. Thanks for the help!

[L`zard]

Gentlemen;

Myself, I worship xp's 'Restore', and give up to it in sacrifice all the damn hd space it want's!

I've fingered myself into a corner more than once, especially during program updates, and once had the same sceen problems, and general wtf, over is happening here situation as described.

Restore may eat up system resources but me not care, as I discovered after a full OS over-write, that all my files where hiding in 'c:/my documents' under an old name.

Especially true for those that tend to make folders that hold folders full of folders, lol!

All my desktop was returned to me, lol, if ya get my drift.....(all your base..)

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes.........

[King Edward I]

try CCleaner it ususally works just scan with that!