UNSOLVED
path not found - virus?
I am running Windows XP on a Dell Latitude D620 laptop. My user account runs through a local college network where I work. Yesterday I updated my Symnatec antivirus program, and then tried to run a scan, but the program ran very slowly. I then ran an AVG virus scan and picked up 4 threats that AVG removed. However, I no longer can access any of my files from the desktop - I'll click on an icon, say, for Firefox MOzilla, only to be told the path can't be located. This happens to every program. When I reboot, a series of message come up as the computer is loading saying "Firefox encountered a problem" etc. However, if I click on the icons when they first appear as the computer is loading, the program will open. But once the computer is finished loading, I can't access the icons at all. When I run the AVG antivirus program, it says the computer is clean (except for tracking cookies). Somehow I think updating the Symnatec program corrupted something in the loading sequence, but I'm not sure what.
Any thoughts?
The Symantec program was put in place by the college (which loans the laptop) and I'm not sure I can deactivate it. I added the AVG program. Both of them boot up when the computer loads, but I've never had a problem until yesterday when I manually updated the Symantec program. I can try to uninstall the AVG program, although it has twice caught viruses on my computer that slipped through symantec.
Joe posted some good advice. Running more than one anti-virus program can actually make you less secure.
With more than one anti-virus program on the same computer, there is a chance for conflicts if a virus gets on the machine. Each of the anti-virus programs wants to "control" the situation and in some cases, the task of removing the virus does not get done at all.
You will also experience slowdown as each is trying to run in realtime, and you run the risk of data loss from a system crash that the instability can cause.A better option would be to keep one good anti-virus, keep it current, and use it as designed.
I suggest leaving Symantec and using an anti-malware program such as Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (rather than AVG Anti-Virus) to supplement your Symantec AV. You always have the option of using an online anti-virus scan as well and/or posting for help at a forum such as this.Use Add/Remove to uninstall AVG. Follow with running AVG's Removal Tool: http://www.avg.com/download-tools
Save the file to your desktop (or downloads folder in Vista), close all programs before running the Removal Tool (in Vista right click the file and select run as Administrator).
joe53
5 Journeyman
•
5772 Posts
•
17269 Points
543
0
Posted March 21st, 2009 20:00
yaz8:
Are you running 2 anti-virus programs in real-time? (Symantec and AVG). This is not advised, as conflicts can occur, and might explain your problems. I would uninstall one of them.