hi, i downloaded a new zone alarm trial (with anti-virus) after my previous one expired.A message popped up to tell me to restart the comp to complete installation. when i restarted my comp, the mouse wasn't working so i had to restart it again. When i did that i had to go thru a scan disk. after running the scan disk and filling in my password,the desktop starts to load.My mouse works but my desktop doesn't. The icons load but those that appear next to the time doesn't. the hourglass remains next to the arrow and nothing happens when i click on any icon even after waiting for some time.i can't even do a proper shutdown from my keyboard either. i recently used norton's antivirus 2004 to get rid of a backdoor trojan and even changed my comp system from windows xp to windows ME. What in the world is wrong with my computer and how do i fix it? i'm absolutely clueless about computers!pls help. thanks!

Some questions first: before you downloaded ZA, was everything working ok? before you downloaded ZA, had you downloaded anything else, anything at all? When you cleared the trojan did you disable your system restore files? If not, do it now, thusly: Win Me Sys Rest: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001012513122239?Open&src=sec_doc_nam&docid=2001111912274039&nsf=tsgeninfo.nsf&view=docid&dtype=&prod=&ver=&osv=&osv_lvl If it's hiding in your system-restore files it cannot be vaulted or cleansed except by dumping them. Do not re-enable system restore until you are 100% sure you are clean. You should also shut down, start up in Safe Mode, then: dump %TEMP% files > double click My Computer, put %TEMP% in address bar, enter, highlight and delete all. Then dump TIF-- click tools > options > delete files, check the box for delete off line content > click ok > click delete cookies. > click ok. Dump recycle bin. Then, while still in Safe Mode run your AV, if it gives you a file name for a trojan or a virus, go to 'search files and folders' and try to delete that file there. Then, still in safe mode, run these scans, in this order: Trojan Hunter trial version: http://www.misec.net/ Trojan Scan: http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/ this will kill trojans: SWATIT: http://swatit.org/download.html If they all come clean in safe mode then you should be ok. If you have already done this, and you are SURE you are clean, then, what you have is a dodgey download from ZA. Uninstall it, completley, all of it. Then, if you didn't pay for it, if you have the free edition ZA, go here: Free Sygate firewall: http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm put the setting on 'normal' and use it. it's free, simple, and effective. I know, I use it. However, if you already paid for ZA, download it again, only do it this way: One other thing I do on downloading is, after you get the download (M$ does not structure its downloads so you can’t do this for some reason on an MS download), after download, AS SOON AS THE INSTALL SHIELD APPEARS, BEFORE YOU CLICK THE INSTALL ICON, #1. log off the net, #2. disable AV (right click tray icon, clcik 'exit' or 'disable'), #3. then ctrl-alt-delete to close the AV file in close-program, THEN (and only then) #4. click on the install procedure. Otherwise your AV might read the install as an invader and mess with it. Reboot. I like to shut down for two full minutes, but that's your choice. Let me know what happens... Thresher

hi everything was working fine before i downloaded ZA. i didn't downloaded anything else before that. a few days before i downloaded it though, i turned on my comp and my documents file was suddenly renamed "67"my'.. don't know whether that has anything to do with the problem. you mean the virus is still in my computer system? i figured it would be gone since i sent it to a computer technician to clean it out.. i dont know whether i turned off my system restore. is there any way i can check if i did? even if i did does the fact that i changed it from windows XP to windows ME affect the system restore? thanks .

Best thing to do is just disable it: http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm this is for Me and Xp, and then run the trojan scans and SWATIT as above, in Safe Mode. If they come out clean, re-enable your system restore and set a new restore date if the system didn't do it automatically. if you get a file name for a trojan (buttpain.downloader.exe) run 'find' or 'search files and folders' for that file name and delete it. It sounds like possibly, hopefully, you got a bad ZA download, hopefully that is all it is, but your time line is not clear to me. Did you download the ZA after you uninstalled Xp and installed Me? If so, it could simply be a dodgey ZA download. If you still have the ZA on it, uninstall it, and reinstall it, howeve this time, when you download it, after the download part is complete and it gives you an "Install Shield" with the icon to click to to begin the installation....don't click on it right away. Do this first: log off the net, when you see you are logged off, then disable your AV--use ctrl-alt-delete and end task on the AV program, THEN click on the installation icon. sometimes an AV can get in the way of a download, and lately there have been a number of complaints about ZA not downloading properly. BTW, have you read this: Me set up page, Trevor: http://www.burzurq.com/forum/trevtweak.html Also, if you are running the free edition of Za, my advice is let it go, and get Sygate free edition (I use it): http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm Also, was there any kind of garuntee or warranty with the service yu got from the pro techie? If so--take it back to them and make them get it right. Let us know what results you get. Thresher

Drat, I hate when I forget things....check all your connections, mouse, screen, keyboard, everything within reach or view, check it all. Can you get another mouse and keyboard from someone and see if they work better? Check all your trays for CDs or a floppy left in. Thresher