# Post Virus/Spyware problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 28, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278 "2005-06-28T21:53:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/1 "2005-06-28T21:53:17Z")

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Hello, all

I have an irritating problem that I was hoping for some help on. I recently had virus and spyware problems that I have taken care of. One lingering issue is that my desktop background was highjacked and replaced with an antivirus advert (ironic). I have cleared that, but now I have a background that is blank, except for my icons, and it flashes if I scroll over it. I cannot seem to reload a background by the usual means. I am running WIndows ME. Any ideas?

Thanks

hawk

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/2 "2005-06-28T21:57:08Z")

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Could it be an Active Desktop issue? Try right-clicking somewhere on your desktop, going to the Active Desktop menu, and then uncheck Show Web Items. Sorry, it’s been a while since I used Me so I’m not sure if that’s the exact procedure (or even the right issue).

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**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/3 "2005-06-28T23:43:59Z")

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Thanks for the response. The problem is i don’t have the ability to access active desktop.

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/4 "2005-06-29T06:48:56Z")

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Hmm, did you try [this procedure](http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000593.htm)?

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/5 "2005-06-29T07:29:25Z")

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You can follow the advice in **Reply’s** link, but chances are that the Web and Desktop tabs are hidden.

To enable these tabs you’ll have to manually edit the Windows Registry. Look at the entries in HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies and  
HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.  
There you will find entries like DoNotShowWeb (I don’t remember the exact name). You can either delete these entries completely or set their value to zero.

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**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-virus-spyware-problem/310278/6 "2005-06-29T22:25:03Z")

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Reply and Dog…OK you guy’s are great. As I said the problem was only an annoyance, but it was getting to me. Dog, you were right, I couldn’t follow through on Reply’s suggestion, as there was no tab. After I followed through with the REGEDIT idea of yours, THEN I could go back and do as Reply had suggested. Thanks to you both…alot.

Hawk