# Virus Recovery, Files there.....but not?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294 "2011-07-16T23:50:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294/1 "2011-07-16T23:50:57Z")

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I got the fake Anti-Virus malware yesterday. I found the fix from the laptop and fixed it using Super AntiSpyware and Malwarebytes via a usb stick. It appears the virus is gone, but all my files were missing in action. (Blue background on desktop, no icons, nothing in the start folder, etc.)

I downloaded Unhide and got most of it back, however all the progams in my start menu say “empty” to the side of them. I searched for the folders of a few, found the applications and made desktop shortcuts for a few, but the start menu folders are still empty.

Any suggestions? Anything else I NEED to run (other than Firefox from here on out:smack:). The suggestions in the sticky file were most helpful, but haven’t resolved all the issues.

P.S. It also will not let me change the background on my desktop and a few other oddities.

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**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294/2 "2011-07-17T00:02:37Z")

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Find and run combo fix.

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294/3 "2011-07-17T04:20:14Z")

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nm

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**Author:** ![brk913](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/838e76/32.png) [@brk913](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brk913)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-recovery-files-there-but-not/589294/4 "2011-07-17T15:11:39Z")

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Run unhide again with your antrivirus software off, that should fix it. On another note Firefox will not protect you from this type of malware. I am a PC Tech and have had to “clean” numerous computers with rogue anti virus software and some were on machines where the user only used Firefox as their browser.