Post interesting tips for the novice computer user

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ4A0aaaOAw&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/youtube]

How to have all files/folders shown (including hidden and system files):

• Double-click My Computer.
• Click on Tools and then Folder Options.
• Click on the View tab.
• Make sure Show hidden files and folders is selected.
• Make sure Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) is unchecked.
• Make sure Hide extensions for known file types is also unchecked.
• Click OK.

That's too much to remember.

Alternatively, install a free program called HijackThis, run a check, and email your results to Manny.

You got struck by some virus and all of a sudden your desktop icons have disappeared and your documents and pictures and music files all gone? Don't panic. It could be that the attributes of those files were all set to hidden.

Here's the quickest way to fix this:

In the Run... dialog box, type in: cmd and press Ok.

In the Command Prompt windows that appears, type in the following:

attrib -h c:\*.* /s /d

then press ENTER

All the needed files and documents should be back to normal.

Note: if your main drive letter is not C, substitute c with appropriate drive letter.

Last edited by MCalavera on 12 May 2011, 6:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

HiJackThis is too old.

Run OTL instead.

Oh dear. It's a good thing I mentioned it, then.

Since the departure of my ex, I get all my geeky computer help from a certain sub-forum of a forum:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/for ... y.php?f=29

where they recommend HighJackThis. Are you telling me they're wrong?

Well, if you notice that Malware/Spyware Removal Guide thread, the post suggesting HijackThis was created in the year 2006.

I don't see it as wrong, though (if they still have you running Hijackthis). Just old-fashioned and incomplete especially that these days, malware target settings not listed by HijackThis itself. That's where OTL comes in handy.

It's a better scanner in every way. As the geeks say, it's HijackThis on steroids.

By the way, in that same thread, the guy suggesting that System Restore be turned off while trying to clean the system from infection is dead wrong. To do so would be to miss out on the benefits of having restore points in store (albeit infected) in case a system file suddenly goes wrong during the process of disinfecting the Windows.

It's only good after you make sure your system is finally clean from malware. And you have to put System Restore back on right after turning it off. Don't keep it off forever.

In short, the author of the guide is right all the way. So you can sigh a good sigh of relief that he knows what he's saying. Just keep in the mind the date he posted the guide.

Oh dear.

I can see that next time I panic after finding a virus, I should be posting here instead.

I wasn't reading a guide, although they do have useful stickies. When I have a problem I follow forum procedure and do a new post of my own and the supergeeks answer and help me (or anyone else) out on a one-to-one basis. I thought they were kind for giving out free advice - but not if it turns out the advice was wrong!

What advice are they giving you that's wrong? I already said that suggesting Hijackthis is not necessarily wrong.

I appreciate the ego boost, but I don't want to make it sound like those geeks you rely on are good for nothing. They should be commended for their free help.

Yes, they're very kind to do it for free.

I am hi-jacking your thread now - I'd better be silent while you hand out some more tips!

Not good. This removes the hidden attribute on every file, including those of the OS itself.
Some may require it to be set for correct operation, and it's never a good idea to change file attributes blindly.

Better if you navigate to your own Documents directory and do it in there only.

But you might like to check just how much space is being used by this um, 'feature' if it's left to its own devices.
Where possible, trim off ancient/historical entries.

(I don't run Windows so I'll leave the 'how to' to MCalavera. )

The only danger I'm aware of is that they become visible to the novice user, and even then, he/she isn't going to be able to remove any of them if he/she tried, as it'll be locked from access thanks to the way Windows operates.

And anyway, even with the command above, there are some files/flders that won't be unhidden and error messages will come up on the Command Prompt screen describing the files that can't be accessed.

But it seems like there's something I'm missing here, so let me know what danger you have in mind.

That's why I said it's good to have it turned off after you make sure the system is clean from infection. Turning it off removes all restore points at any time in the past (including the most recent one).

Turning it back on right after that is still necessary, though. You don't want a system without it running. And these days, System Restore size configuration isn't needed especially with today's specs. But in case you are lacking in space or memory, just configure the size through the System Restore properties.

On principle, it's not something I'd even contemplate without first being sure that changing attributes like this wouldn't affect anything.
Especially when changing them on the entire OS file set.
Which leaves me wondering why 'attrib' even exists.
There seem to be file attributes and other file attributes - for the same file.