Recovering user profile after removing malware!!

mneenee · Oct 17, 2008

Hi there Timw sent me over here after helping me remove some malware. I have lost my user profile after getting a virus and am hoping to recover it now that all malware is gone. My first post to Tim, for the sake of not having to explain everything again was:

Hi this is my sisters laptop running windows xp home. It started when I borrowed hers to fix mine uhg. I started it up and when i did it wanted to do check disk. I didnt bother as she told me she didnt shut it down properly because it hasn't been letting her. then as it was starting to load the user screen, it said it couldnt load the local profile as it couldnt find it. so when it started up it redid the desktop etc(like a new install of windows). then when starting internet explorer it started it like it was new? wasnt sure if she had just added it so I set it up and went on with what I was doing. when turning off IE (after downloading a few programs I needed)then restarted IE it did it again. Thats when I knew something was wrong. so I resarted the computer to see if it would do the same thing again. it did and when returning to the desktop for my downloads they were gone IE the same as before. So I checked her documents and they are all gone pictures too. I started the read me but when having to restart everything was lost from the desktop, however the mgtools is still there as well as the sas under program files. What should I do??? Is it gonna be possible to recover her files?

Am hoping someone can help me get it back to normal. I did find all of her docs and pics in C:\Documents and Settings\user

Thanks for your help

Mneenee

TimW · Oct 17, 2008

Note for helpers:

Code:

C:\Documents and Settings\"
DEFAUL~1      Aug 17 2004              "Default User"
ALLUSE~1      Aug 17 2004              "All Users"
USER          Aug 17 2004              "user"
ADMINI~1      Jun 10 2005              "Administrator"
TEMP          Oct 14 2008              "TEMP"
USER~1.GAR    Oct 14 2008              "user.GARY"
TEMP~1.GAR    Oct 14 2008              "TEMP.GARY"

TimW · Oct 19, 2008

Apparently we need to get the ball rolling.....first try this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555473

mneenee · Oct 19, 2008

Okay worked through that and everything seems to have worked and all docs, pics etc were merged. Now what about these other user accounts? Under documents and settings I now have theses folders:

administrator

all users

Nini(new account I just created)

temp

temp.Gary

user

user.gary

The only 2 valid ones are nini and user. What should I do with these extras?

Thanks again.

TimW · Oct 20, 2008

Ah...there you are.....keep:
administrator

all users

Nini(new account I just created)

user

Remove the others.

mneenee · Oct 20, 2008

You are a lifesaver Tim!!! Thank you, Thank You, Thank You!!!!! Have a great day!! :wave

Mneenee

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Recovering user profile after removing malware!!

mneenee Corporal

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

mneenee Corporal

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

mneenee Corporal

Log in or Sign up

Recovering user profile after removing malware!!

mneenee Corporal

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

mneenee Corporal

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

mneenee Corporal

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