Windows SP3

Please help me. I installed SP3 from SP2 today. After it finished, it said to restart and I did and now nothing. Now, I can't find all my photos, documents and it looks like everything has changed. Some of this is for work and I am sick with worry. Please could someone help me? Thank you.

 

Welcome to the forum MarianMcB.

I am a little confused. You said:

I don't understand what that means because it apparently does boot based on the following:

Are we talking about WinXP here?

When it boot's, what looks different?

Is the My Documents icon just missing from the desktop?

 

Hi there,

I'm wondering if your talking about XP here or some thing i have heard going around as a Vista SP3, Which ofcourse does not exist. Can i reccommend that you do a system restore and see if that affects it at all? If it does sort it then i would use Major Geeks Malware Removal advice to check for anything infecting your system.

If i am wrong with this then i am open to hear about it as i like to learn too

 

Thank you for your kind replies.
I have had this small yellow shield on my task bar forever. It keeps popping up and telling me to download important updates. I did so.
Then, it said to restart on the screen. I clicked on that and after that, I feel I lost all my important information.
I never had the programs I had on my PC before this.
This yellow shield keeps throwing up a balloon and asking me to install updates. I have DLd AVG and I did a Superantispyware from your site. It found 212 threats and I am so nervous now with my PC.
I now have WinHE XP. I never had that before and also I had a screensaver of my dogs and that's no more.
Now, when I click on the My Documents it just shows sample photos. I can#t find all my work documenst either.
Again, thank you.

 

The Service Pack Updates in XP usually include a lot of individual updates so the system often reverts to a sort of default configuration. That included turning on the Security Center which could be the yellow shield you are seeing. That shield could possibly be a virus also.

Which program noted 212 threats? AVG? or Superantispyware? AVG would be detecting true Viruses and infections. Superantispyware would be showing things that are a potential risk such as cookies and temp files that could lead to an infection.

Is it possible that you are logging in to a different user account on the computer? That would explain the loss of your data in My Documents.

 

"Which program noted 212 threats? AVG? or Superantispyware? AVG would be detecting true Viruses and infections. Superantispyware would be showing things that are a potential risk such as cookies and temp files that could lead to an infection.

Is it possible that you are logging in to a different user account on the computer? That would explain the loss of your data in My Documents."

It was SAS that found 212 threats. I did a full scan today with 3 different programs and they all came up clean. The usual ones.
I have a feeling that I am logging in as a different user. If I was to find my other user name somewhere before this happened, I'd be so happy.
I want to thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.:-D

 

Click the Start button and see which name is listed at the top of the menu. Is it different then your usual?

Go to My Computer and click on C: and then on Documents and Settings. Give the names of all the folders you see there.

 

OMG! I want to thank you on behalf of my sister! Wow! We followed these instructions and HEY PRESTO! Everything is in documents and settings. OMG! Everything is back. Wowee!
You have really made our day! Thank you, thnak you, thank you!
God Bless You!