Hi-Jacked User Accounts in Control Panel

[joesblues]

I usually run in a Limited Users account to leave Administer Acct. closed against attack. In the past few weeks I"ve been unable to access User Accounts. If I click on Pick A Task I get the three choices: Change Accounts, Create a New Account etc...click on any of these and I get a large blank dialog box with the Windows logo, the title User Accounts in the blue border at the top, then in a tool bar just below that a left-right set of arrows, the User logo and the word "Home." No clicking taks me anywhere. Of course below Pick a Task is "or pick a Control Panel Icon" here I have "Cardspace" with no icon and User Icon with that icon. User takes me to the blank screen while this "Cardspace" takes me no where.

I went through the My Computer tree and discovered some sort of "English something or other Toolbar attached to Control Panel and deleted it with Revo-Uninstaller which is usually excellent. Now i can find no way to get rid of this Cardspace option and User takes me nowhere. Who's got control of my Control Panel/Computer and what do I do? I'm desperate as sometimes I like to do things that require me to change user accounts from Admin. to Limited, etc. I'm running XP-SP 3 Pro. Help!

Joe Hayes

[samarudge]

I think you might have a virus, make sure you are using one of the big 3 (Norton, AVAST or KAPERSKY/KAPERSPY or however its spelled) and they are fully updated then run a boot scan or run a scan from Safe Mode, Make sure you back up as much as you can as soon as possible, if you do have a virus then you wouldn't want it to do any harm to your other files.
Alternatively upgrade to Vista/Windows 7 (Newer and more secure) if you are not upgrading because of compatibility issues look up Vista/Windows 7 compatibility mode but thats a whole other forum post =P

[Bob_180_Bob]

And hope against hope that you don't carry the virus to the new OS. Before you even think about upgrading/updating, ensure that your PC is clean. Go here to read all about cleaning your PC, there is some very interesting reading.
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/forum64.html

[joesblues]

Thanks for the input...I'm a little slow out of the gate on this. I thought I had an eye inflammation but it's glaucoma and I just learned that my right eye is gone. It's a tough pill to swallow...
Carbonite has all of my stuff backed up...I've been using Avast and Ad Aware, but found a third "user" when in safe mode (there should only be two, my Administrator account and Limited User Account which I run in.
I disabled the third account which allows for a remote computer. But am having a problem finding "paths" to files and basic PC procedures...ignorance is not bliss.

Have run SpyBot and am just now getting back to work. Thanks again and I'll keep trying.

[joesblues]

Thanks everyone but no success. Going to clean the disc in the morning and go for a new install.

Joe

[joesblues]

Thanks to everyone but no success. I'm cleaning the disc and going for a reinstall in the morning.

Joe

[Bob_180_Bob]

Hi,
If it is a virus, this will not help but just in case it is not you could try a windows repair from your OS CD. Search the net if you do not know how.