After a bad attack of spyware I cannot change the background picture on
windows desktop. The Picture talks about the PC being infected with spyware
which it is not now as it has been cleaned. How do I release the property
that lets me change the background picture again. I assume it is just a
registry setting.

Orson Cart wrote:

> After a bad attack of spyware I cannot change the background picture
> on
> windows desktop. The Picture talks about the PC being infected with
> spyware which it is not now as it has been cleaned. How do I release
> the property that lets me change the background picture again. I
> assume it is just a registry setting.

If you are quite sure the computer is clean, here's how to get rid of
the desktop warning being displayed by malware. Go to the Display
applet in Control Panel and look on the Desktop tab. Click on Customize
Desktop, and then click on the Web tab. You will see that there are
checkmarks next to "My Current Home Page" and probably "Lock Desktop
Items". Uncheck these. By highlighting the "My Current Home Page" and
clicking on the Properties button, you will be able to determine the
name of the file that is the message. It might be called something like
"security.html" or the like.

Click Apply and OK out when you've made your changes. Then you want to
find the *.html malware file and delete it.

If you can't enable desktop backgrounds after a virus, MVP Kelly Theriot
has a fix. Look under Wallpaper-Desktop-Disable Changing here:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_w.htm

If Display tabs are missing, run Kelly's registry edit on line 285,
right-hand side "Restore all display tabs".

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User