I Need Help With My Computer -Icons Moving With Mouse

self | 3/2/02 | Ken

[Old Professer]

I logged off about 20 minutes ago, and now my icons are scattered all over the desktop and clustered atop one another; everytime I rearrange them they start moving as soon as my pointer passes over them.

I have done two shutdown procedures; one controlled, the other a warm boot. Still have the same problem.

Any suggestions as to cause or cure?

[Jolly Green]

I may be way off base, but I've seen applications that look like a windows desktop, but did screwy things. One I remember reversed the text on everything producing kind of a mirror image effect.

I would try a Ctrl_Alt_Delete and try to start task manager and see what tasks are running. I would start killing tasks to see if you could kill whatever is doing it. If you can find out which task is doing it, you can search for it and delete it.

[Jolly Green]

I may be way off base, but I've seen applications that look like a windows desktop, but did screwy things. One I remember reversed the text on everything producing kind of a mirror image effect.

I would try a Ctrl_Alt_Delete and try to start task manager and see what tasks are running. I would start killing tasks to see if you could kill whatever is doing it. If you can find out which task is doing it, you can search for it and delete it.

[monkeyshine]

I think you got a virus. That happened to me once on windows 98. I don't remember how I fixed it, though. I think I found something in my programs folder or system folder for a program with a skull and crossbones for an icon. I deleted it and restarted. Anyhow, it eventually went away, but it was wierd. All the desktop icons swirled around along with the mouse. Had to restart a lot.

[Hajman]

There's a wild virus floating around with this exact payload (moving icons around on your screen so you can't click on them). Scan your hard drive with a virus checker. If you don't have one, go to PC-Cillin and click on Free Scan (third option on very top). That should clear up your machine.

-The Hajman-

[Revel]

You have a very bad virus!

Link

At this point you are loosing files very fast.(Corruption) A friend of mine had this. Norton Antivirus will clean it up better than anything. It was able to fix all but 2 of over 60 corrupted files. I don't think any other virus programs can do this. Go to Wal-mart or wherever and buy it. You should have it anyway, and then you would not be faced with this now. The few files that are not repairable will require re-installation of what ever programs they belong to. If you have any programs that won't run all of the sudden then you can bet that they will probably have to be re-installed after you clean up the virus. Good luck

[RLK]

A bad mouse contact will also do this. I had to replace a trackball last summer because a contact tang was broken and signalling the icons or anything else were being clicked when they weren't.

[Old Professer]

I took your advice; it found a virus widespread among directories and reports "uncleanable."

So far, nothing else seems to be affected but sneaking up on a desktop shortcut is like catching flies on a flying Frisbee.

[exmoor]

Does your head turn 360 degrees? You might be in real trouble!