I can't see my hidden files?

Question

I can't see my hidden files?

Answer 1

For some reason, I cannot post in the order I want to. (Everything just comes out blank) Please go to the bottom, (after Good Luck!) and start reading, then come back to the top. I am sorry for any inconvenience this causes you.



Try these free malware removers:



I prefer Avast, but AVG is just as great.



AVG AntiVirus

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1



Avast Home Antivirus

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-...



You may also want some other tools to run and use as well



SpywareBlaster

http://www.download.com/spywareblaster/3...



Spybot S&D

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirro...



AVG AntiSpyware

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tp...



Adaware (Lavasoft)

http://www.download.com/ad-aware-2007-fr...



If you are currently having a problem:



◙ Download and install AVG. Use it first and see if it finds any viruses or trojans.



☞ http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1



◙ After running AVG go here and run this virus scanner online. There is no need to install it on your computer.



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/...........



◙ Microsoft's New Live Safety Center. Download this scanner to check and remove spyware, viruses, get rid of obsolete files and junk off your computer, and improve your PCs performance.



☞ http://safety.live.com/site/en-us/defaul...



◙ The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. You can run this tool online FREE.



http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...



◙ Before downloading email attachments in Gmail and Yahoo Mail click on the link that says, "Scan With Norton Antivirus".



◙ Before downloading any software from the internet type it into http://groups.google.com/ to see if that title is known for spyware or viruses. Google Groups has over 1 billion posts spanning 25 years to help you. Even after checking it there ALWAYS scan it before opening it. You just can't be too careful. -- Smart Computing Magazine



◙ A lot of the download sites like http://www.download.com/ and http://www.tucows.com/ scan software before releasing it to the public. But just for safety sake you should still scan it yourself.



◙ Here is a really great article on browser hijacking. This will show you how to get rid of it. There is a tutorial and software to get rid of part of it. You'll need to make some changes to your computer's registry to get rid of the rest of it. Click on the chatroom link on their main page if you need help.



☞ http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hija...



◙ Here is Yahoo!'s Internet Security section.



☞ http://security.yahoo.com/



◙ Below is Mcafee's Site Adviser. Type in a URL in the form here and you will find out if the site you want to go to is known for phising (getting your personal info under false pretenses), viruses, spyware, and many other things. You can use the tool on their site or download an program to do that.



☞ http://www.siteadvisor.com/



◙ Get more information at these PC Magazine Web sites.



☞ http://www.pcmag.com/

☞ http://www.smartcomputing.com/



◙ Top 100 Computer & Software Magazines.



☞ http://netvalley.com/top100mag.html........



★★ TOOLS FOR SPECIFIC VIRUSES & TIPS ★★



◙ Sometimes you'll get a particularly nasty virus that cannot be removed with conventional tools. For times like these you can (quite often not always) download a removal tool for that specific virus. Below are some sites you should look at.



☞ http://www.grisoft.com/doc/utilities/ing...

☞ http://www.symantec.com/security_respons...

☞ http://www.bitdefender.com/site/download...



◙ Below is a tool called "Stinger" that Mcafee put together with all 54 of it's tools in it.



☞ http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/............



◙ GLOBAL VIRUS ALERT -- The latest virus outbreak alerts from F-Secure, Trend Micro, Panda, and Sophos. Each anti-virus fighter is reporting the state of the Virus Battles on its front, which reflects a unique customer and geographic profile.



☞ http://www.trimmail.com/news/tools/#glob...



◙ Add free virus alerts to your web site.



☞ http://www.trendmicro.com/syndication/vi...

For Trojans try these ( free to try),

http://www.ewido.net/en/

Or

http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter/.........

Or

http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/...





And always scan once a week with these free and trusted scanners as well if you go to gaming sites and porn and etc.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/...........

http://www.webroot.com/freescan............

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner......

http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ac...

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virus...

http://www.bitdefender.com/



First, you need anti-virus software - download, install and update AVG anti-virus (it's free for personal use) - you can find it here - http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1



Then remove your System Restore points (viruses love to hide in the System Restore files), but be aware that if you do remove your existing Restore Points you will not be able to "roll back" your computer to a previous configuration. To find out how to disable System Restore see this page - http://www.pchell.com/virus/systemrestor...



Just to be sure you don't have other malware on your computer I recommend that you download SpyBot Search & Destroy and Adware - both are free spyware/adware detection and removal software.



Next, start the computer in Safe Mode - (as the comptuer is starting up, keep tapping the F8 key on your keyboard until you see a special start-up menu) - more on how to start in Safe Mode here - http://www.microsoft.com/resources/docum...



Using AVG - run a full system virus scan while in Safe Mode



After the viruses have been detected and removed, run SpyBot and AdAware (full system scans) then restart the comptuer, enable System Restore again and enjoy a virus-free computing experience.



If the problems are still there, try using MSCONFIG to help figure out how to manually disable the Trojan from starting up - see more about MSCONFIG here - http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/...........



To help protect against malware you should install a firewall, Zone Alarm works perfectly well and is free – http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/c...



Also, don't forget to keep Windows up-to-date - using Microsoft Windows Update!



After following these instructions go to: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/must-read... they will help you for free, no credit card or personal information needed, and they will analyze Hijack This logs for you, to make sure that your computer is safe. HijackThis helps If persistent spyware is bogging down your computer, you might need HijackThis. The tiny program examines vulnerable or suspect parts of your system, such as browser helper objects and certain types of Registry keys. Pressing the Scan button generates a log of dozens of items, most of which are just customizations. Don't check off an item and hit the Fix checked button unless you're sure it's malware. Clicking Info on selected item tells you why the entry was flagged as suspicious, but not whether it's actually malware. To find that out, search the Web for that item's name or go straight to a forum, such as SpywareInfo or Computer Cops. Saving the log creates a text document you can post to these forums.



The latest version adds powerful tools to the Config window. The process manager and hosts file editor help you excise virulent infections. The unique ADS Spy tool scans for alternate data streams, which some browser hijackers use to hide from spyware removers. The program still installs into whatever directory in which you unzip the file, which can make it hard to locate. HijackThis is a serious tool for any user who needs to root out a serious infestation, but wield it with caution. So, go to the site I gave you above, and they'll help you step by step.

Free registry cleaners:

CCleaner does not specialise in cleaning the registry, it's mostly used to speed up your computer by cleaning up your recycle bin, temp files/internet files, browsing history, application errors, log files and so on.. which frees up some space in your harddisk





I've tried these 10 free cleaners

http://www.regsofts.com/freeware/freereg...

I would recommend the following(click on the webpage and follow):



Free Windows Registry Repair(first one) - rather effective, the first scan i did after about a year showed over 500 problems with the registry, fixed them all



RegSeeker(2nd one) - fixed another 300 problems after using the previous one.



and like the two of them said, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner and Abexo Free Registry Cleaner(30 day trial)



Just run them all that'll fix most problems! But dont expect 100% fixes because programs might recreate registry entries when used and so a second scan might still show the same few errors. (ignore such errors)







those are all freeware, hope i'm of some help



P.S. First go to: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/defau... Choose full service scan and let it install any active x components



P.P.S You can only have one AntiVirus program running at once, if you have more you will severely slow down your computer, and possible damage you computer through repeated crashes. It is OK to have several adaware/spyware removal tools. You can have one hardware firewall and one software firewall.



Good Luck!



First update your AntiVirus product. Then boot in safe mode: Getting into Windows Safe Mode

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsaf...



To use the System Configuration Utility method

Close all open programs.

Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK

The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the "/SAFEBOOT" option, and then click OK and Restart your computer when prompted.

The computer restarts in Safe mode.

Perform the troubleshooting steps for which you are using Safe Mode.



When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again, on the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck "/SAFEBOOT" and click OK to restart your computer.



After booting in Safe Mode run a full system scan. If you don't have an AntiVirus I suggest you get AVG or Avast!. Also get AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy and maybe even ZoneAlarm.



Good Luck, your gonna need it.



Anish D.



P.S. Update McAfee, and boot in safe mode. (Pull the internet cable out of the back of the computer before booting up)

Answer 2

agree, download hijackthis, and post your log to http://www.techsupportforum.com/security-center/hijackthis-log-help/

for help by professionals.. worked for me. good luck

Answer 3

You are infected with a virus or malware. You can't see hidden files because the malicious program is also a hidden file and it doesn't want you to find it. It is trying to get you to download another malicious program disguised as an anti-virus program.



Try going to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ and use their free scanner. It's safe.



You can also try http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/

Answer 4

the first (hidden files) problem is a symptom/result of a virus, it needs repaired even after the particular virus is cleaned.

http://forum.kaspersky.com/lofiversion/index.php/t38626.html



The second problem seems like a current infesation (as mentioned). You need to be more aggressive in your scanning (Spybot, Ad-aware, superantisyware, etc.)



Once cleaned get Javacool Software's SpywareBlaster to help prevent future infestations (update it regularly, it won't remind you).



EDIT: a CNet thread talking about that hidden files/folders problem: http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=232457

_

Answer 5

Sounds like your home page has been hijacked. Try downloading hijackthis from http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.php

Answer 6

I have a trick that is successful in hiding files and there are the following: 1. If they are text documents, or .doc, save as in other extensions. Choose whatever extension you want, like .bbb or .abc that can cause other users confused. Even if they have found your files they will just recognize it as a system file and not to open. 2. The other but-not-really-safe way is to create a labyrinth in your hard-disk. Choose the main gateway (I name it 1 and 2 and 3), then create three more folders each in the folders. This is ineffective, as Search can look for your files easily. 3. Encrypt it. 4. Do not store them in your hard-disk. Buy an external hard-disk (prices ranged from $50 to $1000) or an USB Flash Disk and save your files there. Bring it everywhere you go. Even if necessary, put a password. External hard-disks can be password protected. 5. Put the file far in the system operating files. But this is also ineffective as trick number 2, as the file can be searched easily using Search. I hope this helps, glad to help you anyway.

Answer 7

Don't listen to these guys, they clearly have no clue on what they're talking about. I am a developer at Microsoft so I know a thing or two about computers. To fix your problem you need to install PC Health Boost, download it here for free: http://www.healthboostpc.com



It's very light and it's the only antivirus/cleaner with a 99.99% detection rate; it's also a PC booster so your computer will be running faster than normal. Install it, hit run and problem solved. It shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes.

Answer 8

You are infected by spyware. You have to really clean your computer. It seems like your McAfee is not picking it up. Try to install other antivirus:



Avast - http://www.avast.com/



P.S: You have to disable/uninstall your McAfee.

Answer 9

it starts with a safety settings website and then it repeatedly shows an error message that "this computer is affected by a virus click OK to download anti-virus software"<<<



i suspect that it's an adware... not a virus..

as for the hidden file..

i'm not too sure...

Answer 10

The other answerers are partially right, but it is neither spyware nor adware by definition, it is actually a trojan. More specifically, it is a variant of smitfraud, a type of trojan that installs a virus on your pc and then gives you warnings about the virus, prompting you to download the authors fake antivirus tool. This tool then does a fake scan of your pc, tells you it found X amount of viruses and then asks you to pay for the full version of their fake program to remove these viruses. If you do pay, they have your money but the program still doesn't clean your pc. It is a nasty scam! Whatever you do, don't click on the warnings, and DON'T DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM! Windows restore won't help, as the trojan will most likely have hidden itself in there already, so it will just restore along with windows.



To get rid of this infection (these are all reliable free programs):



1) Download and run 'smitfraudfix' here http://siri.geekstogo.com/SmitfraudFix.p...



2) Turn off system restore (go to control panel -> system -> click the system restore tab and tick 'turn off system restore for all hard drives).



3) Update you rantivirus software. (McAfee?)



4) Install smitfraudfix.



5) Download and run ccleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/



6) Then reboot your pc into safe mode (keep tapping F8 while starting up, then select 'safe mode' when the list comes up).



7) Run smitfraudfix and let it remove anything it finds. Next run your antivirus and let that remove everything it finds aswell. Hopefully the trojan should be gone by now. To check, restart your pc and do what you would normally do to get the virus warning message (i.e. open internet explorer).



If the pop-ups continue, that means your pc is still infected. If they do, go to step 8 - if not, go to the next section of my post, where the numbers start from 1 again.



8) Restart your computer, this time boot it into 'safe mode with networking' (refer to step 6 for how to do this).



9) Run Kaspersky's online virus scan http://www.gpohotel.com.au/gallery.shtml and let it remove everything it finds.



If the popups still continue, edit your post here, or email me and I will help you further.





ONCE YOU ARE SURE THAT YOUR PC IS SAFE, turn system restore back on and follow these rules:



1) First of all, always keep your Windows up to date. Use the windows update site website: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com... or turn on automatic updates (open control panel, go to 'automatic updates' and make sure it is set to automatic and every day) Note that windows update will only work if you have a legal/genuine copy of windows, in other words if you paid for it at a shop.



2) Use "Firefox" http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ instead of Internet Explorer, then install the following extensions: search for them at: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox...



-- "NoScript" (once installed, only allow script when the site that is asking to run script matches the website you are viewing at that moment and only if you trust that website. In other words, if you are browsing www.yahoo.com and get a request to run a script originating from www.adserver.com, don't allow it. Noscript remembers the choices you make, so that you don't have to allow a website that you trust over and over again each time. This adds a strong level of protection to your pc online. Give it a try, and keep using it if you feel comfortable doing so.)



-- "Cookiesafe" (use it the same way as NoScript, only allow cookies from the site you are viewing, and only if you trust that site)



3) Then install McAfee siteadvisor http://www.siteadvisor.com It puts a little green tick next to safe sites in your google/yahoo search results and a red cross next to bad/unsafe sites which host viruses and spyware (don't go to the red ones). This will stop a lot of the bad stuff because you won't even go to the websites that spread infected files! Siteadvisor also helps you decide whether to allow a certain website to run scripts (if you are using Noscript); if the site is marked as safe (green) then you can allow..



Install Spywareblaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html and update it once per week, then click 'enable protection for all unprotected items'. This will permanently block malicious websites in Internet explorer and firefox.



Okay, that's PREVENTION taken care of. Now to clean up other existing crap:



Turn off system restore again (go to control panel -> system -> click the system restore tab and tick 'turn off system restore for all hard drives). Then reboot. (Only enable system restore again once you have cleaned your pc, the reason is that spyware and viruses 'hide' in there and restore themselves). Note that I am assuming you run Windows XP, other versions don't have system restore (not sure about vista).



Download 'ad-aware' http://www.download.com/ad-aware-2007-fr

and 'spybot s&d' http://www.safer-networking.org/ these programs will scan your pc for advertising and spyware.

You can also install AVG antispyware http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-fre... but i would only recommend this if you have a relatively fast computer (around 1 GB of RAM and at least around 1.5 GHz processor), because it runs in the background and picks up new spyware as soon as they are installed, so it may slow you down a little if your pc is old.



Run ccleaner, ad-aware and spybot about once a week/fortnight, depending on how much stuff they keep finding. (preferably run adaware in safe mode, the reason for this is that in safe mode windows only loads the essential stuff and it is more likely that crap can be successfully removed because it is not currently running).



I know it sounds like a lot, but it shouldn't take much longer than about an hour to do all this, and your pc will be much safer afterwards and it will be much less likely that you'l have to go through all this again.



Feel free to email me if you have any problems or want me to explain anything in more detail.



EDIT: the answerer before me is right, if you post a hijackthis log on that forum you will get help from very experienced users. They will pretty much tell you what I told you in my post, as that's where I have learned all this stuff over the years =)

And the answerer after me provided some very good links, check those out too, especially the registry cleaning ones.

Answer 11

First, if you want to see your hidden files open up My Computer, click Tools>Folder Options>View Tab>Mark show hidden files and folders. Ads for the error message when you start IE, you have been infected by spyware/adware. There are a lot of free tools you can get from the internet to fix this problem, one I prefer is Spybot Search and Destroy. Keep in mind that not adware/spyware removal program is 100% thorough, this is just meant as a general starting point. The last thing I would like to point out is NEVER, NEVER, delete any file your anti virus program marks and infected or flags as a potentisal virus. Sometimes they give false positives and can actually delete a valid Windows file. Always cross refernce that file on the internet before you delete.

Answer 12

you have been infected by a virus, spyware or adware. There must be a file somewhere inyou windows directory that redirects you browser to that message its showing



with the hidden files



tools > folder options > view > show hidden files and folders

Answer 13

Try this, Go into My Documents (my computer whatever...) Click on Tools



Go to Folder Options



View



Look for "Hidden Files and Folders"



and choose Show Hidden Files and Folders

Answer 14

Restore your computer to an earlier date. Start >all programs > accessories > system tools > scroll down and right click "Restore" and select "pin to start menu" (for easy future access). This should unwind your overzealous Mcaffe scan...I personally don't care much for the high protection software, keep my privacy settings at medium high, and use system mechanic to clean out the "noodling" junk files. that and daily defragmenting keeps my computer smooth.