When I launch Explorer from my short cut on the desk top or from the status bar at the bottom of my screen it OPENS only with an address bar, I have tried to change it thru my control panels and right clicking and going to properties, and right clicking on where the TOOL bars should be and either I am not given any OPTIONS to change it or when I right click none of the options will highlite when I put my curser over them.

I have the same problem with my desk top background. I have some kind of spyware warning on my background. I figured these problems were being caused by either a virus or spyware and have installed PC Tools Anti-Virus and SpyWare Killer Pro but even after running these programs I still have these problems.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You.I have never heard of those programs, so if you didn't pay for them, lose them now. Have you visited Control Panel Add and Remove Programs to see what kind of crappola is there? If any kind of Toolbar is listed, lose that also.

Now you do need to remove all of the spyware/adware/viruses.

AdAware

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?p art=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5

Spybot

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2471.html

Ewido

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



All of these free prgrams should be installed and updated. Then you need to turn off system restore, boot to Safe Mode (F8 when the computer starts, before the Windows logo) and run the scans in Safe Mode.

Free online virus scanner at www.trendmicro.com

Let's make sure the system is clean and then we will solve the other problems. By using system restore, you can just reinfect yourself.

Let us know what you find.