System: Windows 7 professional fully updated, 4gb mem, 60gb wd ssd boot, samsung 500gb data drv Norton Internet Security 2011 (upgrade from 2010) Attached desktop.ini as a txt file (I guess screen print image not allowed)
I've been gradually migrating my programs to my new windows 7 boot partition (I'm posting this from my winxp). I discovered some strange looking content that looks like some type of asian letter characters in my public folder desktop.ini file. The last modified data and time exactly match the startmenu icons for NIS 2011 (located C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Norton Internet Security) which leads me to believe that NIS added the content. I had previously ran a system backup on 09/19/2011 11:41pm which contains a public desktop.ini without the extra characters. When I open the desktop.ini file from my Windows XP, the characters show up as small squares (I guess I don't have that font installed in XP?)
I found this When I was trouble shooting a problem with my standard user account missing the aero option in advanced settings (the aero is working now after cycling user acct to administrator and then back to standard).
I'm worried my system might be infected. Is it possible that a bad memory module may have interfered during installation and caused this?
Has anyone run into this? Can anyone check their public desktop.ini to see if there' anything like this. Anyone from Norton know what this is?
I know I could just revert back to my system backup, but I've already done some work installing and configuring more programs, and I'd hate to lose the work and time. If I could be certain it's just a minor 'hiccup' isolated to that one desktop.ini, then I can repair/restore the desktop.ini file and move on.
Thanks delphinium, I'm going to insert the screenprint of the public folder desktop.ini. I increased the font settings in notepad to more clearly show the characters.
I've been busy, but I'm going to run a full scan tonight via boot cd. I'm also going to check system logs during the same time. I tried to check the 2wire gateway logs, but they don't go back that far. I know based on the translations it doesn't look norton related, but at the same time the last modified date/time (to a fraction of second) of the desktop.ini and the norton shortcuts is exactly the same. Though it is possible the file was corrupted prior to norton doing its own modification to it. The 'ruler' and 'hack' in the translations troubles me. I'm generally very careful creating a new system (backing up at each step and avoiding if possible internet access until i have my last backup).
btw the norton 2011 upgrade was from a free file download via norton (email) that I had used some months ago, and I reused the same file to install the upgrade on my new win7. I made sure it was from norton when I downloaded it, but wonder something happened to it later.
I created a recovery boot cd from my winxp partition, ran a boot scan that did not find any threats. It used definitions dated oct 2,2011.
Also, I had forgotten that during the install of nis 2010 - I think it was near or at the end of the install the computer had a bsod (need to check log on type). It was late and I figured maybe nis2010 has compatibility problems with win7, so I didn't worry to much about it. I rebooted, and win7 seem to start and run fine. If I remember correctly nis2010 systray icon was running, and I then ran the upgrade install to nis 2011 which completed without errors.
In addition to the corrupted desktop.ini, there's another one that was updated at the exact same time that looks fine:
[LocalizedFileNames] Norton Internet Security.lnk=@C:\PROGRA~2\NORTON~2\Branding\muis.dll,-102 LiveUpdate.lnk=@C:\PROGRA~2\NORTON~2\Branding\muis.dll,-104 Uninstall Norton Internet Security.lnk=@C:\PROGRA~2\NORTON~2\Branding\muis.dll,-103 Support.lnk=@C:\PROGRA~2\NORTON~2\Branding\muis.dll,-108 Norton Recovery Tools.LNK=@C:\PROGRA~2\NORTON~2\Branding\muis.dll,-118
I'm still debating if I should just revert back to may previous backup because this investigating is taking time. I may just replace the memory just in case it was a memory problem.
If I remember correctly NIS 2010 was not compatible with win 7. Maybe only the final version was compatible. I would suggest that you delete your NIS 2011 since it was an upgrade over an incompatible program and start off with a clean install of NIS 2011. Then you can see if you still continue to have your other problems. However, this link may install NIS 2012 for you.
Please let us know if you want to stick wth NIS 2011 or upgrade for free to NIS 2012. If you want to stick with NIS 2011, we can provide you with the Norton Removal tool and give you instructions on how to continue. Thanks.
floplot, I think what I'm going to do is backup the current system (to look at further if I have time), take out two memory modules that I suspect may be faulty, restore my last backup and start from there. I'll then use the NIS link you posted to do a fresh install of NIS.
Though, I'm still confused about that desktop.ini with the chinese letters it in. :/ kinda spooky (hey, it's october right?)
Update: I reverted to an earlier system backup and downloaded/installed NIS 2012. It installed fine with no errors (no bsod). I checked the c:\users\public\desktop\desktop.ini file and it is fine.
