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i installed firefox and now i have no desktop. how do i get my computer back?!?!?

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my start and windows bar is gone. my icons are gone. it is like this on all of my accounts. i got to my browser through task manager by opening this process. i'm almost sure that my comuter has a virus on it. please help me

my start and windows bar is gone. my icons are gone. it is like this on all of my accounts. i got to my browser through task manager by opening this process. i'm almost sure that my comuter has a virus on it. please help me

All Replies (7)

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Hi 463739,
Sorry you are having problems.

If they are general problems with a computer probably the best we can do is comment briefly and suggest where else you may get help.

If you suspect Malware the following is the standard advice. Note it is strongly suggested you use multiple scanning tools.


You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

You need to use multiple and up-to-date tools as they will not all pick up the same things.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good FREE permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.


Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

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Make sure that you do not run Firefox in full screen mode (press F11 or Fn + F11 to toggle; Mac: Command+Shift+F).

If you are in full screen mode then hover the mouse to the top of the screen to make the Navigation Toolbar and Tab bar appear.
Click the Maximize button (top right corner of the Navigation Toolbar) to leave full screen mode or right-click empty space on a toolbar and choose "Exit Full Screen Mode" or press the F11 key.


You can check for problems caused by a corrupted localstore.rdf file.

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im working off of a windows computer. i dont know if i have windows 64 or windows xp but i for sure dont have windows 7. via task manager i can open processes but when i try to open windows exploerer it says i dont have permission. my account and my uncles account is an administrator on my computer he hasnt touched my computer to prevent me form acessing windows explorer which ive accessed before. now my internets not working on any browser as it was when i posted this question. im accessing this page from my playstation. do you have a hunch of whats going on?

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If you have a keyboard with the "Window" key (the one with four sections that's usually on the bottom left), there is a shortcut to minimize all the applications to the task bar: Windows+d (also known as Show Desktop). Does that work?

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If your computer is infected, do you have another computer where you can download cleanup tools onto a USB flash driver or burn them onto a CD so you can bring them to the infected computer? You might benefit from using the websites listed in the lower part of this support article, where they offer intensive clean-up assistance: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

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windows d didnt work. i do have a backup computer and a flash drive so ill try that.

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Personally, it does sound like you have malware. If you "updated" Firefox from anyplace but this site, I would put money on it. Even with the best of intentions, third-party sites can have malware-infected copies of, or even substitutes for (Trojan horses), popular software.

Assuming the site is a reputable one, you might want to notify them when you get a chance.

My condolences.