Getting a blank folder everytime I start my laptop

Hey,

Ok so I installed a program runscanner and then uninstalled it. What had happen was that I believed it created a folder named Programs in my All Programs area (from the start orb ->all programs). This new folder was just a mirror of what was in the All programs already. I tried to delete it but it wouldnt let me. I then tried to move it to my desktop and it wouldn't let me. I did a restart and it was gone but then there was an empty folder on my desktop named Programs. I deleted it and did my work and restarted my computer and it appeared again. I deleted it again and did a restart and it showed up on my desktop again. What is causing this problem?

 

Use CCleaner ( www.ccleaner.com) to check your startup items and see if there's anything suspicious (you can use google to look up any startup programs you don't recognize). I would also suggest installing Spybot: Search & Destroy and using its "Tea Timer" feature. If you delete the "Programs" folder, Spybot should detect when something tries to create it again, either at shutdown or at the next boot, and it will ask for your permission on the change. While you're at it, do a full system scan with Spybot for good measure, just to make sure there isn't any malware on your system.

 

Did a full CClean and a Spybot sweep and when I restart my compuer, it comes back again

 

With this problem and my slow shutdown: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=235195 problem, I am thinking of doing a clean reinstall of Vista on my laptop. Is that advisable?

 

I really think it is due to the software that I tried to install, Uniblue scanner, that didnt install correctly so I deleted. What should I do?

 

A clean install never hurt anyone with a good backup . One more thing you might want to try before doing a full reinstall, though, is to disable your startup items just to make sure it isn't some startup item. Go to start -> run -> msconfig -> "OK" and just uncheck every single startup item, then restart. If the blank folder still comes back, then go ahead and reinstall, if it doesn't, you can use a simply "hi-lo" process to figure out what startup item is causing the problem.

Note: Hi-Lo elimination is used to guess a number in as few steps as possible. Basically, after you've unchecked all the items and figured out that it IS a startup program, you reenable HALF of your startup items. If the blank folder comes back again, uncheck half of this half to see if the folder still comes up, etc...

If that doesn't make sense, let's say you have only 10 startup items. First, you put a check into items 1-5. The folder comes back up, so you uncheck items 4-5. The folder still comes up, so you uncheck all startup items except for number 1. The folder doesn't come up, so then you check startup item number 2 and the folder comes up. ALl you have to do now is leave item number 2 unchecked (or use CCleaner to remove it without a nag strip).

That was a little verbose, so let me know if it doesn't make sense