This is my most recent adventure in recovering from self-inflicted wounds. A while back, Microsoft Anti-Spyware informed me that some of my files were infected. Stupid mistake #1: I ordered it to delete the files rather than to quarantine them. Don't do this if it happens to you. Stupid mistake #2: I ran one of my utility programs to repair the registry, dropping all references to deleted files.

At this point I suddenly woke up and realized that I needed to replace the damaged files. I managed to identify 1 file and replace it (a .dll file) but that was not good enough. As a result, the automatic update feature on Microsoft Anti-Spyware was broken and I had to manually update it. I knew there was a simple way to check my system files, but I had forgotten how. And I was too lazy to reinstall the complete OS for such a minor problem.

Several days ago I was reading a description of Vista when it mentioned changes to the old System File Protection feature. That was what I had forgotten! Using Google to look for either System File Protection or Windows File Protection brings up the Microsoft Support article about the System File Checker program. After reading it, I ran sfc /scanonce and then rebooted. After rebooting most of the way, it started the several minute long process of checking all the system files. When it found a missing file, it asked me to put the Windows CDROM in the CD drive. When it finished, everything was working again.

At that point I went ahead and upgraded the Microsoft Anti-Spyware on that computer to the newer Windows Defender. Despite the name change, it installs over the older program automatically. The main difference is that it does not automatically leave an icon on the desktop, so I copied an icon from Program Files and put it in the old location on my desktop for convenience when usinfg the System Explorer view.

The main point I have learned from this is to use quarantine if something gets infected. I am just not used to having anything slip through my protection, but it has started happening this last year and a half as the virus and spyware writers get better (or worse).


Lawrence