icon names etc. disappeared

For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main computer (WinXP),
with my desktop's monitor for my screen. I left everything turned on last
night--and when I looked at the screen today, all the icon names had
disappeared, as had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The Log
Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.

I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now everything appears
to be back, although at least one icon had moved to a new location.

Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur again?

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main
> computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my screen.
> I left everything turned on last night--and when I looked
> at the screen today, all the icon names had disappeared, as
> had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The Log
> Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.
> I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now
> everything appears to be back, although at least one icon
> had moved to a new location.
> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
> again?
> Thank you!
>
> Jo-Anne

Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple glitch on the power
line, phone line, inside the computer, all kinds of sources. If it doesn't
happen again I wouldn't worry about it.
If you're running a UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as
dirty power or many other things along with the time and duration it lasted.

HTH,

Twayne`

"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main
>> computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my screen.
>> I left everything turned on last night--and when I looked
>> at the screen today, all the icon names had disappeared, as
>> had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The Log
>> Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.
>> I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now
>> everything appears to be back, although at least one icon
>> had moved to a new location.
>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>> again?
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple glitch on the
> power line, phone line, inside the computer, all kinds of sources. If it
> doesn't happen again I wouldn't worry about it.
> If you're running a UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as
> dirty power or many other things along with the time and duration it
> lasted.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>
Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and check on whether
there's software I can install for it. Here's hoping it doesn't happen
again!

Jo-Anne

In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main
>>> computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my screen.
>>> I left everything turned on last night--and when I looked
>>> at the screen today, all the icon names had disappeared,
>>> as had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The
>>> Log Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.
>>> I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now
>>> everything appears to be back, although at least one icon
>>> had moved to a new location.
>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>> again?
>>> Thank you!
>>>
>>> Jo-Anne
>>
>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the computer,
>> all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen again I
>> wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a UPS with
>> records, it might be listed in its log as dirty power or
>> many other things along with the time and duration it
>> lasted. HTH,
>>
>> Twayne`
>>
>>
> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>
> Jo-Anne

Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do you have?

HTH,

Twayne`

"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main
>>>> computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my screen.
>>>> I left everything turned on last night--and when I looked
>>>> at the screen today, all the icon names had disappeared,
>>>> as had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The
>>>> Log Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.
>>>> I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now
>>>> everything appears to be back, although at least one icon
>>>> had moved to a new location.
>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>> again?
>>>> Thank you!
>>>>
>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>
>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the computer,
>>> all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen again I
>>> wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a UPS with
>>> records, it might be listed in its log as dirty power or
>>> many other things along with the time and duration it
>>> lasted. HTH,
>>>
>>> Twayne`
>>>
>>>
>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do you have?
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>
It's an APC Back-UPS 600. I just installed new batteries and was planning to
hook it up again. I never looked at software for it before.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my main
>>>> computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my screen.
>>>> I left everything turned on last night--and when I looked
>>>> at the screen today, all the icon names had disappeared,
>>>> as had everything but a few icons in the Start Menu. The
>>>> Log Off and Turn Off buttons were gone.
>>>> I turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Now
>>>> everything appears to be back, although at least one icon
>>>> had moved to a new location.
>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>> again?
>>>> Thank you!
>>>>
>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>
>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the computer,
>>> all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen again I
>>> wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a UPS with
>>> records, it might be listed in its log as dirty power or
>>> many other things along with the time and duration it
>>> lasted. HTH,
>>>
>>> Twayne`
>>>
>>>
>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do you have?
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>

Hi, again, Twayne. It just happened again, and I don't think there was a
power problem. I was happily clicking on a blogname in Google Reader, when
suddenly most of the text disappeared. I exited IE and looked at some emails
in Outlook Express, which was still open. They started losing text. For
example, one email lost the subject line and all but a few lines of text in
the body. I exited OE, and the icon names on the desktop had disappeared
again, as had my internet connection.

I quickly closed down the computer before I lost the means to do so. I
turned it back on, and everything is fine again.

Could I be losing a component? Could it be malware? I scanned with Avira
AntiVir yesterday, and it found nothing. I'll run SuperAntiSpyware and
Malwarebytes shortly.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

In news:ib6m2b$j69$(E-Mail Removed),
Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my
>>>>> main computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my
>>>>> screen. I left everything turned on last night--and
>>>>> when I looked at the screen today, all the icon names
>>>>> had disappeared, as had everything but a few icons in
>>>>> the Start Menu. The Log Off and Turn Off buttons were
>>>>> gone. I turned off the computer and then turned it back on.
>>>>> Now everything appears to be back, although at least
>>>>> one icon had moved to a new location.
>>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>>> again?
>>>>> Thank you!
>>>>>
>>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>>
>>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the
>>>> computer, all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen
>>>> again I wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a
>>>> UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as dirty
>>>> power or many other things along with the time and
>>>> duration it lasted. HTH,
>>>>
>>>> Twayne`
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>>
>>> Jo-Anne
>>
>> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do
>> you have? HTH,
>>
>> Twayne`
>>
>>
>
> Hi, again, Twayne. It just happened again, and I don't
> think there was a power problem. I was happily clicking on
> a blogname in Google Reader, when suddenly most of the text
> disappeared. I exited IE and looked at some emails in
> Outlook Express, which was still open. They started losing
> text. For example, one email lost the subject line and all
> but a few lines of text in the body. I exited OE, and the
> icon names on the desktop had disappeared again, as had my
> internet connection.
> I quickly closed down the computer before I lost the means
> to do so. I turned it back on, and everything is fine again.
>
> Could I be losing a component? Could it be malware? I
> scanned with Avira AntiVir yesterday, and it found nothing.
> I'll run SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes shortly.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Jo-Anne

Good thinking. I assume you update each before using? Avira is OK, but you
might want to try running the free version of AVG or any other relable AV
too, just as an extra check. Avira didn't fare well for me for whatever
reasons; it also found false positives which to me is unforgiveable but it
can happen to the best of them.
Have you looked to see if there are any Restore Points you can roll back
to that are prior to this problem? Might work, no guarantee. And anything
installed since then would need to be reinstalled.
Was there a program installed just before this happened? If so, try
uninistalling it temporarily andsee if the problem goes away.

Based on what you described, I feel you're on the right track with the
malware detectors.

HTH,

Twayne`

PS - Your model UPS DOES have communcatons software with it. I have a UPS
500 from them and the comms package works well. I'm surprised it didn't
autoinstall for you unless you never installed anything. They have info on
the web site.

HTH,

Twayne`



n news:ib4llf$cms$(E-Mail Removed),
Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my
>>>>> main computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my
>>>>> screen. I left everything turned on last night--and
>>>>> when I looked at the screen today, all the icon names
>>>>> had disappeared, as had everything but a few icons in
>>>>> the Start Menu. The Log Off and Turn Off buttons were
>>>>> gone. I turned off the computer and then turned it back on.
>>>>> Now everything appears to be back, although at least
>>>>> one icon had moved to a new location.
>>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>>> again?
>>>>> Thank you!
>>>>>
>>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>>
>>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the
>>>> computer, all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen
>>>> again I wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a
>>>> UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as dirty
>>>> power or many other things along with the time and
>>>> duration it lasted. HTH,
>>>>
>>>> Twayne`
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>>
>>> Jo-Anne
>>
>> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do
>> you have? HTH,
>>
>> Twayne`
>>
>>
> It's an APC Back-UPS 600. I just installed new batteries
> and was planning to hook it up again. I never looked at
> software for it before.
> Thank you!
>
> Jo-Anne

I'll check it out, Twayne. Thank you!

Jo-Anne


"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ib7ac7$186$(E-Mail Removed)...
> PS - Your model UPS DOES have communcatons software with it. I have a UPS
> 500 from them and the comms package works well. I'm surprised it didn't
> autoinstall for you unless you never installed anything. They have info on
> the web site.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>
>
> n news:ib4llf$cms$(E-Mail Removed),
> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my
>>>>>> main computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my
>>>>>> screen. I left everything turned on last night--and
>>>>>> when I looked at the screen today, all the icon names
>>>>>> had disappeared, as had everything but a few icons in
>>>>>> the Start Menu. The Log Off and Turn Off buttons were
>>>>>> gone. I turned off the computer and then turned it back on.
>>>>>> Now everything appears to be back, although at least
>>>>>> one icon had moved to a new location.
>>>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>>>> again?
>>>>>> Thank you!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>>>
>>>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the
>>>>> computer, all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen
>>>>> again I wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a
>>>>> UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as dirty
>>>>> power or many other things along with the time and
>>>>> duration it lasted. HTH,
>>>>>
>>>>> Twayne`
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>>>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>>>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>>>
>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>
>>> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do
>>> you have? HTH,
>>>
>>> Twayne`
>>>
>>>
>> It's an APC Back-UPS 600. I just installed new batteries
>> and was planning to hook it up again. I never looked at
>> software for it before.
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
>
>

"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ib7a88$r8$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In news:ib6m2b$j69$(E-Mail Removed),
> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:ib45k0$bqm$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In news:ib241j$bgu$(E-Mail Removed),
>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:ib224r$5fu$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> In news:ib17h3$28a$(E-Mail Removed),
>>>>> Jo-Anne <Jo-(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>>>>>> For a couple months, I've been using my laptop as my
>>>>>> main computer (WinXP), with my desktop's monitor for my
>>>>>> screen. I left everything turned on last night--and
>>>>>> when I looked at the screen today, all the icon names
>>>>>> had disappeared, as had everything but a few icons in
>>>>>> the Start Menu. The Log Off and Turn Off buttons were
>>>>>> gone. I turned off the computer and then turned it back on.
>>>>>> Now everything appears to be back, although at least
>>>>>> one icon had moved to a new location.
>>>>>> Any idea of what happened--and if it's likely to occur
>>>>>> again?
>>>>>> Thank you!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>>>
>>>>> Hard to say, but a one-off like that is usually a simple
>>>>> glitch on the power line, phone line, inside the
>>>>> computer, all kinds of sources. If it doesn't happen
>>>>> again I wouldn't worry about it. If you're running a
>>>>> UPS with records, it might be listed in its log as dirty
>>>>> power or many other things along with the time and
>>>>> duration it lasted. HTH,
>>>>>
>>>>> Twayne`
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Thank you, Twayne! Looks like I need to hook up my UPS and
>>>> check on whether there's software I can install for it.
>>>> Here's hoping it doesn't happen again!
>>>>
>>>> Jo-Anne
>>>
>>> Quickest for that would be the UPS web site. What brand do
>>> you have? HTH,
>>>
>>> Twayne`
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Hi, again, Twayne. It just happened again, and I don't
>> think there was a power problem. I was happily clicking on
>> a blogname in Google Reader, when suddenly most of the text
>> disappeared. I exited IE and looked at some emails in
>> Outlook Express, which was still open. They started losing
>> text. For example, one email lost the subject line and all
>> but a few lines of text in the body. I exited OE, and the
>> icon names on the desktop had disappeared again, as had my
>> internet connection.
>> I quickly closed down the computer before I lost the means
>> to do so. I turned it back on, and everything is fine again.
>>
>> Could I be losing a component? Could it be malware? I
>> scanned with Avira AntiVir yesterday, and it found nothing.
>> I'll run SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes shortly.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
> Good thinking. I assume you update each before using? Avira is OK, but you
> might want to try running the free version of AVG or any other relable AV
> too, just as an extra check. Avira didn't fare well for me for whatever
> reasons; it also found false positives which to me is unforgiveable but it
> can happen to the best of them.
> Have you looked to see if there are any Restore Points you can roll back
> to that are prior to this problem? Might work, no guarantee. And anything
> installed since then would need to be reinstalled.
> Was there a program installed just before this happened? If so, try
> uninistalling it temporarily andsee if the problem goes away.
>
> Based on what you described, I feel you're on the right track with the
> malware detectors.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>
Thank you, Twayne! I don't think I can do the Restore Point, since I think
this problem has been coming on for a while. I'm still wondering if it could
be a hardware issue. I guess if it gets worse and worse, it might finally
"go." I did update and run all three anti-malware programs, and they all
show everything being fine. I don't think I've installed anything new in a
while--although of course I've done some updating.

Jo-Anne