Hi guys: Not sure if I'm in the right forum for my problem. If not, could a moderator please transfer this to the appropriate place. I'll try and explain the problem as clearly as I can but, as I have often said, I am anything BUT a computer expert AND English isn't even my mother tongue, so please bear with me.

A couple hours ago, I saw while perusing the Net that Vopt had issued an updated version of the defrag software I had installed on my computer. I wanted to try it and downloaded the program after closing all other applications and everything seemed to be going fine... until I clicked on Finished and was returned to my desktop. First thing I noticed was that about half of my icons (shortcuts mainly, if not essentially) and my wallpaper picture had disappeared. I then doubleclicked on the Vopt icon in an attempt to use the software for defragmentation purposes. I got a message that there was an error with the software and that the usual functions could not be performed. I then went over to the Control Panel to Uninstall the new version and was told that there was an error during Uninstallation and that the software could not be removed.

I then re-started the computer and was asked if I wanted to re-start Windows normally or in Safe mode (along with a couple more suggestions) and that there had been a BAD_POOL_LOADER error detected. I afterwards accessed the computer both in Safe Mode and in Normal mode, with the same end result (half icons and wallpaper disappeared).

Basically, I still have access to the Net without any problem (clicking the Start button instead of the Windows button in the Tool Bar, which has disappeared along with a several other icons) BUT all of my messages -- incoming, Sent, Deleted, archived -- in Windows Live Mail fail to show up (at least I can't visualise them anymore). AND if I close the Live Mail application and wish to return to it later on, nothing opens up when I click on the START button and then on the Windows Live Mail button...

BTW, I went back to Control Panel, opened up the Uninstall Program function and this time double clicked on the Vopt program. Windows asked if I wanted to uninstall, I clicked YES and this time the program disappeared from the list (I am assuming WITHOUT being uninstalled)

To sum up, computer still functional, I have access to the Net, about half the icons on my desktop have disappeared and I have only partial (to say the least) access to Windows Live Mail. I would be VERY grateful if anyone could help me out with this problem.

Many thanks.

My bad...

HERE is the latest HJT scan:

[HJT log is clean - removed by Broni]

Incidentally, upon further inspection, it also seems my Favorites and the NUMEROUS pics I downloaded and saved have also vanished. Either something or other has wiped out a good deal of the data I stored (including Windows Live Mail), or something is masking such data -- ie making it unavailable for me to use. Needless to say I am HOPING for the latter.

Please tell me to which forum this thread was moved because, having lost access to Windows Live Mail, there is no way for me to be made aware thru e-mail that my query has been taken up by one of the resident experts here. Until THAT problem is fixed, I will probably have to check into this thread periodically.

Thank you.

OK.... disregard post above.

Found the forum!

There is no infection present, so I'm moving this topic to Windows Vista section.

Did you try System Restore?

System Restore DID restore my earlier icons on my desktop. That's on the plus side.

On the minus side, while I now have no problem accessing Windows Live Mail more than once, all my previous e-mails (re:above) either remain hidden or have been lost. And the same can still be said of my Favourites (bookmarks), my wallpaper pic and of the pictures I had downloaded before this... mishap.

Any way to fix THOSE problems?

And, in a similar vein, could the 'BAD_POOL_LOADER' I referred to earlier have anything to do with that part of the problem?

Are you talking about IE Favorites, or Firefox bookamrks?
Did you search the computer for lost pictures?

As for the error...
Navigate to: C:\Windows\Minidump folder.
If you see any .dmp files, zip all of them, and attach zipped file to your next reply.

IE Favourites and Firefox Bookmarks, as far as I can see.

The only pictures I have left, again as far as I can see, are the sample Microsoft pictures that came with the computer. The hundreds of pics that I downloaded as well as the few webcam pics that I took are no longer where they used to be.

C:\Windows\Minidump shows the folder to be empty.