IconCache Rebuild in Vista and some beginners questions

[rogerthat69]

I have a lot of icon-problems and want to rebuild the cache. I pretty know how to manage this but before I start I have some "easy" questions regarding USER-folders in Vista. I´m more or less uncertain myself though!

Background: Due to probable malware/virus-infections I did a System-Restore in Nov. Worked out ok it seemed! Before Restore I had 2 user accounts, A and B. A has admin-rights but not B. After Restore my "Log in-page" disappeard. No big deal I thought because now my B-account is lost to space. The thing was that my B-account was created in time after the Restore-date that was choosen. For the moment I don´t use(have) an account-password(but I will). But before Restore I had PW on both accounts.

Now to folders. There is no B-User under USER in the Control Panel. Only an A-User. When performing a Restore I guess all folders from B-User are intact but inside folders there should be only documents. Not register-data or other system-related files created under B-User(I.e programs) after the choosen Restore-date. But there are!

When looking for the file iconcache.db I find them under both User-folders, A and B. Further I can see lots of system-files(dll´s etc)under B. I can even find NTUSER-DAT-files that are updated 3 days ago under B!! B\AppData\Local_LocalLow and Roaming have also lots of content! Anyway my intention is to delete every B-User-folder. Doing so creates perhaps some registry-errors but they should be easy to delete in CCleaner etc. Or?

The story involves further findings of infections since Restore was done. Hopefully Techspot cleaned
them all out this week.

My simple question: Can you see any big difficulties here regarding my forthcoming actions? Except
maybe ownership-rights? As you understand a novice can get pretty suspicious when user-files belonging to an "un-used"/ended account are created or changed!

 

[bazz2004]

I suggest you give up on this and reinstall Vista. There's a point beyond which it becomes pointless to try and fix the OS. It looks like that was some time back. I hope that you have backups of your personal data.

 

[rogerthat69]

Thanks for your advice. I did re-install(OEM) Vista in October. I have no OS disc myself. Hopefully Techspot helped me clean the comp from malware/virus but they pointed out that I maybe have some hardware-problem that causes OS to malfunction. CPU-fan isn´t working all the time(since late November and before re-installing OS) resulting in overheating and shutdowns. I really don´t want to pay once again for re-installing!! Maybe I must buy a new laptop insead. Fan is by the way cleaned too.

 

[bazz2004]

Buying a new laptop is a good idea. Taking a laptop apart to sort hardware problems is difficult but would need to be done first. Reinstalling Vista would involve downloading an ISO from Microsoft and then using your installation key. It would take a long time to get it fully updated. All that would cost silly money if you were to pay someone to do it for you. At the end you'd still only have an obsolete piece of kit.

 

[rogerthat69]

That is true. I checked this site for users with my specific fan-problem. Only one showed up and he/she got no certain advice about error-type. Now fan has worked 100% a few days(temp 42-52(max 58)C) but suddenly one day it will try to start but not succeed. Sound reminds you how to start a car when only startmotor runs. No ignition. Sometimes though it will start after a while. You can hear how fan slowly and slowly gather momentum. Almost like gas-sour carburetor.

I will do as I planned about my icon/folder-problems. See how things evolve.
Thanks//

 

[bazz2004]

The previous generation of laptops were generally not well designed. Lots have developed a problem with the NVidia graphics card integrated into the motherboard. A common "fix" was a rushed BIOS update which just made the cooling fan run at full speed. You'll see loads of defective laptops on eBay saying they have a graphics problem and that it's easy to fix. Not true!

 

[rogerthat69]

Interesting info bazz2004. My laptop is an Amilo Xi2428 (2008...old..I know and it has been running hard almost every day) equipped with NVidia integr graphic. My problems started late 2010 during a lot of late Windows Updating(SP2). But I have not installed this BIOS update from Fujitsu...but I have been downloaded the update. My last straw would be this BIOS update. Now you are telling me what I need to know, thank you!

When I re-installed Vista lately I had difficulties when installing drivers for NVidia. After
some efforts it worked but due to some later BSOD´s I un-installed the NVidia-driver for a more stable invironment for less resolution!

About my fan-problem I have now posted a new tread on the Malware-page. I found
a strange hidden file possibly involved when fan stops working. When I delete this
particular file on re-boot fan starts working again. And rather good I would say! Temp 41-52 C.

 

[bazz2004]

You say that it has worked hard nearly every day since 2008. The laptop has served you exceptionally well. Perhaps its done as much as you can realistically hope for.

 

[rogerthat69]

Indeed it has served me well. Been around Europe for a few years of travelling. Almost every day(for a year) on a bicycle for an hour in every kind of wether, winter or summer. Even stayed with me camping in a tent for 7 month during winternights, temp down to minus -22 C. Droped it on the floor a couple of times. Corners cracked a bit. Hard handling has also caused some quite big areas of dead pixel-areas.
Not bad! German/japanese quality, also built/constructed by germans (old Siemens Nixdorf). Fujitsu is still one of Japan´s top brands in electronic hardware.

One could also say I should be lucky that my hard disk still works! And now my fan is back, hallelujah. Just have to find the source-process that is making my fan "tired" and stopping!