Hi all, thx for the replies. I've just resetted my computer and now it's squeaky clean...ahhh enjoying the fresh air while it lasts...The only problem is that i'm currently running like Windows Explorer 5! Anyway, resetting was all i could do since i couldn't even access the internet. Some issues though. To me, backing up usually means using my drive partitions and putting everything on to one. I don't use external drives or special programs 'cause i don't have any. How safe is this? Also, i still want to know how that wretched notepad file managed to get into my personal folders. It doesn't usually happen. Was it deliberate or something? Btw, i'm not as happy as i sound. Sorting out the files i needed took me the best part of a day and now my comp is empty running "ancient" programs