Try ad-aware. If it can't clean the virus because it's running, it will clean it on the next startup.

Sorry, I've been away a bit. To take your comments in order, Kudzu: Well, I'm glad to know it isn't something MS is doing, but there is really no way someone could have gotten access to my computer, unless they came in as a burglar and left no other signs. We have very few guests, and the layout of the house makes it impossible for anyone to enter the computer room without our knowing it. I'm beginning to lean more and more to your second suggestion, that the files came along with something else I downloaded. I did download a video on YouTube a few days ago, and now a search on the site doesn't bring it up anymore, which is strange. DA: I did click to see when some of the files were created. Several were from 2005 and 2006. Do those dates refer to the time they were "created" on my computer (though I do not think I had bought this computer yet in 2005--too lazy to go hunting for the receipt tonight), or to their original creation on someone else's? If it is when they got onto my computer and I just hadn't checked the All Users folder for such things, I am still left with the puzzle of why some got into my personal regular music folder. However, I usually access My Music through the Start menu, but I had gone through My PC>C:\, etc., when I came across this problem. Can it be that the files were there all along, as Gndms suggested, and I just never happened to notice them? (In that case, I will owe everyone an apology for taking your time, and also feel like the boy who cried wolf--though unintentionally!) So long as nothing sinister is going on, I will be content. RavenCajun: I ran scans as you suggested and all seems well there. However, yesterday I checked the History section of MSE and found this: But it wouldn't have anything to do with the strange files, would it? I am wondering how it "exploits" the computer and whether or not it did any exploiting of mine before it was detected and removed. This is the first time MSE has found anything "severe." Up till now, it has always been just cookies. Didn't find any suspicious log-on activity. RUBotted found nothing, too, but thanks for telling me about it; I have Bookmarked the site for future reference. When I checked the administrative tools and event viewer, there was a great long list of events listed as warnings, dating back to April of 2006, which I am assuming was when I bought the PC. All those "warnings" are scary. Can you tell me what they mean? Should I be doing something about them? Thank you all so much for helping me. Just as a final touch for my peace of mind, I am going to run Kaspersky's scan now.

Happy New Year to you too Jane, and all other members here. You can download the camera in 2 ways. Using a USB cable that came with the camera you just hook the 2 together via the USB port. The connection on the camera will be covered by a protective flap. The other method that I think most people use is to use a card reader. Many printers and even computers now come with card readers built in. If not you can buy one for about $20. Then you simply remove the card from the camera and slide it into the reader which should automatically bring up a menu for you to follow along and download the pics. Always replace the card in the camera at completion of the transfer. Nothing more frustrating than taking a load of photos only to realise the card is still in the reader and the camera has no photos on it. If you leave the photos on the memory stick it reduces the number of photos that can be taken so I always transfer all of them and delete from the memory stick at the same time. The I use Windows Explorer (Start/All Program/Accessories/Windows Explorer) to do what ever I want. Probably you will have created a sub folder inside 'My pictures' so look on the left side and click the + plus sign beside 'My pictures' then click on your photo folder to highlight it. Now you will see all the photos listed on the right side. Now click on 'View' at the very top of the screen and in the drop down menu select either Filmstrip or Thumbnails to actually see the photos on the right side. This makes it easier to move through viewing and deleting those you wish to remove. To view these full screen right click on the first photo then click 'Preview'. Once this photo is full screen click the 'Slideshow' icon on the bottom row, the fifth icon in on my computer.

OK - I tried uploading directly from my camera to Photobucket - and you cannot do that. DANG! Here is an easy way to upload your pics to a computer (you never need to use the camera software - I really dislike Kodak especially, but if you are comfortable with it, that is ok) Plug your camera in to the computer, or place card into card reader. Go to MY COMPUTER and find the device. Double click on it and your images should pop up. You may see them as thumbnails, tiles, icons, or list - depending on how your computer is set...you can always change that. Click on the first image you want to copy - then hold down the shift key and select the last image you want to copy - this will select all of them in between also. Right click and select copy. Go to the Desktop of the computer. Right click on a blank area and mouse over NEW-> go over to FOLDER and click on that to create a new folder. You can rename it when you create it or just leave it named NEW FOLDER (it doesn't matter). Double click on the folder to open. Right click and select PASTE. Your photos will be zipping into this folder! You can upload to Photobucket like normal from there. This will NOT remove the pictures from your camera card. Delete your folder when you are done. DON'T forget your card if you have removed it from your camera!! You can create the desktop folder at any time - you also don't have to have it located on the desktop - but this would be easiest while you are traveling so you don't forget to delete. You should be able to practice this at home. If you can't shut down the Kodak program - just let it do it's thing - then try it after it has finished. Or try it at a library. The little thumb drives (USB drives) and camera memory cards are the same thing - just in a different package. An external hard drive is just like a thumb drive, just bigger. THumb drives are so easy to lose! They are just the handiest things - but they go missing for me all the time.... Buy some extra cards before you travel. Try them out before you go. Format them in your camera first!! They are cheap and you can NEVER EVER take too many pictures :) If this doesn't make sense at all -I can post screen shots later (probably tomorrow)