If the hard drive has been reformatted, then evidence of the problem has likely been destroyed. That's just one reason a format and reinstall is ALWAYS a last resort option. You say you are downloading and uploading files - please understand if these are songs from P2P sites, it is very likely your system is infected and will continue to get infected over and over again. P2P sites that cater to filesharing of copyrighted materials (songs, videos, and other published documents) without collecting required royalties are a prime source of malware.
I don't know what you mean when you say you can't open My Computer, but you can see the files when browsing online websites.
Have you scanned for malware? What do you use for security?
I recommend purging the hard drives of clutter with Windows (
XP,
Vista or
Windows 7) Disk Cleanup,
ATF Cleaner or
CCleaner. If using CCleaner, uncheck the option to install the Yahoo toolbar during installation. Before first use, go to
Options >
Settings >
Advanced and ensure
Only delete files in Windows Temp folders older than 48 hours is
unchecked. Know your site credentials (user names and passwords) for sites you frequent before cleaning; you may have to login again at next visit.
Download and install
Malwarebytes's Anti-Malware (MBAM) and scan as follows:
Check for updates before scanning,
Select Perform quick scan > Scan,
When complete, click OK, then Show Results,
Ensure all is selected, and click Remove Selected,
When complete, save the log in Notepad to a convenient place for future reference.
Repeat for all computers in the "Trusted Zone" of your network (your side of the Internet "gateway" - typically the cable or DSL modem).
Windows Disk Cleanup Note: One distinct advantage Windows Disk Cleanup has over all other cleaners is that it also has the option to delete all but the most recent Restore Point. This can be significant as malicious code can hide there too. But I caution this option, found under the More Options tab, should be used
only after careful consideration. If experiencing a problem that first appeared within the last couple days, do not use this option until sure System Restore can not be used to fix it. If the computer is running fine otherwise, and you are doing your weekly supplemental scans and want to root out as many potential malware hiding places as possible, I recommend setting a new Restore Point, and then use this Disk Cleanup option to clear out the old points.
