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If in your travels around the web you pick up some kind of virus or what not that switches your desktop image with the image to the left and then continually warns you about your a/v codecs being corrupted, Don’t Believe It! It’s a total scam! In most cases the “Update Now” is a hyper-link to a web site trying to sell you some kind of “security” software (currently one of the sites is wincodecpro.com). Don’t give them your credit card info or anything like that. IT’S A SCAM! Instead, enjoy the next many hours undoing all the things their little program does to your system. Here are my findings that should assist you in recovering:

1) Look for any new folders in your ‘Program Files’ directory (such as one called Media System). And delete it! Warning be sure this is not part of a program folder that you want! So, what you should find in this folder are three files: a)a .gif file; b)an .htlm file; c) and an .exe file (likely named wmptray.exe). Open the gif file and html and see what they are. You should be able to tell if they are legit or not.

2) Do an anti-virus scan and malware/adware scan. Install a firewall (i.e. ZoneAlarm) and do not allow wmptray.exe to access any websites other than something at microsoft.com!

3) Your ‘Task Manager’ may get disabled so you will likely have to use a program like the Eusing Free Registry Cleaner to view your start up programs. Again, look for the link C:\Program Files\Media System\wmptray.exe and disable this. As far as getting your ‘Task Mangager’ back? I haven’t figured it out quite yet so if you have any knowledge please post a reply to help me and others who fall into this trap.

Good luck.

computers