Oh shit Sharni!....I knew someone was gonna ask me that! I get so po'd when it happens I haven't even written it down. Ya know what? I'm gonna make it happen again after I reply here and I'll get back on and let you know! This'll be like going to the dentist though......it won't happen when I want it to......so excuse all the nonsensical pics that might pop up in this thread.....I'll have to experiment.

DL.....I'll get the exact wording soon! Don't forget, too, I don't always get the error message....just that things freeze and I can't click on ANYTHING! My cursor is useless or I sometimes don't even have a cursor. As to when it first happened......my husband was at the computer one morning when I came down.....he was trying to organize some folders (this is just after we went to larger avatars and the night before I had made some of my pics to the larger av size)....he was trying to get all the av's I had made into one folder and whenever he clicked on a certain av I made, the puter would freeze. He said this happened a couple of times and he had to shut off power and reboot and things were fucked up.....and I said....let me see what's happening. I tried to click the av he was having trouble with and the message I got (worded, of course, in puter speak) seemed to have something to do with a conflict with the pics I made and my Norton Anti-Virus 2002......I tried re-booting this time and it would only come up in safe mode.....I could do some things but not what I wanted and then I'd get an error message again and round and round........till I finally read and re-read the message and somehow got the idea it was a conflict with Norton..........so I uninstalled Norton! Then I did a restore to a time when things were good and I could boot in normal mode and all that fuzzy shit......but.......there are still times when I freeze or get the (elusive) error message and I have to shut the power off. Sorry bout all that.....I know I'm long winded.....but I don't know how to explain this any better. I'll get back to ya....thanks for helping!

Ozling.....Seems like a virus to me too.......but as you've read above....I had to remove Norton in order to even type this (though that was a while ago). I might try and reinstall it but I want to see what suggestions I get here before I do anything. I don't know how I could get a virus by changing the size of my own personal pics????? Thanks hun!

Bopper.....My restore can do a factory restore or a restore to a time when things were peachy keen! I prefer the latter at this time......least till I have no other option......and then I'll back up all the stuff I know will be gone forever (I know....I know....I should do that anyway). I think I've done all the other stuff you suggested except to go and check to see if I have any new updates to load.......which I used to get an alert to do so but now that you've mentioned it....I haven't had one in a while! TY so much for your help......I'll be back ASAP to let you know what's happening!

I have to leave for a while and go to a wedding shower.......I'll work on this as soon as I get back! TY all for trying to help the puter illiterate!

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~