Expert: Frances Rhea - 11/11/2004

Question
Hi.
Sorry for bothering You, but I've found reference on http://experts.about.com/q/1054/3690870.htm about your answer to Norma concerning "Action Cancelled!" message. I've got the same Error message, when I try to use internal search of Windows XP SP2. I do Start->Search...->Search for files and folders..., I enter parameters of search and get empty list of found files and message, that informs me, that "Action Cancelled!". Can you tell me, what can it be? I didn't use any tweakers or other stuff, Search worked fine until someday it's just fugged up and stoped searching.
Thank You.

Answer
It sounds like you may have gotten malware installed especially since it suddenly happened.

I use three products. The first is an online free virus scanner at housecall.trendmicro.com.

The next is 2 freeware software programs that should help. The first is Ad-Aware SE. The second is System Spyware Interrogator. The reason I use the two together is because Ad-Aware removes most of the bad information. SSI will complete the process telling you how to remove some others.

Here are the links at download.com:

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10319876.html?t...

http://www.download.com/System-Spyware-Interrogator/3000-8022_4-10295215.html?ta...

You will probably need to run Ad-Aware at least twice to remove problems. Then SSI once allowing it to analyze your system and send info to them. Don't worry they just maintain a database of all suspect files. Then they investigate them to make sure they do not contain spyware information. Neither of these programs contain spyware themselves.

If this does not help, let me know.

Fran