Those folders in the Windows directory aren't anything to worry about - they're servicepack/hotfix uninstall folders. Hence the names - $ntUninstallxxxxxxxx$ - an NT (Windows XP is based on the NT kernel) hotfix uninstall - the numbers being the hotfix name.
They were probably put there by Windows Update, as it installed hotfixes. Oh, and they're blue because they're on an NTFS partition and they've been compressed to save space - Windows does that in an attempt to be nice.
Does he have the Windows XP CD? If so, booting from that and trying recovery may return some results. Alternatively, apply the sledgehammer approach - back up the data, then format & re-install. It may sound extreme, but it can be simpler to backup/format/reinstall/restore than to fanny about trying to fix something that you don't know anything about, believe me. And if a virus/spyware is suspected, then it's probably wisest anyway. Make sure that the first thing you put back on is the virus checker, and the second is the spyware software. :-)
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Date: 2004-11-29 02:59 am (UTC)They were probably put there by Windows Update, as it installed hotfixes. Oh, and they're blue because they're on an NTFS partition and they've been compressed to save space - Windows does that in an attempt to be nice.
Does he have the Windows XP CD? If so, booting from that and trying recovery may return some results. Alternatively, apply the sledgehammer approach - back up the data, then format & re-install. It may sound extreme, but it can be simpler to backup/format/reinstall/restore than to fanny about trying to fix something that you don't know anything about, believe me. And if a virus/spyware is suspected, then it's probably wisest anyway. Make sure that the first thing you put back on is the virus checker, and the second is the spyware software. :-)