Despite deleting them, .jpg files are still multiplying

July 19, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

BY ANNE KRISHNAN

Q. When I try to delete .jpg files on my Windows XP system, I also get hundreds of copies made of other .jpg files. I have run McAfee antivirus scans and Microsoft’s download to find viruses and both come out clean. Is there another way to find the virus and remove it, or if not, is there a way to report it to Microsoft so they can look for it? Or is it a bug in XP?

A. It’s not clear to Jeff Crume, an IT security expert and distinguished engineer at IBM, whether this is a security issue. He suspects it’s more likely to be a Windows bug or some sort of file corruption.

Online geeks at Computing.net had several suggestions for a user with the same issue.

Do you have photo-editing software that might be protecting the pictures, perhaps from a photo lab picture CD? If so, you may have to delete the photos from there first, so there will be no more copies to protect.

One person who says he had the same problem moved the pictures he wanted to delete into a new folder, then deleted the folder.

Finally, the problem may just be in your technique. If you hold down the “Control” key to highlight multiple photos, then move your mouse even slightly, Windows will make copies of all of the highlighted shots.

If none of these solutions work, the safest bet is to back up all critical data and reinstall Windows, Crume said.

As you can see from that question, sometimes there’s not one clear answer to the questions submitted to “Stump the Geeks.”

Other times, the geeks truly are stumped. Some situations are too specific, too complex or just too weird to lend themselves to being diagnosed through this column.

While I don’t want to put myself out of business, I can suggest several resources if your problem seems to fall into this category.

If you have a tech-savvy friend or relative, you can give them remote access to your computer for free using CrossLoop, available at CrossLoop.com. In this case, your helper can actually see your screen and control your mouse to diagnose and fix the problem long-distance.

You can also pay for someone in CrossLoop’s community of geeks to diagnose and solve the problem remotely. You can search for someone with expertise in your particular problem and see past customers’ ratings and reviews of their service. Some of the 12,000 helpers on CrossLoop are professionals; others are amateur geeks or students.

You also can seek professional help through services such as Rescuecom, Support.com or Geek Squad.

Comparison shop carefully for the service that best meets your needs.

While all of the services allow you to pay on a case-by-case basis, Support.com also has monthly or annual subscriptions, and Geek Squad offers service plans when individual products are purchased through Best Buy.

Likewise, while Support.com offers online support only, Geek Squad and Rescuecom will come to you, if you’re not comfortable having them access your computer remotely, and Geek Squad also has in-person locations at Best Buy.

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2009, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.).