Skuzzy - View Settings Disappeared and other strangeness

[BluTrain]

I'm not sure if this should be here or in Hardware and software but here goes...

So I logged on tonight to find 2 strange issues.

1. Mouse look no longer functions - I use an X-52 and am used to using the mini stick on the throttle to fine tune views ( kind of a poor mans track IR).

2. Views using the Hat switch have reverted to the default settings

I've tested the stick - and it seems to function correctly in Windows ( Vista Home Premium 32 - I know but I'm stuck with it for now as my only legal copy of XP Pro is in use on another computer) as does the mini-mouse on the throttle. I'm set to start in Mouse View by default but just in case I double checked the key mapping ( it's set to SHIFT + M ) and gave that a try - no luck.  I checked the AH control panel for Stick mapping and the views are set correctly there for the Hat Switch but when I use the hat the views have gone back to the default - IE pressing down on the hat yields a dead six view rather than shifted to the side of the aircraft and towards the nose.

I've tried copying some view files from the AH trainers page to my settings/planes folder with no luck - I've got UAC disabled on my machine so I don't think I need to put them in C:\Users\XXXXXXXX\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\HTC\Aces High II but I tried that any way with no luck.

Any Ideas on what I can do to fix this?  By the way - I've already tried re-installing the vendor provided software and drivers with no luck there either...

All of this was functioning fine until tonight....

[Skuzzy]

Something has gotten marked read-only and is preventing the gaem from updating its own files.  You also must be logged in as the same user.

Happen to have Norton running on that computer?  If you do, then that is the issue.

[BluTrain]

So I'm checking the permissions on the directories starting with C:\Program Files\HTC - when I right click on the HTC folder and select properties it shows Read Only (Applies only to files in folder) - when I un-check that box and apply the changes and go back to double check the permissions it's checked Read Only again.  That being said - I double checked ownership and individual group/user rights and that directory and all subs are owned by the Administrators group of which I am a part, and that group has full control...I google'd the problem - and found http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549/en-us tried that - no help - oddly enough MicroShafts publications documents the command incorrectly but I eventually figured it out - still not working...

I don't run Norton but I do run NOD32 and have been running it for several months without issue...Tried disabling NOD32 for giggles that didn't help....

Any ideas?

[Skuzzy]

Tha behavior is not normal for the operating system.  Something has altered it.  Are you running with automatic updates enabled?  Did service pack 3 get installed?  Did you install IE7?

Could be a virus, maybe some malware.  Once things start acting in a manner inconsistent with normal behavior it  gets to be a challenge trying to figure it out.