Simple Conficker test: try to go to major antivirus sites (AVG, Norton, etc). If you can't get there, or are redirected, you may be infected. Likewise: see if "System Restore" works on your machine (just try to restore from a month ago). If you can't access SysRestore, you may be infected.

My son's machine was infected 3 months ago, and displayed those symptoms. This latest version of the virus, so I read, is aimed mostly at Windows XP systems.

Today's PC World newsletter says it looks like the April Fool's Day attacks were overblown (still, my 82 year old Mum-in-Law wouldn't turn on her computer today, out of fear).