Okay, so I just started up my laptop like any normal day, plugged in my mouse, and ethernet cord for my DSL, and I noticed I got a little pop up box from Microsoft stating I must restart my computer to apply changes.

Now, I have used the mouse, and router numerous times without anything popping up, and they are both working fine right now, that is the only thing that has been plugged in, nothing has downloaded, no updates, no files, no nothing.

.. Could it be a virus? or am I being to cautious, it seems a little too random ...

Screenshot it.

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/1859/meowmeow.jpg

I mean, it looks ok, but it just seems all too spontaneous to be there, nothing has updated, or downloaded, installed since last night, and this popped up right after the laptop started up, and desktop loaded.

This is just a guess but it could be that you have some drivers that are set to automatically update. Certain kinds of software like some kinds of antivirus software require you to restart your computer if there's a major update. I don't know why it would say it's from Microsoft but stranger things have happened. Of course it's just as likely it's a virus. If you think it's a virus, download Hijack This, do a scan, save a log and post it on an antivirus forum.

If it's legitimate, whatever it is can sit and wait long enough for you to do any just-in-case scans.

When I did plug in the mouse, I saw the little.. installing device thing pop up, this has happened I few times, but I have never gotten a pop-up telling me to restart my laptop.

EDIT: Downloading Hijack This

see what it does when you hit restart later?

I get that message when Windows updates itself. If you press "restart Later" it'll just pop the window back up in 10-15 minutes and bug you again. The trick is to drag it to the bottom of the screen so only the top of the window is peeking up above the taskbar. My chem prof didn't do that, she just kept clicking "remind me later" five or six times throughout the lecture.

Could be coincidence - have you ever gotten that message before? Do you have windows set to update itself? Did you recently tell it to install updates?

When ever I get windows updates, I always have the little red icon on my shutdown button, this isn't there, and this little box opened right when the desktop loaded, so I cannot see how anything got installed, or updated from the time I shut down last night, to the time I turned it on today, and the desktop loaded.

.-. Overly long sentence, sorry.

FYI: Internet Explorer 9 is now on Windows Update, and it requires a reboot.

Still, run the scans to be sure.

Hmm, well, I think I'm gonna just bite the bullet, and see what happens, lol. :homestar:

Edit: Well, everything still seems to be alive, must of been legit, this can be closed, thankyou everyone!

Go into Windows Update from the start menu, then select 'View update history' to be sure it was IE9.

Well, apparently the last one update was yesterday, and it was just Windows Defender definitions, but I have a few pending updates to be installed.

The pending updates are just Windows Live Essentials 2011 ( don't want )
Windows EI9 .

Hmm, well.. nothing blew up.. so, maybe I will just wait and see what happens .