Is this a virus problem?

[Starman]

Every time I try and connect to the internet via my dial up modem, my
computer shuts down! Is this a virus problem or something else? Please
advise.

 

[1PW]

Every time I try and connect to the internet via my dial up modem, my
computer shuts down! Is this a virus problem or something else? Please
advise.

Please render about 1000% more detail.

What is the exact/_COMPLETE_ OS version?

Exactly at what instant does the shutdown happen?

Is the shutdown graceful or is it nearly instantaneous?

When did it start and what took place before this happened?

Do you have backups?

Does it happen in the "Safe Mode with Networking"?

Have you tried going to a system restore point before this started to
happen?

Do you have any antimalware applications installed?

Do you have a LiveCD or access to one?

Do not be timid about adding detail you may believe helpful.

Regards,

Pete

 

[FromTheRafters]

Every time I try and connect to the internet via my dial up modem, my
computer shuts down! Is this a virus problem or something else? Please
advise.

I suspect it is a hardware problem, but you give very little to go on.

A virus or a worm's main goal is to spread to new hosts, shutting down
the computer is counterproductive to this goal.

Some computer operating systems can shut down the computer when they
encounter a certain type of worm activity on the internet. Do you have a
firewall enabled? Is it shutting down, or rebooting? XP or Win9x? You
may be able to change what action the OS takes when it encounters an
error. XP Pro - search the help system for "specify what Windows does if
the system stops unexpectedly" to stop the automatic rebooting.