Desperate for HELP

[Guest]

Here is the scenario:

Computer is 3 years old, has Windows XP operating system. Used to have
dial-up internet, switched to High-speed.

1-within 1 day of loading high-speed, computer was not working correctly.
2-realized that virus software was not working, purchased McAfee.
3-system still was not working, especially the high-speed connection.
4-obviously there was a "third-party" interference.
5-started in "safe-mode" to run the McAfee, high-speed worked ok, but could
not access the address bar.
6-instructed to update with Windows ServicePack 2 - downloaded in safe-mode
and installed
7-computer is slower than anything I have ever seen.
8-Re-ran the McAfee three more times, with no luck.
9-un-installed the WinSP2, and NOW my computer does not work AT ALL!!!!

I tried to "system restore" to back before all of the problems, but it will
not restore. Even tried 6 other days of restore, to no avail.

I can't even get to the McAfee software, or to windows help - nothing.
Even in safe-mode, nothing works now except the internet, and it won't even
let me re-install the WinSP2. Says it cannot display the screen that I'm
looking for.

Should I re-install the original Windows XP disc that came with my computer
purchase, and start over?

Note: I unplugged the internet during the safe-mode system restore tries,
but didn't help.

What is going on? Please help.

 

[Vicky Vale]

Install and run spybot S&D from safer-networking.org

 

[Ron Martell]

Here is the scenario:

Computer is 3 years old, has Windows XP operating system. Used to have
dial-up internet, switched to High-speed.

1-within 1 day of loading high-speed, computer was not working correctly.
2-realized that virus software was not working, purchased McAfee.
3-system still was not working, especially the high-speed connection.
4-obviously there was a "third-party" interference.
5-started in "safe-mode" to run the McAfee, high-speed worked ok, but could
not access the address bar.
6-instructed to update with Windows ServicePack 2 - downloaded in safe-mode
and installed
7-computer is slower than anything I have ever seen.
8-Re-ran the McAfee three more times, with no luck.
9-un-installed the WinSP2, and NOW my computer does not work AT ALL!!!!

I tried to "system restore" to back before all of the problems, but it will
not restore. Even tried 6 other days of restore, to no avail.

I can't even get to the McAfee software, or to windows help - nothing.
Even in safe-mode, nothing works now except the internet, and it won't even
let me re-install the WinSP2. Says it cannot display the screen that I'm
looking for.

Should I re-install the original Windows XP disc that came with my computer
purchase, and start over?

Note: I unplugged the internet during the safe-mode system restore tries,
but didn't help.

What is going on? Please help.

You are probably infested with a ton of viruses/trojans/spyware,
especially if you were accessing the Internet without first having
Service Pack 2 installed plus all of the more than 70 subsequent
critical updates.

McAfee was the second worst possible choice you could have made for
antivirus software (Norton would have been the worst).

If you can get your Windows XP working at all then go to
http://housecall.trendmicro.com and do the free online scan of your
computer. That should clean up the system, or at least most of it.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Here is the scenario:

You've provided very little in the way of details to enable us to help you.
Please answer the questions below.

For information on how to make a good newsgroup posting, read
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm and

Computer is 3 years old, has Windows XP operating system. Used to
have dial-up internet, switched to High-speed.

Cable? DSL? Something else?

1-within 1 day of loading high-speed, computer was not working correctly.

What does "not working correctly" mean? Exactly what problems were you
having? If you got any error messages, please supply the exact verbatim
text. Did it work correctly for the first day?


2-realized that virus software was not working,


What virus software? How did you know it wasn't working?

purchased McAfee.

McAfee Anti-Virus? A security suite? What version? Have you installed the
latest updates to it?

3-system still was not working,

Not working at all? What was wrong?

especially the high-speed connection.

Not working at all? What were the problems? What happened when you tried to
use it?

4-obviously there was a "third-party" interference.
5-started in "safe-mode" to run the McAfee, high-speed worked ok, but
could not access the address bar.

What does "could not" mean? What happened when you tried?

6-instructed to update with Windows ServicePack 2 -

Instructed by whom? How? When?

downloaded in
safe-mode and installed

You are over two years late ininstalling SP2, and I wouldn't be surprised if
the lack of SP2 is at least partly responsible for your problems.

7-computer is slower than anything I have ever seen.

How slow is that? Describe how long things take.

8-Re-ran the McAfee three more times, with no luck.

Does "no luck" mean it didn't find any viruses? Does it mean something else?

9-un-installed the WinSP2, and NOW my computer does not work AT
ALL!!!!

I tried to "system restore" to back before all of the problems, but
it will not restore. Even tried 6 other days of restore, to no avail.

That last paragraph can't possibly be correct if the sentence above it ("NOW
my computer does not work AT ALL!") is correct. If the computer didn't work
at all, you wouldn't have even been able to try to do a system restore.
Please explain exactly why the circumstances were.

I can't even get to the McAfee software, or to windows help -
nothing. Even in safe-mode, nothing works now except the internet,
and it won't even let me re-install the WinSP2. Says it cannot
display the screen that I'm looking for.

Should I re-install the original Windows XP disc that came with my
computer purchase, and start over?

Note: I unplugged the internet during the safe-mode system restore
tries, but didn't help.

What is going on? Please help.

Please realize that for us to help you, we need complete, accurate, detailed
information. Otherwise nobody can do any more than guess.

Answer the above questions, and also tell us what anti-spyware software you
run. I wouldn't be surprised if you had multiple infestations of spyware.