Windows XP Error Message won't go away !!!

[bobnjudy]

Hello folks - Two silver surfers here at a complete loss. We got our computer from Dell. Its says on the owner's manual it's a Dell Dimension 2400 series. It's Windows XP - our anti virus thingy is 'avast' and there's an icon for 'malaware' as well, which our local computer shop has put on for us. We've got nothing unusual on it - we don't even download music or stuff. Anyway, tonight we got a prompt, ( a yellow shield), for an update. I wouldn't have clicked on it, but Him Indoors clicked on it. It's taken several minutes to do its thing, then it said it had been interuupted and was restoring the system. So we left it to do whatever it was doing - now we 've got a blue headed message from Microsoft Windows, and it says - ' the system has recovered from a serious error - a log of this error has been created - and at the bottom, it says 'send error report' or ' don't send' . We've clicked on both buttons and in the past, it has always just reported the error to Microsoft and then we click' cancel ' and it goes away. BUT .... now it won't go away. !!! The old fella has tried everything, he's turned the computer on and off at the mains, we have pressed control alt and delete - nothing happens. We can't get rid of the little blue panel. We would very much appreciate any suggestions from some of you computer whizz kids. Ta very much.

 

[Abarbarian]

That Yellow Shield is Microsoft telling you it has updates for your pc. It is always best to keep your pc updated.
What is the malaware software that your store put on the pc ?

Does the box not go away when you re-boot the pc ?

 

[bobnjudy]

Thanks so much for your reply Barbarian, (which I'm sure you're not) !! - well, we typed that long query - and whaddya know - we left the computer on its own for quite a few minutes and when we came back, the blue screen had vanished !!!! So I think, for some reason, it was just taking it's time disappearing.
Could I ask you another question please ? Is it ok to ask very elementary questions on this site, or should I look elsewhere ? Don't want to be taking up people's time.

 

[bobnjudy]

p.s. for A barbarian

I haven't a clue what that malaware is - I've assumed it's an anti-virus thingy.

 

[Waynos_Face]

Mate you can ask what you want, Yeah its Malware.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware

Well its anti-malware.

 

[nivrip]

Is it ok to ask very elementary questions on this site, or should I look elsewhere ? Don't want to be taking up people's time.

Ask ANY question you like.

Not everyone on this site is a techy (me included) and you'd be amazed how much I've learned from simple questions.

Fire away, you won't waste anyone's time.

Oh ! and welcome to PCR.

 

[bobnjudy]

Thanks so much everybody - I'm going to post another thread, just asking for an opinion really, i won't be long.....