No control panel

[Guest]

I have several problems. The control panel is no longer available. Task
manager is no longer available. I get a message that I must contact a system
administrator. I own this computer and have always had administrative
privelages. I can't reload Windows XP because the system has had many
updates so the CD is now considered an older version. I am getting security
alert messages and messages that it wants to redirect me to another web site.
How do I regain control?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have several problems. The control panel is no longer available. Task
manager is no longer available.

Both are symptomatic of malware infection.

I get a message that I must contact a system
administrator. I own this computer and have always had administrative
privelages. I can't reload Windows XP because the system has had many
updates so the CD is now considered an older version.

No, not correct. It's because you have a Service pack installed that's
not on your Windows CD. But it doesn't matter, because if you get that
message, you're trying to do the installation incorrectly.

When you do a correct clean reinstallation, it begins by formatting
the drive, thereby deleting Windows and everything else on the drive
(so backup everything you need to keep first). Therefore what version
of Windows you already have doesn't matter, because it's about to go
away.

To reinstall Windows correctly, just boot from the Windows XP CD
(change the BIOS boot order if necessary to accomplish this) and
follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the existing
partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm