A teetering system!

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance

From: Gillyches (Gillyches_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 09/26/04 

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 09:43:02 -0700

Greetings everyone!

Sometime in July I seemed to pick up a virus/trojan/nasty and because my
Norton Antivirus program didn't seem to be able to deal with it (the computer
closed down whenever the scan was about half way through) and neither could
Spybot (same thing happened!) - I became desperate and after trawling around
on the internet found Xoftspy and downloaded and bought it. The problem
seemed to have cleared up!

The other day I wanted to change my favourite 'home page' and when I tried
to access the 'Internet Options' I got a message telling me of 'restrictions'
and to contact my system operator! Well I AM the system operator so that had
me flummoxed!

I was given some advice to remove the Xoftspy program as it was probably too
aggressive - and to use Adaware. I downloaded Adaware - but it came with a
message about some corrupted files so that it could be installed. I removed
the Xoftspy anyway and tried to scan - but again it all closed down and I had
to 're-boot'.

I then read in a magazine (in answer to a question about this guy's claim
that he'd still got two unaccountable 'bad/virus' files after scanning) that
maybe there was something locked up in System Restore so it would be a good
idea to unlock the restore function and see if the viruses could be removed.
So, against my better judgement, I removed the 'restore' function (thereby
removing any chance of rolling the system back to a previous date! Duh!!!!!)
and tried scanning with Spybot - again the whole lot turned off.

Added to which, I now find that I have automatic updates that show the icon
- but which continuously shows 0% downloaded even after 20 minutes!

Is there any hope of:
a) being able to sort out this awful situation myself - re some sort of
'alien' resident on my computer?
b) getting back to a stable system that I CAN scan for viruses, use Spybot
and generally feel confident that I'm not going to see the computer version
of the sinking of the Titanic? 

-- 
Gill
If you think you are insignificant - you haven't slept with a mosquito!

Relevant Pages

  • RE: A teetering system!
    ... How to optimize Windows XP, 2000, ME ... > on the internet found Xoftspy and downloaded and bought it. ... > idea to unlock the restore function and see if the viruses could be removed. ... > and tried scanning with Spybot - again the whole lot turned off. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • RE: A teetering system!
    ... > Norton Antivirus program didn't seem to be able to deal with it (the computer ... > on the internet found Xoftspy and downloaded and bought it. ... > a) being able to sort out this awful situation myself - re some sort of ... > b) getting back to a stable system that I CAN scan for viruses, use Spybot ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • RE: A teetering system!
    ... > Norton Antivirus program didn't seem to be able to deal with it (the computer ... > on the internet found Xoftspy and downloaded and bought it. ... Try a clean install, reinstall XP in the same folder as the previous ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: System Restore will not work? (It IS enabled)
    ... Try using an earlier restore point in safe mode. ... I AM JUST UNABLE TO RESTART MY PC ON THE SAFE MODE. ... found an error in the registy that it could not fix (my computerhas ... I have updated and run my Norton AntiVirus program (full ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain)