[smackdabish]

I'm really sorry, because I don't know much about computer programming or how they run. I hope my description of my problem helps you guys figure out what's wrong, because I'm really freaking out.

For the last few weeks, my computer, running on Windows XP, has been running really slowly. I thought I had some kind of adware because I kept getting pop ups (usually relevant to my last Google search or something I typed in a text box), but my basic scanning programs didn't find anything wrong. The problem escalated, and I got more and more pop ups, even when I was away from the computer and Firefox was closed. I tried removing and reinstalling Firefox, but it wasn't the problem, because then the pop ups started showing up on IE. I dealt with it for a while, but today, I was completely bombarded by pop ups like I had never experienced before (and I wasn't even connected to the internet! there were just tons of Firefox windows.) and my computer froze, so I restarted.

I logged on, but when I did, the computer just stayed on my wallpaper and didn't load my desktop icons or my taskbar. Ctrl + Alt + Delete did nothing because somehow, this virus or whatever it is, blocked me from accessing the Task Manager. I shut down and restarted several times and even unplugged my computer, but nothing's happening. I'm on this website on a different laptop.

I don't want to lose all of my files! Is there anything I can do to fix this problem, or even any way I could just access my computer for long enough to just put all my files on an external hard drive?

Edited by smackdabish, 29 January 2009 - 04:39 PM.

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First see if you can get into safe mode by pressing the F8 key while the computer is booting up. If you can get into windows safe mode you need to choose last known good configuration and see if it works. If that does not work , a restore probably will not work also but you can try it.

If neither of the above works you can try a repair install, but you will need a Windows XP CD and you will need to set the bios to boot from the CD first. Getting into the bios is usually hitting the delete key repeatedly while the computer is booting up. Use the arrow keys to move around in the bios, the enter key to go to highlighted areas, and the Esc key to get back out of the bios. Be sure to save the changes when getting out of the bios.

Then you can do a repair install which should not affect your data on the drive.

http://www.geekstogo...ws-XP-t138.html

Another method to save any data before tryiong to fix the computer is to slave the Hard Drive into another computer and transfer all files you may want to save to that computer. You may need to take ownership of the files if you used the windows method of saving data to your user name ( which i never do).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

SRX660

[SRX660]

First see if you can get into safe mode by pressing the F8 key while the computer is booting up. If you can get into windows safe mode you need to choose last known good configuration and see if it works. If that does not work , a restore probably will not work also but you can try it.

If neither of the above works you can try a repair install, but you will need a Windows XP CD and you will need to set the bios to boot from the CD first. Getting into the bios is usually hitting the delete key repeatedly while the computer is booting up. Use the arrow keys to move around in the bios, the enter key to go to highlighted areas, and the Esc key to get back out of the bios. Be sure to save the changes when getting out of the bios.

Then you can do a repair install which should not affect your data on the drive.

http://www.geekstogo...ws-XP-t138.html

Another method to save any data before tryiong to fix the computer is to slave the Hard Drive into another computer and transfer all files you may want to save to that computer. You may need to take ownership of the files if you used the windows method of saving data to your user name ( which i never do).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

SRX660

[happyrock]

if/when you get it booted again...
Please go to the malware forum Start HERE....

That will help you clean up 80 percent of all problems by yourself. If at the end of the process you are still having difficulty (and you may not be) then start a new topic in the MALWARE FORUM forum here...