I have an older computer which is running Windows XP OS. I was streaming a movie when a pop-up come up and I clicked by mistake and it immediately took over the computer. I was also set up with the free antivirus, Avast, which seems to have done nothing to stop the virus... and now that won't even open as everytime I try it pops a window that states it doesn't work. Nothing works...
From what I can tell, and with the research I've done to date, it's not a virus that kills your computer, but rather disables everything making the computer unusable.
At this point, I can't open anything on the computer. I tried putting msconfig into run and it just does nothing. I tried downloading and renaming the setup file for malwarebytes (as suggested in other forums), putting it on a flashdrive from a clean computer, and then trying to install it on the infected computer. To no avail as well as it just does nothing when I try to run the setup file.
I then tried to put the windows xp cd in the cd tray to reformat the hard drive and re-install windows xp. And when I open the setup menu and click on any of the available solutions, nothing happens and It won't load.
so the computer is now good as dead in that regard. Nothing is working, There is no amount of clicking that does anything and I'm looking for solution now.
I'm not completely computer literate and so if you ask that I look in the registry for the virus and delete it, I can't get to the registry... I can open my computer and look at the files there. and there was a comment on another forum about looking for strange numbers...and deleting those files... So I found a highlighted blue files and I deleted them o the recycling bin...but I have no idea what I'm doing, and it didn't do anything either.
I can't even tell you all the details of the computer because when I right click on my computer to get the stats, the pop-up window says I can't access it or something.
So to sum things up.
-I have a virus called "Windows XP Security 2011"
-Everything that does anything on the computer is disabled
-Windows xp CD won't load
-Safe mode does nothing
-"run" does not work
- I have no idea where the virus is or how to remove it.
- I don't know how to reformat
- copying malwarebytes, changing the file name, then putting it on a flashdrive and trying to install on infected computer doesn't work.
- I tried using rkill and it doesn't work, or I don't know what it does and therefore it doesn't work...
Help.
Thank-you. Please keep in mind I don't know how to do anything technical, but I follow steps really well as long as they are clear.
From what I can tell, and with the research I've done to date, it's not a virus that kills your computer, but rather disables everything making the computer unusable.
At this point, I can't open anything on the computer. I tried putting msconfig into run and it just does nothing. I tried downloading and renaming the setup file for malwarebytes (as suggested in other forums), putting it on a flashdrive from a clean computer, and then trying to install it on the infected computer. To no avail as well as it just does nothing when I try to run the setup file.
I then tried to put the windows xp cd in the cd tray to reformat the hard drive and re-install windows xp. And when I open the setup menu and click on any of the available solutions, nothing happens and It won't load.
so the computer is now good as dead in that regard. Nothing is working, There is no amount of clicking that does anything and I'm looking for solution now.
I'm not completely computer literate and so if you ask that I look in the registry for the virus and delete it, I can't get to the registry... I can open my computer and look at the files there. and there was a comment on another forum about looking for strange numbers...and deleting those files... So I found a highlighted blue files and I deleted them o the recycling bin...but I have no idea what I'm doing, and it didn't do anything either.
I can't even tell you all the details of the computer because when I right click on my computer to get the stats, the pop-up window says I can't access it or something.
So to sum things up.
-I have a virus called "Windows XP Security 2011"
-Everything that does anything on the computer is disabled
-Windows xp CD won't load
-Safe mode does nothing
-"run" does not work
- I have no idea where the virus is or how to remove it.
- I don't know how to reformat
- copying malwarebytes, changing the file name, then putting it on a flashdrive and trying to install on infected computer doesn't work.
- I tried using rkill and it doesn't work, or I don't know what it does and therefore it doesn't work...
Help.
Thank-you. Please keep in mind I don't know how to do anything technical, but I follow steps really well as long as they are clear.