Computer Locked Up by Internet Security 2010

Have read some other posts on this subject so I am encouraged that all may not be lost even though our problem is very severe. We have a Toshiba Qosmio with Windows XP and McAfee anti virus and it is pretty much locked up by this 2010 infection. (I am posting on our satellite computer.) I can turn the computer on, look at certain downloads like Word, run McAfee and that's about it. I've run numerous McAfee scans but of course that doesn't solve the problem. I cannot open Task Manager. My husband downloaded a malware remover - not from this website - and tried to upload it on the computer with no luck. He just said it didn't work. I didn't press him on what happened exactly as he was pretty frustrated at the time. So, is there any hope for recovery or are we looking at taking it to Geek Squad - which we really don't want to do - or replacing our hard drive? Thank you.

Please download the current version of HijackThis from HERE

• Double click and run the installer.
  
• It will install to C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\hijackthis.exe
  
• After installing, you should get the user agreement, press accept and Hijack This will run.
  
• Select Do a system scan and save a log file. This will open a notepad file of everything Hijack This found, copy and paste it back here.
  

How can we do this when we can't get any internet connection to work let alone Windows?

Hello.
As long as you can boot, then I'll find a way to put a dent into whatever the problem is.

Can you download tools from this machine your using now, then transfer them over via USB?

Plugged in a USB from HP with instructions for our printer and it loaded but IS2010 won't let it open. At which point the hubby packed it up to take over to a tech friend for a look see. Will let you know what he says/ does. I'm worried about this satellite computer becoming infected. We have McAfee on it too but obviously is not enough. Any recommendations on what we could add to prevent and infection here? Thank you.

These are the tips we normally give at the end, once the malware is removed and we know the problem is solved.

Below I have included a number of recommendations for how to protect your computer in order to prevent future malware infections. Please take these recommendations seriously; these few simple steps can stave off the vast majority of spyware problems. As happy as we are to help you, for your sake we would rather not have repeat customers.

1) Please navigate to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download all the "critical updates" for Windows. This can patch many of the security holes through which attackers can gain access to your computer.

Please either enable Automatic Updates under Start -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates , or get into the habit of checking for Windows updates regularly. I cannot stress enough how important this is.

2) In order to protect yourself against spyware, you should consider installing and running the following free programs:

Ad-Aware SE
A tutorial on using Ad-Aware to remove spyware from your computer may be found here.

Spybot-Search & Destroy
A tutorial on using Spybot to remove spyware from your computer may be found here. Please also remember to enable Spybot's "Immunize" and "TeaTimer" features.

SpywareBlaster
A tutorial on using SpywareBlaster to prevent spyware from ever installing on your computer may be found here.

SpywareGuard
A tutorial on using SpywareGuard for realtime protection against spyware and hijackers may be found here.

Make sure to keep these programs up-to-date and to run them regularly, as this can prevent a great deal of spyware hassle.

3) Please consider using an alternate browser. Mozilla's Firefox browser is fantastic; it is much more secure than Internet Explorer, immune to almost all known browser hijackers, and also has the best built-in popup blocker (as an added benefit!) that I have ever seen. If you are interested, Firefox may be downloaded from here:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
I also recommand the following add-ons for Firefox, they will help keep you safe from malicious scripts or activeX exploits.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433

4) Also make sure to run your antivirus software regularly, and to keep it up-to-date.

To help you keep your software updated, please considering using this free software program that will check for program updates.
Update Checker

5) Finally, consider maintaining a firewall. Some good free firewalls are Kerio, or
Outpost
A tutorial on understanding and using firewalls may be found here.

Please also read Tony Klein's excellent article: How I got Infected in the First Place

Thank you for all this valuable info. I'm going to start going through it first thing tomorrow! The sooner we can add protection to our only remaining computer the better.

One more question for now if you don't mind - in your opinion is McAfee an adequate anti virus program or should we dump it for something else?

Mcafee has good detection rate, but can interfere far too much with malware removal attempts.