virus/spyware/trojan or malware

Hi again,
Well I thought things were fine.
I put the recovery disc in the PC, I re-started the laptop, I then got the message to boot from disc and press enter.
I did all this it took about an hour.
When I start the pc now, I get a black screen with the following.

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Recovery Console
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

I have to tab up or down and choose one.
If I choose the top one, things appear to run ok( basic software at factory install), however when I go into my computer, c drive, then ades folder, i get message access is denied.

If I choose the second "Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition", I get all the stuff, software, folders, everything as it was but it takes about a minute and then it crashes and goes to a blue screen.
When I restart it the next time, it says the pc has recovered from a serious error.
The laptop used to start on it's own and I didn't have to choose anything.
Any ideas?
thanks
Ade

I think you got the wrong disc.
Recovery disc is the basic recovery console, it has to be a setup disc, or has the setup files on that disc you have now.

I'm sure it's the right disc.
You get all the warning signs that all data will be lost if you go ahead.

Just so as I have this right.
Your previous post says format it, then put in the disc then reboot from disc.

Do i just put the disc in the drive restart the computer then when it says " to boot from disc press any key", I press any key.
There is nothing else to do before this or after.
Format means put the disc in- Correct?
thanks
Ade

My bad.
Yes, it's probably the right disc then.

The account that this logs onto, is it the admin account?

Ahh,
I think I'm getting there.
I could be at this for years to come.

First,
I backed up photos.
How do I back up microsoft outlook names address, e-mails?
It's all blank in safe mode and the pc crashes in normal startup.
thanks
Ade

Hmm.
To restore backups you mean?

I assume you can just drag/drop files onto the C (or D) drive, but email backups may not appear in outlook, but if you can still read the messages, just keep them on your hardrive (C drive) along with whatever else you have put back.

Hi,
I'm an idiot.
I have now re-installed XP.
What i did first time was install a second copy of XP and had a partition.
All gone now, back to factory state.
Anything i should install, tweak or do now?
thanks
Ade

Yep.
Turn autoplay off again. You don't need the stick plugged in this time.

Please download Flash_Disinfector from HERE

• First, download it to your desktop.
  
• Now double click it to run it and will tell it you what to do when you open it.
  
• It will temporarily kill explorer.exe and your desktop will go blank.
  
• Let Flash_Disinfector do it's job and it will restart explorer.exe for you.
  
• It will make a dummy autorun.inf in the root of every drive.
  
• You can now delete Flash_Disinfector.exe.
  

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

If you would take a moment to fill out our feedback form, we would appreciate it.
The link can be found here.

Hopefully this should take care of your problems! Good luck.

I have taken all the advice. I am so pleased with the result. Feedback form has been completed, thanks so much,
Ade

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