Problem with my Computer. I'm having trouble with my computer and have recently been using a

Question

I'm having trouble with my computer and have recently been using a friend's (which I am on now) but I am getting irritated and want my computer back.

I have windows XP so I log on to my account and it doesn't load up my desktop. Inside the image that is on my desktop is there but none my icons are there and neither is the start bar.

Another thing is that apparently over MSN I've been sending links to people and when they open them it turns out to be a .exe program file and had a virus in it.

So a friend of mine told me to try to log on in safe mode to run a virus scan. Which I tried to do, but when I restarted the computer and selected safe mode the computer just kept restarting until I turned it off.

I don't know much about computer so if anyone can kind of explain to me if theres anything I can do (in simple terms) then I would be REALLY grateful.

Answer 1

You seem to have a virus on your computer, obviously you know. First off there are a few ways to solve this problem. You can go to future shop or any other computer shop and have them repair the computer for money, high amounts usually. You can buy another computer or some virus which I do not recommend. Or finally reformat the computer, which will destroy the personal files/settings that you don't have placed on another device.

To format, you should run setup (press F1-keep pressing incase) right away when the computer starts. Now go to Start Up options on the menu that opens. What you want to do is change the way the computer starts.

There are around 3-4 ways someone can access a computer and get it to work. 1st by the hardrive and second by inserting the Windows CD everytime you want to start the computer. (This is usually not the setting but that's what you have to change). So in the primary setting put down your CD Drive :D or :F as the way to open the computer and secondary one at hard drive.

Save this and exit.

INsert your XP CD now.

Now it will say to press key or something like Change is expected or not expected.

You want to click change is expected.

This will take you to Windows reinstall/repair page.

From here you want to go and delete all the files on your hard drive (format) USING the NTFS system (full). After reformating, you install the xp on the empty drive now.

Answer 2

Hmmm from what I gather, you have a virus on the system & also corrupt/missing OS files. I did not quite get the part about which system has a virus? Yours or your friends? Also if you are trying to boot to your desktop on your friends computer, thats not possible.

If there is no data to be backed up, or if you think its less painful to let it go, rather than taking the pains of taking it to a store where you can back up the data (I'd do that, all I have on my comp are movies & songs that I downloaded off the net, & I know I can get them back when I get my system back ;-)   ) Then go for a system recovery. Heres a step by step guide:

0) Take out all the extra H/W that your computer did not come with, Printers, USB periphirals, etc.

1) Format & recover the system.

2) Install a good AV BEFORE you plug internet in.

3) Update AV the FIRST thing when you go online.

4) Enable windows Updates so that your computer has all the available patches. In fact I'd say after updating AV, go to windowsupdates.com & get ALL the updates.

5) Now get a good Firewall if you have a always on internet connection.

6) Get some good Anti Spyware/Malware too, SPybot "Search & Destroy" & "Ad-Aware" are what I use, they are good & they come free. Also get something like McAfee's Siteadvisor, which warns you which sites are knows sites for sending spyware/malware/spammers.

I assumed that you do know how to recover your system. In case you don't, simply reboot your computer with the Windows CD inside...