Woke up this morning to my computer acting funny - typical spyware/virus behavior. Decided, ok, fuck it, spybots are missing something, lets get antivirus. Downloaded a 90 day trial of Norton 360. While setting it up it prompted me to scan before it installed. Sounded like a decent enough idea, since the virus I had on my computer seemed to be actively blocking both Spybot and Malaware Bytes from opening - should try to nip it in the bud, right? Well, the scan found the virus, was a trojan... Trojan.B(something), what happened next made me forget the name. IT needed to restart to remove the virus, because it had infected, like I thought, system32.exe [ew]. Restarted, but halfway through loading xp it hit a black screen where i could see and move my mouse. Uhoh, says me. I go ahead and restart the computer again. This time, it gets to the account login, and I log into my user account (unfortunately, the ONLY user account on this computer). Then it just pauses on a blank screen showing my desktop image, then a few programs initialize. I open task manager, I onlyh have like 9 processes running, and worst of all, I have no task bar to acess start menu/control panel/etc to do a system rollback (crap crap crap). A few more programs start up after i open task manager, just some of my startup files like windows and yahoo messenger, the Teatimer from spybot (but spybot itself will not initalize). I cannot access the internet now (even though I can open iexplore and mozilla just fine). I am assuming the drivers/services that regulate internet connection are just not running. (tried to troubleshoot my internet connection through windows live messenger, It would not even get to the first step of testing my IP).
Repeat attempts have led to the same computer settings. I then tried to boot in safe mode but it flashed a big list of what I believe to be drivers and would not continue from there.
Just me, or did my antivirus just kill my drivers?
I do not, unfortunately have OS cds that I have ever seen, nor do the other 2 computer users in my family (you'd think between the 5+ computers, SOMEONE would have one, right?), and last time I took to have my computer repaired the technicans at Fry's wiped my HD and did not repartition it with a D drive for reformatting.
I do have almost all my files backed up on an external harddrive after dealing with some viruses about a week and a half ago, thought I had gotten rid of all the malignant ones so I let my guard down. Bad call!! But at least I'm ready to reformat if needed (driver reinstall, ew)
Um.. what other information should I give... just let me know! Take mercy on me folks! I got a severely broken leg and am mostly bedridden with computer and books being my only time-killer, as well as being in a long-distance relationship via the computer, so if I don't get this fixed asap I'm finally going to lose my grip on reality!!!
