Problems with installing - MSIEXEC always running

Hello

This is my first time registering with a forum although I have browsed before. I have an ongoing problem which I have tried to fix myself to no avail and am not sure where best to post this so am using the welcome section, hopefully this will help.

Initially I seemed to have a problem with MSIEX running continually, I started using task manager to close it. I got error messages saying that msiex could not open Nero, especially when using googletalk. I uninstalled Nero using their software. I then followed instructions I found online and have tried to deregister/register msiex and then to uninstall and reinstall. I have been unable to run msciuu.exe because it says the msizap file is not the correct version (got them directly from the MS website).

It now seems I have not removed msiexec.exe (although I thought I had) but am not sure what is making it run (especially as it is not showing in task manager).

I have successfully run spybot, combofix, malware bytes but when I tried to install SAS I got an error message with MSIEXEC in the titlebar and the message "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item". There is only one log-in for this computer and it is the administrator.

This is where my problems started. Then in the last day or so I had problems with some malware that spybot found but remained on my system. I then followed the directions on the malware factsheet in this forum, but could not complete all steps due to being unable to install some programmes. I also found through that I had "lost" my boot.ini file so I recreated it.

I am typing this in notepad to be copied and pasted because now Mozilla Firefox is making my text go backwards (the cursor jumps in front of each letter). Am guessing this is due to attempting to uninstall old java in order to install the most up-to-date sun java (which failed because msiexec did not work).

I have no anti-virus software (to my knowledge) as I removed the one I was using and tried to install AVG (but that says I cannot install it as there is another virus scanner already installed and running.

Anything-else? Oh yes, I seem unable to open my PC in safe mode using the F8 key and I am using Windows XP Home.

I can do some things with my PC but I am not a tech so may need a little hand-holding when it comes to anything to do with registry stuff.

Thanks in advance, I have my fingers and toes crossed and will check back this evening.

 

I think the best thing to to head to the malware section and do the read and run.
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407
follow Chaslang's guide. If you can't do something, post a new thread in malware stating what you actually did and where you got stuck.

Once someone in malware says that your computer is clean, you can post back here for help with the remaining problems.