One step less extreme than dumping the computer?

My computer has started seriously playing up, crashing, blue screen of death etc. I suspect Malware and someone on a forum is currently very kindly helping me to identify and remove.

However this is taking a while, it has been 3 weeks so far, it is not obviously any closer to being resolved, and I can't live without my computer, I need it for work.

So whilst I would rather solve the problem with some kind online help and downloaded freeware, I am about one week away from being forced to go out and buy a new computer.

So my first question is:
Since I am considering the nuclear option of giving up and buying a new computer, are there any slightly less extreme solutions I should be considering first? E.g.

•Buy and install a new OS (it currently has Vista, I could upgrade to W7)?
•Format the internal hard drive, buy and install a new OS?
•Buy an new internal hard drive, buy and install a new OS?

And a related issue - I have a few USB connected external hard drives I use for storing data. I don't store or run any programmes from them, just data files (.jpg, .doc, .wmv, .xls, mp3, etc.). I would ideally like to copy some data off the internal hard drive onto these external hard drives before wiping the internal hard drive.
So my follow up questions are:
•Am I just going to reinfect my new/refreshed computer as soon as I plug in these external hard drives?
•Is there anything I can do to check that the external drives are safe before plugging them into a new machine?


To be clear: I am very grateful for the help I am already receiving in trying to fix my computer, and my need to move faster is not a criticism. But my personal situation means I need to move faster, so I would also like some help on a plan B.

 

OK
I was not aware of that convention, but I can see it makes sense.
Consider me chastised.
I will wait patiently on the other forum.

Earlier today I spotted that guide you linked and considered following it, but then I thought that this might be bad etiquette, since I already have an expert helping me through my malware problem getting me to run various things and post the logs. If I start doing my own things at the same time won't that make it harder for her to work out what is going on?

 

OK. So I won't do anything to make her job harder, and won't ask anyone else to look into my malware problem.

But I would still like to understand what my best alternative is to giving up, taking this computer to the dump and buying a new one.

I assumed there is a well recognised final solution that you resort to when trying to remove the malware has failed, and that it would be slightly less extreme than taking the whole thing to the dump. I'd just like to know what that is so that I can start researching how to do and what to budget for it.

 

Thank you. That is exactly the guidance I was after.

I have never done this before, I imagine doing it wrong is pretty terminal, and I assume the computer will go through a stage of being completely useless before it is fixed. So my next step will be to hunt the web for a good step by step guide to formatting a hard drive and reinstalling an OS, preferably a guide specific to doing this within Vista.

If know of a good guide you can direct me to that would save me some time.