Who's up for a REAL challenge???

I have an old Dell Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro, SP3. My wife (yes it's her computer), picked up something that's really nasty. Even though Windows updates are current and so is AVG, her computer got slower and slower during the past while. Now if I click on any desk top icon, nothing happens. I have to right click on it and then click open and MAYBE it'll open. IE 8 won't open at all, but Chrome will. AVG won't open. All previous restore points are gone. I've tried to reload Windows using the disc, but it just won't work. I tried to format the hard drive and that won't work either. I tried to install Windows 7 and the disc drive doesn't recognize any disc.

I've tried to download / run Ccleaner.exe, TDSSKILLER.exe, ROGUEKILLER.exe, HITMAN PRO.exe, MALWAREBYTES.exe

They didn't show any problems, however I was unable to download / run Malwarebytes...see attached error messages. Malwarebytes used to be on the computer, but was just recently uninstalled. I can't find any remnants of it anywhere. I managed to get to Trend Micro and run House Call, but it didn't find anything either. Even though I've downloaded and run most of these programs, they no longer exist on the computer. For example...Ccleaner was just download / installed and run. It's listed in my Program Files, but the folder is empty and it's not on my desktop either. Even if I try to click on a log report on my desktop to drag it, it won't move. Nothing works. The computer is crippled and and I have clue what else to try. I've tried to uninstall programs to try and reinstall them, but the computer won't allow it.

It's me against a H.A.L. 9000. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! :confused

 

In addition to the above, I forgot to mention that every time I try to repair or reinstall Windows XP it asks for my password....there isn't one, but it won't accept that for an answer.

I went to Start / Run and ran SFC /SCANNOW to ensure that all the Windows files were intact and not corrupt...everything was fine. By going to Start / Run, I was also able to get to REGEDIT. However, when I try to type in MSCONFIG, nothing happens. It denies me access to my config settings!

 

So you are saying that the CD/DVD drive does not work at all?

 

I'm gonna suggest a visit to:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35

Read and do:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

Then post back to that forum.

 

Pwillener...the CD / DVD drive does work with any other disc, however if I try to insert a Windows 7 disc, it just sits there and looks at me funny. The Windows XP disc works randomly. It's almost as if i have to catch it off guard.

cipher... I did go to those threads first that you recommended. That's where I obtained the log files. I did everything in the instructions step by step except when it came to installing Malwarebytes. Every time i tried to install it, I kept getting error messages (see Malwarebytes.txt in original post).

 

OK...the fire's out. After more than 12 attempts, some how I managed to get the original Windows XP disc to run and was able to do a clean install of Windows. At least my wife had the sense to keep a backup of her files. Now it's just the arduous task of reinstalling everything again.

I've come across Viruses & Trojans before, but never anything as debilitating as this one! I don't even know what it was or where it was located. I certainly hope it's gone for good!

Thanks again for all those who took the time to read and respond to my situation!

 

Did you post in the malware forum? I suspect malware, and those Ladies and gentlemen are the ones to see.