Desktop won't finish booting after spamware attack

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wrenna
  • Start date Start date
W

Wrenna

Hi. I spent 4 days getting a massive spam and adware
attack off the comp. What a mess. What's left is: when I
boot up, the icons will appear, but the installation of
the applications stops cold. I can use anything that has
an icon but if I put my cursor in the START bar area it
turns into the "working" cursor. It'll stay like this
for hours, once in a while something will jar it loose
and things will continue to load and all is fine. I can't
do without the comp for long so I'm forced to work like
this. I've gone into the sys config utility and do see
two start up items that have boxes listed as their title
instead of listing what they are, so I assume these are
corrupt files. They belong to the MS/Window NT/current
version/Windows folder. If I uncheck them it'll reboot
and go back into selective startup and ask me to do it
all over again. I don't have the XP CD, just all the CAB
files on the computer so I'm not sure how I'd install
what's corrupt. Any help is appreciated! thanks!!
 
I'm not sure I completely understand. The implication is that XP loads just
fine but you are unable to get your applications to open. NOTE: I'm
interpreting your phrase, "But the installation of the application stops
cold" as meaning your applications won't load." I've done this based on the
rest of your post.

Assuming that is correct, try the following fix from MVP Doug Knox. Go to
the following link, www.dougknox.com, click Win XP Fixes in the left frame,
then click "Restore Default File Associations Easily," in the list of fixes,
download and install as instructed.

If that fails to resolve it, try the following.

While the following assumes you have an actual XP CD as opposed to a restore
CD or
restore partition supplied by your PC manufacturer, you can sometimes
navigate to the restore partition which is were your cab files are being
stored. If this does not work, I can only suggest you either check your
manual for instructions on using your PC's restore procedure, that is why
the manufacturer placed those cab files on your hard drive or contact them
for instructions as that's not information we would have.

Go to Start, type sfc /scannow in the run box and press enter. Note, there
is a space between sfc and the forward slash. You will be asked for your XP
CD. Be aware, upon inserting the CD the XP setup screen may appear, this is
not a part of sfc /scannow, rather it is being invoked by autorun. Simply
minimize the screen and allow sfc to continue.
 
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