Problem/virus?

[Roastbeef]

Hi, I am having a great deal of trouble with windows xp...

I can not run windows updates with the computer freezing. Anything that invloves windows seems to lock up the computer. Things like genuine check, windows defender, and more recently downloading anything online. I have reformatted 2 times and no luck. The install is good but just recently, my cousin borrowed my lan connection for his laptop, and thinks he has a virus that is corrupting his mbr, and thinks that what is wrong with mine too. I dont know, but I just would liek to avoid reformatting my 250gb harddrive again because well, it takes forever.

I dont know what could be wrong. I have 3 computers on my lan, and i ran a virus scan on the other comoputers and nothign was found(windows defender and microsfot antispyware)

I dont know what else to do or try,. Any help would be great. Thank you

 

[borat_sagdiyev]

probably part of the registry or something is broken.

 

[Roastbeef]

No registry errors...i ran hijack this and checked

also i reformatted 2 times...

 

[borat_sagdiyev]

by "doing anything with windows", do you mean like change the wallpaper, or change stuff in control panel, or just updates and stuff?

 

[Roastbeef]

no, i just mean specific programs that involve the os, not general tasks. I hope that makes sense lol

 

[Toby1]

Try running an online virus scan, and also downloading a utility program such as Tune-Up Utilities 2006 - it runs a maintenance check on your computer and fixes any errors.

Do you have any proper anti-virus programs? Because no offence, but I don't like Windows Defender or Microsoft Antispyware. (they are basically the same program anyway, with different names) Besides they only really concentrate on spyware and not actual viruses.

 

[Roastbeef]

Whats a good online virus scanner?

I have run pcpit stop optimizer which is similar to the program you are describing. If it isnt, let me know and Ill try to get somnething else...

I hear you on the microsoft defender but its free, simple, and does an ok job(at least for me in the past) I dont have norton or macafee, because i dont normally get viruses and if I do worst case I would reformat, but now if it is indeed a MBR virus I fear I am screwed...

 

[Toby1]

From what I can gather PCPit Stop Optimizer seems similar, but on a much lower scale and has no where near the features of TuneUp Utilities 2006... A 30-day free trial is available from http://www.download.com/

As for a good online virus scanner...

Trend Micro and Panda AntiVirus offer free scans (not that I've used them, never needed to) but I've heard good things about them.

These are my security apps:
Nod32 (AntiVirus)
Outpost Pro (Firewall)
Spyware Blaster and Spyware Doctor (AntiSpyware)
Window Washer (Clean up junk on the Hard Drive [Cookies, Recycle Bin, Internet Files etc.)

 

[joxley1990]

What are the specs?

 

[~mr mixx~]

<moved to Operating Systems>