Fatal error on Windows XP setup

[Fenders]

I think I may have a virus on my pc. It has began to behave erratically and affecting my internet connections.
Norton detected a problem and offered to remove the bug concerned.
I clicked ok and now I have no end of problems.
Tried using system restore. No joy.
Tried using system recovery wizard. It hangs with message "Corruption on windows partition is too extensive to perform the restore option."
The pc has gone in to re-installing XP now.
It gets to about 39mins then a fatal error message is displayed in system setup log "SXSLL Syntax error in manifest or policy file "D:\1386\asms\1000\MSFT\windows\GDIPLUS\GDIPLUS.MAN"

At this stage I clear the log, pc then goes into reboot and starts to setup XP again and then repeats all the above actions.
I cannot get passed this stage and so cannot use Safe Mode or any other facilities.

If I was to replace the Hard Drive with a new one, would I then be able to just instal XP as a new instalation, then install the old drive as a slave so as to access my files?
I'd be grateful of any advise.

Fenders

 

[pctechmike1]

If you have any information on the drive you want, you need to hook the hard drive up into another system as a slave drive, and get what data you need off. Then you can do a complete format on the hard drive. If there is no data on the hard drive that is important, try doing a complete format- and see if it will install. Its not impossible that the hard drive has failed, but it just seems unlikely to me. One thing for sure, when you reinstall- don't install Norton- it's just not worth it. Try Avast! or AVG.

 

[Fenders]

PCMIKE, Thanks for that. I will give it a try and let you know how I got on.

Fenders

 

[crazyman143]

If you have any information on the drive you want, you need to hook the hard drive up into another system as a slave drive, and get what data you need off. Then you can do a complete format on the hard drive. If there is no data on the hard drive that is important, try doing a complete format- and see if it will install. Its not impossible that the hard drive has failed, but it just seems unlikely to me. One thing for sure, when you reinstall- don't install Norton- it's just not worth it. Try Avast! or AVG.

you can also backup things up to a dvd, flashdrive, external hdd, or copy to another computer over a network, through a live CD. this is what I've been doing these days since attaching your hdd to another computer can be a hastle.

 

[hdloademan1]

you can also backup things up to a dvd, flashdrive, external hdd, or copy to another computer over a network, through a live CD. this is what I've been doing these days since attaching your hdd to another computer can be a hastle.

in this case there is a chance of possibly getting the virus written to one of these also and u do want that happend 2 me pleny of times