Major Windows Fuckup

Hey I know this is probably supposed to go into the circuit board, but I figured I'd try here first, seeing as how time is somewhat of an issue.

So last night I was surfing the web and I clicked a link, and all of the sudden my computer had a meltdown. I always thought you had to download something stupid to get a virus or whatever but I guess I was wrong. Anyhow, my browser closed itself all my shit started changing colors, my desktop backround changed to some hyperlink, all this shit was popping up telling me I had a spyware infection blah blah... So I rebooted in safe mode, did a quick scan with Ad-Aware, and now I can't boot into normal windows.

I went back into safe mode and tried twice to run a deep scan in Ad-Aware, but everytime I run it, it hangs on C: \windows\system32\directx indefinately. The computer is pretty much unusable as of right now, and I need to get it running pronto. Is there anything I can do as of right now, or is my only option a reformat? Thanks guys...

I think you can boot off the Windows CD and do some type of repair option... not 100% sure though.

Hm I could do that...

I've also been noticing my computer has been a little on the slow side, eating my 1gb of memory like it were crackers, and whenever I surf the internet Microsoft Office always pops up and asks to install shit off the disk. Additionally, I JUST got a new video card that I was about to put in before this happened.... Might be time for a reformat?

i got something like that last week. NOBODY could help at sharky's. i even ran all my apps in safe mode. unfortunately a reformat was the only thing i could do.

Www.yzzerdd.com

Ah I'm sorry to hear that Dyne. It really blows when shit like this happens. I'm in the process of moving all of my shit onto the 2nd partion of my hard drive so I only have to reformat the first section - which makes things really simple.

Would you guys recommend I stay at Service Pack 1 upon my reformat or upgrade to 2 or 3 or whatever they are at. I know some people were saying against the newer packs, but that was a while ago.

service pack 2 is fine now. Install it before you start putting programs and things on.
install Windows w/sp1 -> windows update -> SP2 -> windows update -> other programs and such

Alright I'll be sure to do that. Why is it important to install the service pack first?

If you weren't running Windows as an administrator, it would not have happened. You gave literally no info about anything, but it sounds like SpySheriff.

Safe Mode - Every spyware program you can think of, then reboot and do it again. If you still have the problem, get the fuck out of dodge, save what you can, and reformat.

Thanks spider, I just read that thread in circuit board and now I feel like an idiot. To be fair, this has been the first time anything like this has ever happened to me in the 8 or so years I've been using computers. I'm always really careful of what I download, but I guess this one slipped past me. I won't be so foolish next time.

You are in fact correct, it was SpySheriff. I have no idea where the fuck it came from, but now I remember that name plastered everywhere. I'm not sure how you were able to deduct that from what I said but good job.

It's been a while since I reformatted, I got a new video card, and I think download anti-spyware programs, putting them on a cd, and then putting them on the other computer is almost as much work as reformatting.