XP totally locked out of desktop - ravaged with malware

My spybot topic is at:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?p=359888#post359888

Our XP apparently got infected while viewing an image at deviant art, some sort of ad auto infected. This computer's hard drive was totally wiped and reinstalled at the beginning of January for a similar "buy our antivirus" infection.
This time the infection locked us out so fast we have no clue. I posted over at spybot and before anyone could answer the malware locked us out.

I have no access to the desk top. I have brought it up in safe mode clicked to log on and the computer immediately says saving user settings and logs off. We never get past the login window.
Ken suggested

Let me ask you, can you boot to Safemode with the Command Prompt ?

If you can, at the command prompt type this in

dir C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

or this

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

It should bring you to system restore to restore your computer to an earlier date.

I went and restarted hit the F8 repeatedly and chose safe mode with command prompt from the list.
The next window shows in blue at the very bottom the command prompt but I cannot select it. The arrow keys do not allow me to more the highlight bar off of the Windows line.
I am not sure if I am even looking at the right place to enter a command, lol. I don't see any place where I am able to type in any characters.

At this point I would just like to be able to save my daughters school documents off this computer. I know we will need to wipe the hard drive. I'm just looking for possible methods…..hoping I don't have to take the hard drive out and plug it into another computer to get at the documents.

So what do Experts here say?

Thank you for your help. Looking around this type of infection seems to be an epidemic and I know you are all over worked trying to help other users.
She has Corporate Symantec antivirus running on it because Dad uses this computer sometimes for work at home. Also Spybot. Is there some other software we need to not have this happen again once we are clean?

Hi there,

If you've got your Windows Installation Disk, you can perform a "Repair Installation". Basically, this re-installs all of Windows' system files and settings, whilst leaving all your documents and programs intact. This should then allow you to boot, recover all your documents, and then perform a full reformat/re-install once done.

Check here for info on how to do a repair install, let me know if you need more info:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h…ips/doug92.mspx

Hope that helps you,

-jp

Note: Regarding the XP installaton CD… This may be redundant and Meezerpoint may already be experienced from the January format and install, however, If this is a brand-name machine such as HP, eMachine, Compaq, Dell, Acer, etc, the XP installation CD my not offer "Repair Installation" Therefore, Meezerpoint may actually have to perform the suggested rescue of important files and documents before performing Reinstall. either by: physically removing and installing the hard drive into another machine for copy/paste of files or Running from a live-linux or UBCD CD system to copy the important files to external Hard Drive or burn to CD. If you are fortunate enough to have an actual Microsoft halo-graphically labeled XP CD, then Repair Installation "is" an option that "should" leave your documents and saved files untouched. However, it is still a good idea to assure that your important documents and files are backed-up away from the machine, before even performing Repair Installation. Best Regards

Its a Dell from 2004. That is old for a computer isn't it? LOL The XP disk is purple says XP home edition including SP2. When you say "Microsoft halo-graphically labeled XP CD" Do you mean a Microsoft hologram image on the label?…I don't have that. This is from Dell. I didn't do the wipe before. My son was home from Cornell for winter break and he did it. I am going to open it and pull the hard drive to get the files off then look at what my next step is. Wish me luck this is my first go at something like this. LOL

I suppose that's old to many.
My main laptop is a Dell Inspiron 8200 from sometime before 2001.
It runs like a champ.

Yes - to your questions about MS halo-graphic image labeled XP installation CD.
The "purple" Dell XP CD "may or may not" have ability to perform Repair Installation as compared to an Installation that would wipe out and format all information on your Hard Drive.

You are wise to perform back-up of important documents, media and files before proceeding with repair.
Note: Recommend not to save any "executable" files, since they could easily have become infected.
Typically you should exclude
.exe
.dll
.com
.bat
.chm
.inf
.ins.
.js
.pif
.pot<– power point
.ppt <– power point
.sys.
.vb
.vbe
.xls <– excel sheets

A more complete list of executables to avoid can be found here: http://antivirus.about.com/od/securitytips/a/fileextview.htm

Good Luck!