Nasty virus fixed, now need help with Windows

After a marathon malware removal session, there are some settings that remain screwed up, and I can't get them fixed. So far, I've noticed:

1) The list of programs under Start –> All Programs remain empty except for a few I've manually changed (see pic, post 128). The programs are there, but the links to them are still screwed up from the malware hiding them upon infection.

2) Audio is absent on internet connections. A/V both work on Skype (but I get a repeated "needs to close" window in this app, I'm guessing it just needs redownloaded), and I can listen to music on iTunes both via headhones and internal speakers, but I can't hear audio on websites (such as Youtube). Sound settings are all ok, according to the device manager.

These are probably symptoms of larger unresolved changes to the system. Ken over in the malware removal subforum advised I look into it here. Can anyone please advise?

The malware you had was some of the worst that has come along in quite awhile, it may have done some damage to your system along the way. Doing a System Repair may be a good option, doing it before while you where still infected most likely would have left the malware intact, but doing it now may be a good move, post to the above link, link them to this thread so they can see what we have done and left them guide you through the process.

Good luck,
Ken

Also by Ken.

I think what I would do is look on eBay and buy a Windows XP Professional disk, with Vista and Win 7 out now you should be able pick one up fairly cheap, then you would be guaranteed to have a nice clean and working computer. I dont know all the specs on your system so dont know if its a candidate for Vista or Win 7.

It does sound like a good idea to renew your Operating System, as regardless of what we might be able to do here to get the various OS issues sorted (if it's possible) and after reading the seven pages of your thread in the Melware forum, you can no longer trust your OS to be 100% clean, as it has been throughly compromised and possibly/probably damaged.

Cheers,
Lee

I checked with IBM on getting the OS replaced. I forgot they have their "IBM recovery system" feature on their laptops, which is apparently a pretty solid method to re-new/replace/fix the OS. I'll try this, and report back.

UPDATE: An attempt to start IBM Rescue and recovery was met with the BSOD. Time for a new hard drive. The end