Think I have a virus (PUP.Optional)

I'm sorry, I forgot to ad that it does the same thing in safe mode and/or safe mode with networking. I had it in mind to write that it does it in safe mode too when I went to write the post but I guess I forgot when I was typing it. I'm sorry!

Take your time and do what you need to do.

Well, I've been trying and trying and now I can't even get to my desktop(I'm using my son's laptop now to write this). Now when I turn my computer on/or restart it, it beeps and says something like ….. Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint then it goes into sleep mode or right when i turn it on/or restart it, it goes right into sleep mode. So, I wasn't able to run any of the scans you had previously asked, i'm sorry. I tried putting my Windows XP sp2 disc in the disc drive but it didn't do anything putting it in there. Do you happen to have any suggestions? Might there be any hope? Thanks again for all your help! ps. every once in a while but not to often I'll be able to get to a page where it asks if I want to start windows normally, last known good configuration, safe mode or safe mode with networking. But any of those that I choose(&I tried all of them) right after it will go into sleep mode. And when it goes into sleep mode, it won't come out of it. I tried hitting all kinds of keys, moving the mouse, but nothing brings it out of sleep mode. Except to turn it off and back on.

In order to try and startup on your Windows CD, put the CD in the drive and power the pc off. Power back on and start taping the F12 key to see if it will read the cd and boot from it. It's possible that it could be a different key combination or just the Del key. If that works, try a the repair install.

I put the Windows XP cd in and turned my computer off. Waited about a minute and turned it back on. It went into sleep mode a few times but then the Dell sign came up. I hit the F12 key and a list of things came up. I chose #1 to try and start it Normal. Then the Microsoft Recovery Console words came up. Then the Windows XP words/logo came up. Then the screen went blank(this is where my blue screen with Administrative sign on usually comes up) but it didn't. I could hear the disc drive spinning for about 20-30 seconds. Then it stopped spinning and the screen just stayed blank. In your last post I'm not sure what you meant by a different key combination or the delete key? I also have a disc(homemade) that says Windows Boot Disc on it. But I tried putting that in the drive before but didn't have any luck with that either. Is there maybe something else I could try? Thanks so much again for all your help!!!

Was there a option to boot from the CD drive?
If so: You want to do a repair install

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-h…air-windows-xp/

When i start up and hit the F12 key something comes up called … Boot Device Menu ….. listed under that is 1. Normal, 2. Secondary Master Drive, 3. Diskette Drive 4.Hard-Disk Drive C:(except my main drive is G:) 5. IDE CD-ROM Device 6. System Setup 7. IDE Drive Diagnostics 8. Boot to Utility Partition …then it asks to enter a choice. Should I choose #5? Thanks again!!!

Yes #5

I entered # 5 and then it asked me if I wanted to start in safe mode, safe mode with networking, last known good configuration, normal, etc. I tried it with normal, that didn't work, it went back to the blank screen. I tried with safe mode with networking and a list of multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\wIndows\system32\drivers\(with different endings .sys files came up and stayed there. The disc started spinning for about 10 seconds then stopped. And then nothing else happened. The list of files is still on my monitor. I tried hitting enter but that didn't do anything. Not sure what to do now. Any ideas??? Thanks so much again!!!! ps. nothing came up like in the link you gave me. And i kept looking for the repair install but didn't see anything like that. I'm sorry I'm having so many problems. ***Update*** - I'm really sorry, i just noticed that I had the Windows boot disc in. I just put the Windows XP cd in and I got to the blue screen - Windows Setup. Let me try this and I'll let you know here soon how it went. Sorry about that before. And, thanks so much again for all your help.

Cool. You want to try the repair install

Ok, I followed the instructions from the link you gave me. Everything was the same until after I agreed to the Windows liscense agreement. The next screen that comes up is the Windows XP Professional Setup screen but I don't see anywhere to repair. Here's what the screen I have says …. The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on the computer. Use the up and down arrow keys to select an item in the list. To set up Windows XP on the selected item, press Enter To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C To delete the selected partition, press D 476938 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi (MBR) C: Partition1 (NTFS) 106501 MB ( 79361 MB free ) F: Partition2 (Unknown) 831050 MB ( 831050 MB free) G: Partition3 (Unknown) 265613 MB (265612 MB free) Unknown Disk (There is no disk for this drive) I'm not sure what to do now. There is no repair. Any ideas??? Thanks again!

To set up Windows XP on the selected item, press Enter C: partition1 Hopefully it will tell you the OS is already there and if it does you want to repair Windows

I pressed enter and now this is what is says ………….

You chose to install Windows XO on a partition that contains another operating system. Installing Windows XP on this partition might cause the other operating system to function improperly.
CAUTION: Installing multiple operating systems on a single partition is not recommended. To learn more about installing multiple operating systems on a single computer, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multiboot.asp ……………. using Internet Explorer

To continue Setup using this partition, press C
To select a dirrerent partition, press ESC

It still doesn't say anything about repairing. Could you please tell me which I should choose now?

Thanks so much again!!!!

To continue Setup using this partition, press C Press C to continue

ok, now it says ….. Set up will install Windows XP on partition C: Partition1 (NTFS) ………… 106501 MB ( 79361 MB free ) on 476938 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi (MBR). Use the up and down arrow keys to select the file system you want, and then press Enter. If you want to select a different partition for Windows XP, press ESC. Format the partition using the NTFS file system (Quick) Format the partition using the NTFS file system Leave the current file system intact (no changes) the last one … leave the current file system intact (no changes) is highlighted. Should I just hit enter then? Thanks again!!!