Can't open data files and much, much more!

Hi all, I just got done removing malware from my PC and got a clean bill of health from the Malwareremoval.com folks:
MalwareRemoval.com Forum

However, I have 4 problems that may all be related to each other and I wasn't sure which topic to post them under on this forum.

First, I cannot open my Word files or Excel files in My Documents. A pop-up repeatedly shows up whenever I attempt to do this that says "Windows Installer" and the Cancel option. Along with this popup, 2 other pop-ups appear, one that says "Microsoft Office XP Professional with Frontpage" and states "Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Office XP Professional with Frontpage." The other pop-up is also labeled "Microsoft Office XP Professional with Frontpage" and says "Error 1317. Setup cannot create the folder C:\Common Files\ODBC. Verify that the path exists in your system and that you have sufficient permissions to update it" with the Retry and Cancel options. Does this mean that I need to re-install Microsoft Office? Please note that I've been unable to update my Spydoctor w/Antivirus due to some problem with my Common Files as well.

Second, my Logitech speakers, which were previously installed, somehow are not working anymore post-virus removal. A "Found New Hardware" prompt appears saying that a "PCI Device" was found and asks to search for installing info, but I don't know what to do with this or if it's connected to my speaker problem.

Third, my PC Tools' Registry Mechanic continues to find 70 Problems in my "Shared DLLs" located in my Program Files/Common Files. I am not sure if this is related to the above.

Finally, I still get a strange pop-up regarding my Roxio player. When I try to uninstall my Roxio player completely, it gives me a warning prompt that says "1: The InstallScript engine is missing from this machine. If available, please run ISScript.msi, or contact your support personnel for further assistance." This is followed-up immediately with another prompt that says there was a "fatal error during installation" and then I still cannot uninstall the Roxio player.

Any suggestions on where to start or what to do? Thanks so much!

Roxio has certainly been known to cause problems, I would try to uninstall it again, this time in Safe Mode. Start any Office product - do not open any files, and then from the tools menu, select repair and see if that does not fix your Office issues. Let's just stick with those two for now, then deal with the others.

Hi - I tried both suggestions and didn't get very far. First, I put my PC in safe mode and tried uninstalling Roxio media, but got the following pop-up: "The Windows installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your personnel for assistance." When I tried to open Windows Word or Excel, I got the following pop-up: "Problem with Shortcut: Another installation is already in progress complete that installation before proceeding with this install."

Check out these:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319624
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324516

Thanks!! I will try these both first thing tomorrow morning. I don't know if it means anything, but I thought I should mention that just an hour ago my PC Tools' Spydoctor w/Antivirus caught a threat with the following info: "Hidden Files: C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download/ada4d488d7d0854b79efb8bc70c8d981_downloadprogress_.state" Will report back if problem is fixed by following those instructions from the links you provided!

Thanks!! I will try these both first thing tomorrow morning.

I don't know if it means anything, but I thought I should mention that just an hour ago my PC Tools' Spydoctor w/Antivirus caught a threat with the following info: "Hidden Files: C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download/ada4d488d7d0854b79efb8bc70c8d981_downloadprogress_.state"

I put those in the wrong order - Sorry. Start with KB 324516 as it wants you to try a couple things, and if still having problems, it directs you to the other KB ariticle.

PC Tools' Spydoctor w/Antivirus caught a threat

What did the threat say?

Ok, will try them in that order. Spydoctor said that it the threat's type was "File" and the risk was "High." I don't remember what it said on the info description on the right hand side though. I clicked on "fixed checked" though. My Spydoctor's history indicates that it snagged some Adware last night, but let me know if you want more specifics on this. I re-posted at my Malware Removal forum posting to confirm that they believed my system was "clean." If I hear back from them, I'll let you know for sure. Thanks so much for helping!!

Even the best scanners occasionally have false positives - that is, they tag a legitimate file or service as bad.

A clean log does not mean you don't have infected files on your computer. It means nothing malicious is "currently" running on your machine. You might check out my Cleaning Out Malware post for alternative scanners - in particular, the on-line scanner links I included - just to verify nothing hiding. They may prompt to install and run a script, for those sites listed, that is fine.