My computer has always had a lot of problems with viruses. I downloaded Spybot - Search & Destroy a while ago which, when coupled with Windows Defender, protected it for a while. Then, a few months ago, I turned on my computer and found that my background had been replaced with some message about my computer needing to download some fake anti-virus program, and small "system notifications" would periodically appear trying to get me to download some product.


Okay, so it was just another virus hijacking my system, right? Apparently not. I tried to open up both Windows Defender and Spybot, but my computer said there was an error that kept either of them from working. Suspicious, to say the least. I tried rebooting my computer in safe mode and opening the programs, but only Spybot worked. Then, I ran Spybot but it said it couldn't find any problems. When I restarted it normally, though, there the background and notifications were. I couldn't even go on the internet without the virus(es?) opening up more fake anti-virus sites.

I searched online (on a friend's computer) for a good anti-virus program that was supposed to be able to solve this problem. I found quite a few that pointed me toward Avira AntiVir Personal Edition. Well, after researching it to make sure it wasn't just the kind of scam I'd been trying to avoid, I downloaded it from free-av.com, the site that all the reviews I trusted kept pointing at.

It downloaded, but the computer got the "blue screen of death" right as it was opening. I thought that might be because the virus(es?) were shutting the program down like they had Windows Defender and Spybot, so I restarted my computer and Avira successfully in safe mode. It found quite a few virus(es), but since it was in safe mode, it couldn't access them so, after checking to make sure it wasn't anything vital, I told it to delete the files the next time the computer was rebooted.

When I turned on my computer, the fake-background was gone...and replaced by a blank red/burgundy color background. I went to go change it to my old background, but the computer wouldn't let me. Interestingly enough, the background is the exact same color as the background of the umbrella-logo Avira uses (highly suspicious). Now, I keep getting error messages (in the form of the usual triangle with an exclamation mark) in the corner of my screen, telling me that various key system files were missing and I needed to "run the Chkdsk utility". I tried to open up Internet Explorer, but all I got past my homepage were random advertisements. When I tried to open Firefox, I got a message that it couldn't start because it was "xul.dll was not found". Now, Avira said that the computer is clean, but it obviously isn't. And Spybot and Windows Defender still won't run.

In short, I think I might have messed up my computer even worse than it already was, not to mention that I might have told Avira (if it was even Avira to begin with?) delete key files on my computer. Please, can anyone help me? I'm completely at

Before anyone asks, I am typing this on a friend's computer.

EDIT:

Only Security Team Members can give Malware Removal advice. Thank you

~Crush

Welcome to the forums Rainstorm. Please review the Prework link in my signature. This will guide you through the tried and tested method for Malware Removal devised here at PCHF.

Once you have read through the entire thread, and anything linked from it please post back here with the requested logs and we'll go from there