jdcoefilms

Hello,

Hopefully this is a simple thing to fix, the problem is I don't fully know what's caused it, if it's a virus, or related to the unplugging of usb devices while shutting down.

I downloaded an avi tv episode and about 5 minutes in I was abused with popups and an obviously virusy scripted installation window (while professional looking) that installed something in about 15 seconds, an obviously fake video codec software installer that opened and started with no prompting and with no cancel or close button then stayed open. Then tons of windows opened, spam, ctrl alt deleted but could not remove this main window. There were virus warnings everywhere but there were so many fake ones I didn't trust/couldn't know if any were real. I go into panic shutdown mode at this point and pressed the comp's off button. I usually hoick the USB Wireless card out as well to stop anything downloading/installing without my consent (probably should have done it sooner). I didn't do this until windows was already on the 'Windows is now shutting down' window, just before it turned off.

Then it booted up again, and begun a cycle of rebooting itself, could not boot properly. I left it until this morning to examine further. On booting it says 'windows didn't boot properly last time' and gives me the safe mode and other options. When doing 'norma'l or 'last good configuration', the following happens: About ten seconds after the Windows XP logo comes up, just before it reboots for a tiny flash there is a blue screen I can't read and it reboots again and again, doing the same thing. I filmed the comp with my camcorder, captured the footage on this computer and exported the one frame where we can see the blue screen, which i have attached. The Stop Error is this:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
....
Tech Information:
*** STOP: 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xBA4EB380, 0xBA4EB07C, 0x8AD3680"

When I boot in safe mode, it gets to a point where is says Press esc to cancel loading SPDS.sys? (might not be exactly accurate, can't check atm it's either SPDS, SDSP, SPDT or similar) Then after a few seconds, reboots. Does the same if you don't press esc or if you do, as if it reboots when it gets to the step after that one.

I found this http://nnucomputerwhiz.com/Windows-XP-wont-boot.html and have followed all of the instructions on there, none of it works. I have a boot disk now that allows me to get to Windows recovery console, chkdsk /r and /p find errors, but i don't know if they fix them or not. on exit from recovery console the same things happens. just typing chkdsk does not find any errors.

An Interesting thing, when in recovery console it asks which windows I would like to repair and the options are:

1: C:\WINDOWS
2: H:\MININT

H:\ is the directory of my virtual CD Drive (playing PSX roms), is that dodgy at all? Why would a version of windows be on my virtual CD drive?

Basically I'm out of ideas now. If it was related to the spamming I got before I turned the comp off, why would it do that? What's the advantage of a virus that doesn't let you access your computer? I'm not entirely sure if Spybot was running when it happened. AVG is no longer free so sometimes I have spybot on and sometimes not, it might have been an IP hack while PC was idly playing video and not related to the avi/rar file, someone seeing I wasn't fully protected.

Or was it related to the unplugging of a USB device just before the comp shut down?

Is there a possible avenue of fixing this without nuking the computer and reinstalling windows?

Thanks, some tech info below:

HP Compaq DC700 Microtower

WINDOWS XP PRO, SP3
C: windows
D: unused
E: CD drive
F: EXT HD 1
G: EXT HD 2 (contained avi file)
H: Virtual CD Drive

THANKS!
J

Attached Images

blue screen.JPG (167.5 KB, 4 views)