my computer screen says: WARNING YOUR COMPUTER IS INFECTED! (oh yeah I have a Windows XP) "windows has detected spyware infection! Click this message to install the last update of windows security" but I can't click on it. I tried to restore my computer but it says "this program is infected" or "this file is infected" I can't open anything.

CAN anyone help? PLEASE!

Hmm I don't know maybe reboot it clear everything wit ur restoring disk? Or take it 2 a shop?

From what I've been told by the IT people at my work, that popup itself IS the virus. It's nothing to help your computer, trying to "install" anything only installs more of the virus or something of that nature.

there may be a good chance that your computer has been hacked by a trojan or a worm virus. they take over everything. it happened to my husband's laptop a few weeks ago and we had to completely delete and restore the entire computer. good luck.

but how did u do that?

You need to have discs with the entire operating system on it, then do a reformat. Without knowing what you use, that's as much as I can tell you, so before you do anything do a search for how to reformat your computer and print out the instructions. Then follow the instructions.

since it was a laptop, we had a restore disk that was given to us by the store we purchased the laptop from. It's a recovery disk with the basics of the laptop- including Windows XP. Deleting the harddrive goes along with this process and disk as well.

What about restoring it in safe mode. That usually will work when restoring it normally will not. What about virus protection. Do you have that?

wasn't working but somehow got around it.. and yeah he had a virus protection but obviously it wasn't working :(

thank you to everyones help!

At first I would try a scan using this program that you can download, it's free: http://malwarebytes.org/

Ah well you can also torrent a version of windows XP, to re-install your whole system:

http://www.utorrent.com/ -- That is a trusted source to download torrents from.

If your going to torrent be really, really, really CAREFUL and make sure you read the reviews, if it contains a virus the person who was infected will come back to tell you!

They have torrents here: [I am sure other bloopers know of some other sites maybe]
http://www.mininova.org/search/?search=windows+xp&cat=0

BEFORE you do all of this you may want to find a Windows xp authorization code that hasn't been black listed because once the download begins it will ask you for one, and a black listed one means that Windows probably knows that it is pirated.

If you don't want to go through with the trouble you can always buy a Windows XP CD from a store or from Amazon but it is expensive. http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Upgrade-VERSION/dp/B00005MOTE

If it comes down to having to do this let me know and I can have my friend Nathan find you a key, as he helped me with professional.

I've had malwarebytes. I don't think it's that great. My brother had a problem with his computer similar to this. He used avast! virus protection. You can get a free trial for 60 days. It works amazingly. The only problem is that you have to sit there and wait for it to complete. If it finds anything you have to do what it says before it continues. And Spybot Search & Destroy. Running that and using its file shredder should clean it right up.

You can get Avast Home Edition longer than that, you just have to register for a key every couple of months or so, but you'll get a notice letting you know it's time to get a new registration key. At least it was that way when I got it, and I've had it for over two years.

If you can't remove the virus/trojan by using anti-virus softwares, you might have to try and search for the source and delete it in your registry files. Virus and trojans don't attack the entire computer. Each virus/trojans have a specific program to attack, and it caused malfunction to whatever program they attacked. But registry files are quite complicated and hence you should be careful with what you delete since it could also cause a computer to crash too.

Avast may work but do know that it is a bitch to get rid of, and that some other programs may not work if it detects Avast on your PC.

If the program doesn't work because it detects avast on the computer, it's probably because that program is infected. That's usually what happens. I couldn't even download it at one point because it was detected before downloading it. That's where safe mode comes in handy. But it is probably the best protection I've had and I've had many.