How about uninstalling and reinstalling just the browser? rather than a reformat... some trojans are particularly nasty and make changes to the browser/other applicaition so that it doesn't work if they are removed, they overwrite and replace themselves over a critical process, and when you delete them, that process is no longer there. thus you are connected, but unable to display. if you got the virus causing the problem then reinstall the application. (back up your bookmarks and history and passwords first.)
Never begin a job by looking at a computer and saying, or even thinking "this won't take long..."
If all else fails, use a bigger hammer.