Virus?! Cannot connect to internet

[driven81]

Last week, I began installing some virus removal programs. It was comcast package with norton. Something happened either during or after and my computer just seem to start having errors. System restore was disabled but I ended up getting that back online but the internet connection is still giving me problems. All it says is that it is acquirng internet connection. No "packets" are being sent or recieved.

The problem is with my desktop which has windows XP. I am connecting to the internet via USB device and software. I also connect to the internet with my laptop (vista) using the same device and it works fine, so I know it is something wrong with my computer. I have tried loggin into my router and connecting that way, nothing worked so far. Most programs I have tried do not work because you need internet connection....like norton. I never did get to use it because that is when I began having problems.

I have also tried a program called winsockxpfix.exe, which is supposed to restore registry issues...didn't work.

Oh and this other thing....you know how whenever you shut down the computer using xp, the screen momentarily goes to the login background? Well I have been noticing this strange grey box appearing there. It says mini web browser at the top of it. I know its BS. I've never seen it there until recently. I don't know what it is or what it does but i am higly suspicious of it.

Can someone please help!! Thanks, will be updating quickly and following all reasonable instructions!!! All help is GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!

[JorgeM]

try to download (from another computer) malwarebytes. They are very good at finding and removing malware that traditional antivirus clients fail to even find.

[driven81]

Thanks for the reply...I actually found out about that program last night when doing some reserach on here. It found and fixed three things. I still can't connect to the internet though.

Was thinking about creating a partition and just formatting the damn thing. I don't have that much on it anyway. I'll have to figure that out too. Even if I do, I think I need the original disks and I don' tthink I have them.

[Shinedevil]

You might also want to check your firewall settings, it is possible that a virus would have blocked all communication to and from your computer via the "windows advanced firewall settings" Other than that, running malware bytes might be a good shot if you still can't get it to fix itself.