Suspected Virus

I'm having problems with one of my home computers. The computer is running WinXP Home Edition w/SP-3, Pentium 4, 2.40Ghz processor, 1GB memory. I appoligies for the limited system information, but I'm unable to get back into the computer presently.

Symptoms: Restricts use of Mouse and Screen Image Display

I generally hear one beep at system starts-up, but I've noticed that if I keep my USB flashdrive plugged in, I get two beeps. If I unplug the flashdrive and my external CD-ROM drive, I get no beeps. Very strange.

My Windows log-in screen will display; it's currently set for a single-user. Once at the desktop, each time I click on an icon whether it's on the desktop, TaskBar, Start Memu or system tray next to the clock (lower right-hand corner), the image and/or menu list will lock-up and I temporarily lose control of my 3-button mouse (right/left buttons plus roller ball). Occasionally, I can click on the Taskbar using my roller ball and get the display back, but whatever new image that appears depending on what application I'm trying to run will also lock-up on the screen and none of the buttons on dialog boxes work properly if at all.

For example:

I use AVG Anti-virus 2011. I keep it up-to-date because I have it set to check for updates daily. If I open the AVG control panel, the dialog box will lock-up on the screen. No matter which button I click, nothing appears to happen until I click on the Windows Taskbar using my roller ball on my mouse. The screen blacks out again for a few seconds then returns, but when I do get the screen back with the new feature or menu, that image also locks up on top of the previous dialog box. Eventually, I can have as many as three dialog boxes stacked one atop the other, but no matter what button I press on the current dialog box or what application I select from the Taskbar, nothing functions properly. I may get a program to run, but I have no control over it, and my screen will continue to black out and reappear.

Solutions I Have attempted:

I have uninstalled and reinstalled AVG (Free 2011 version) because I started receiving strange messages concerning the program. I stayed off the Internet while reinstalling the program from my USB flashdrive. Unfortunately, I think I made the situation worse. I've also run the following anti-spyware/anti-malware/registry repair programs:

ccleaner v3.02
IOBit Security 360 v1.50
Advanced System Cure v3.7.3
MalwareBytes
Free Windows Registry Repair v2.5

None of the programs have fixed the problem discribed above. I'm at my wits end and am prepared to scrap the machine if I can't find a solution to this problem.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

(Note: I received assistance here approximately 3 months ago from Syler. I believe he was helpful in resolving my virus problem then, but I had mentioned to him that I was having the problems discribed above prior to concluding our diagnostics section before. Since that time, the affected computer worked fairly well. I went for weeks without any significant problems, but recently the issues addressed above have occurred in earnest.)

I forgot to mention I also added 1 gig of memory after Syler assisted me with my last virus problem, and I updated the NVIDIA video driver.

I am going to move this to XP as it seems like a hard/software issue. I recommend you remove IOBit as you have MBAm and they just use MBAM's databae anyway.

Alright. So, I uninstall IOBit. Then what?

Hi DisNfected -
Do you know when you will be able to get into the computer to perform any other diagnostics or supply other details ??
Or is this just due to the problems you are having -
Also, just for the time you are having the problems can you change to another free Antivirus (eg Avira, M/soft Security Essentials, or similar) to exclude that as a problem and Free Windows Registry Repair v2.5 -
These can always be reinstalled after your system is checked -

Thank You -

I'm unable to get back into the computer presently.

Free Windows Registry Repair v2.5 is a registry cleaner. Our staff does not endorse the use of registry cleaners. The usefulness of cleaning the registry is highly overrated and can be dangerous. In most cases, using a cleaner to remove obsolete, invalid, and erroneous entries does not affect system performance but it can result in "unpredictable results". Unless you have a particular problem that requires a registry edit to correct it, I would suggest you leave the registry alone. Using registry cleaning tools unnecessarily or incorrectly could lead to disastrous effects on your operating system such as preventing it from ever starting again. For routine use, the benefits to your computer are negligible while the potential risks are great.

I am going to move this to XP as it seems like a hard/software issue. I recommend you remove IOBit as you have MBAm and they just use MBAM's databae anyway.

Hi DisNfected -
Do you know when you will be able to get into the computer to perform any other diagnostics or supply other details ??
Or is this just due to the problems you are having -

I can try to get back into the computer this evening around 6:30p, CST. (It is 2:25p CST now).

Also, just for the time you are having the problems can you change to another free Antivirus (eg Avira, M/soft Security Essentials, or similar) to exclude that as a problem and Free Windows Registry Repair v2.5 -
These can always be reinstalled after your system is checked -

Thank You -

I'm unable to get back into the computer presently.

I suppose I could uninstall AVG temporarily and disconnect from the Internet in the interim. No problem there. The other programs, i.e., IOBits, Advanced System Cure, MalwareBytes, etc., are only active when I use them. None operate in the background like AVG does. So, unless someone here with expertise believes they are the cause of my problems, I think I'll leave them installed for the time being and just not use them until I hear concretely to uninstall them as part of diagnosing my problem.

What mouse do you use, and have you tried another mouse?

It's a standard mouse made by Micro Innovations...has right and left buttons with a roller wheel in the middle...nothing fancy.

Swapped mice...no change in computer's performance. But I did notice something interesting...

The computer has been turned off for the last 2-3 days. Once it loaded back up and I got to the desktop, everything seemed to work normally for the first 5 minutes or so. It wasn't until I tried to run a program (in this case temporarily disabling AVG) before the screen started blacking out again. Once the screen display returned, my desktop filled with black boxes. It's as if multiple pop-up boxes jumped on the screen - about 8 of them randomly set on the screen.

Very odd...

Can you do a screen shot of this and post it here?

No can do. Each time I try to do a print screen the image doesn't go to the clipboard not to mention the screen gets so mucked up with images locking to the screen anyway.