BleepingComputer.com: Big Mess?

Okay, so. After being infected with 829460406 things (more like 40ish) a while ago, and then posting a topic here in another forum, where I got some help, I'm coming here because I've progressed with it.

In mid February, I was infected and then something happened and I could no longer log on. (I had a log on/log off loop thing, see following link) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555648

It was something like that, but I went to this website: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repa...ws-XP-t138.html
And I fixed it, sort of?
But it's taking forever to load my personal settings, at the log on screen, and at the time of writing this, it's still loading them.
Normally, this would only take less than a minute.

I'm wondering if the computer is still messed up because of this, or if it's normal after a re-install of XP?
It didn't ask for my product key, either. Is that alright?

For a while, I left it alone because I was promised a new laptop (which I actually found out I am getting once we receive money from someone), but I thought that since I'm getting a new laptop, I would still try and fix my old one in case I wanted the stuff off of that (even if I messed it up, I'll try and take it to a guy who can get the things off of it, because I should be able to do that with the money), and so I'm just kind of worried I messed it up even more.

I can't really post any HJT logs or anything, because I'm still trying to get into the computer.

If this fails, is there anyway that I can hack into my own computer and remove the other viruses?


Thanks.

Edit:
So, I turned it off and then back on, and it went through and went back to the previous problem of logging on and then logging off.
The OS is kind of like..a shell?
It gives me my previous background, and a password hint I had from YEARS ago.
And so I pressed "Ctrl+alt+dlt" trying to see if I could get the task manager open so I could get explorer.exe open, to get to the run thing and open the registry to fix it from there, but then it restarted by itself.

Edit no. 2:
I'm now trying it in safe mode and then I'll try with the other options it gives me: "last good configuration", "safe mode in networking", etc.

This post has been edited by nicoleypoleyoley: 11 April 2009 - 05:17 AM

Did you do a clean install after your previous problems...or simply hope that a repair would correct system problems?

People tend to forget that a repair install is merely an...attempt to correct whatever is wrong. It is not always successful in either malware or hardware situations or some O/S situations.

<<...is there anyway that I can hack into my own computer and remove the other viruses?>>

You can always remove the hard drive, attach it as a secondary drive to a known good, protected system...and scan the drive from that system.

You can move data files in the same manner.

Louis

<<It didn't ask for my product key, either. Is that alright?>>

Depends on what you used to do the reinstall. IME, the MS XP CD always asks for license/key data...before the install is accomplished.

This post has been edited by hamluis: 11 April 2009 - 10:45 AM

I just did a repair, not a clean install. Like, I tried to do it where it would keep all of my data, and just fix it so I could log in and remove the viruses.

How would I attach it to another system to remove the files?
After I remove the files, I can do a clean install and it'll go back to how it was when I originally bought it, correct?

I used the CD that came with it. It came from Dell with my computer, and it's the only CD I have for installing the system or anything, besides the drivers and plug-ins CD that I received. It never asked me for the product key, though, so.

What model Dell system?

Have you read the Dell instructions for using these CDs...to repair or restore your system?

Louis

My laptop was an E1405 Inspiron.

I didn't know there were instructions to read..
Do you think all of my recent pictures that are on it, will still be okay?
I'm kind of worried that it took away all of my pictures from the previous years, because the password hint is back to the one I had a few years ago.

):