BleepingComputer.com: I suspect malware but it could be just disk failure

I am running Windows 7 Professional. It has been running slowly lately, with some occasional odd symptoms, but nothing persistent or catastrophic. However, three days ago I rebooted my computer because the keyboard had stopped working, and it suddenly came up with the message "System Disk Failure - Insert System Disk" (or approximately that). I then tried to boot it with my Windows system disk to see if I could access the Recovery Console; it got to the point of saying "Windows is loading files", and then basically hung there. I turned it off and tried again to start it regularly; it got to the point of saying "Microsoft Windows" (no colored icon) and hung there. I also tried going to F8 and asking to load last good configuration; again hung. I turned it off overnight; the next morning I tried it again, and got to the page where you could select the Windows Memory Tool checker (selecting one of the Windows options there led to another hang, as did going F8 and trying to start in Safe Mode). The Memory Tool ran, restarted the machine, and it was working; worked OK all afternoon and evening. Turned it off last night; this morning it again hung up at the "Microsoft Windows". I restarted and again tried to use the Memory Tool. It ran all the way, said nothing, but then started up the "Repair Windows" process. That got to the point of saying "...loading files" again, and then hung completely. Turned it off, unplugged everything but one monitor, mouse and keyboard, and turned it on again, this time saying "load windows normally", and it starts up! You'd think I'd be happy, but since I don't know what caused it, I'm just scared it will happen again.

One other thing -- I found that my "system restore" had been turned off, and all my system restore files appear to be deleted. I am left with one system restore point dating from 2009, which if I took it would effectively delete everything on the machine.

Any advice would be helpful. I do notice that I have a file called "EUMONBMP.SYS" on my root drive, which at least one site says is malware, but others say no. It could, of course, just be that my drive is failing, but it's such odd behavior that I thought that I ought to seek some advice.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

JD

Welcome aboard

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287 (or http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28744&hl=hard+drive+diagnostic)
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), to make the CD bootable.
For Toshiba hard drives, see here: http://sdd.toshiba.com/main.aspx?Path=ServicesSupport/FujitsuDrivesUSandCanada/SoftwareUtilities#diagnostic

Note : If you do not know how to set your computer to boot from CD follow the steps HERE

Thanks! I've been running the diagnostics, and it appears that it may well be the drive itself. I hope it will hang together long enough for me to install a new one; fortunately, I do have a recent disk image backup.

I do appreciate your help! If it seems to be something else, I'll be back, but I think you may have pointed me in the right direction.

Bless you!

JD

You're very welcome