Had a virus on my desktop that redirects any search engine results to a page of their crap. Happens with google and any other search engine. I had AVG on this machine but was lax on it. Go to scan, and AVG is gone? Malwarebyte and spybot dont find it. Download and run Avast, didnt fix it (AVG is apparently no longer free). Next day, Avast is gone, WTF! Not sure if the virus is wiping out my AV programs.

So I re-download and run Avast again, but this time I deleted the two infected files instead of putting them in the "vault". Apparently they were important system files, because I can't boot the machine. :fury:

Can u boot to safe mode atleast?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Hit F8 repeatedly while booting (before starting windows) and when you get the list of safe mode, etc - chose "Last Known Good Configuration" - try that.

If you cannot even get there (like it states No Operating System or no Bootloader or something) then you need to run a repair from your OS. Or some other murky bit.


What exactly does it say?

I can get to safe mode, and tried the "last known good configuration", but that didn't work either. It does the same as a normal boot attempt, where first I will get a black screen with a loading bar type thing showing, then it flashes to a blank black screen for a minute or so with the computer doing its thing, then it switches to another black screen with what appears to be some type of file scan where it shows an increasing file count number on left of a slash and a fixed number on right of slash (like 86598), and to the right of that file path and names will flash by (looks like system files), until if finally stops and hangs up on on file, where it will stay until I power down. The final display is something like 75298/86598 machine/registry/wcm://windows/.....

I also tried the "start up repair" option, which will go through a repair screen that says may take few reboots and to not shut off the computer. This will go to a screen that says "Loading Sevice Pack Step 1 of 3", which takes a while to get to 100% , then goes to a screen "Loading Sevice Pack Step 2 of 3", but the computer will reboot by itself during this step and then go to the same black screen I described above with the files flashing by until it hangs up at the same one.

LEAVE IT ALONE and let it run through.

This is Vista or W7? Just let it run for a few hours plugged in. Based on your description it sounds like it is trying to install a service pack and those numbers you see scrolling across the bottom are updating files and registry items.

I have seen this before and letting it sit for a couple hours will eventually finish.

Its Vista Home Premium. I let it sit overnight where it hangs up on the file count thing, still hung up this morning. I'll have to go the OS disc route hopefully I can find them.
Thanks for the help

If you can't let me know and I'll see if I have one
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

If it is a good machine you would be better with w7

My wife got it running yesterday using an AVG rescue disc that we found, made last year . Think I still have the virus though, but at least we can back up our files now before wiping it.

Upon rebooting, Avast is gone again. This is after I reloaded it the first time it disappeared, maybe the virus is deleting it???