Windows unable to do pretty much anything

[Enigma]

**This is Enigma's girlfriend posting**

Hi there,

I have a pretty bad problem (at least to my experiences) with my computer at the moment. It's a Sony VAIO RS320 with Windows XP Home Edition (SP2). I am networked with a Linksys router with a Cable connection.

Just today I installed Panda Antivirus Titanium 2004. Before rebooting my computer I decided to configure Panda to my liking. I tried updating, but received an error message about not being able to connect... yet I was connected to the Internet. I took no notice and rebooted my computer.

I accidently left the Panda CD in the drive, received a bootup error message, removed the CD, and my computer booted fine... until the logon screen. It took an abnormaly LONG time to log me in... I was quite frustrated, but I waited it out.

When it finally loaded I received a naked skin... not Windows 95-style, but the bare, naked style... Icons on my desktop besides My Computer, Recycle Bin, and My Documents were inaccessible - the most I could do was highlight them.

So, I thought, "Dang, Panda's screwing up my computer." So I shut down everyone of it's services through msconfig. In the process, I received a message about the RCP service terminating unexpectedly. The image can found here: http://support.gateway.com/s/issues/2-976684501.shtml

After my reboot I logged off slow and logged on slow.

It wasn't Panda after all, and from what I see it's not even the MS Blaster virus. Before I installed Panda I had a problem with my audio icon always viewing as mute, even though it wasn't (if that means anything at all).

Well, now, I'm unable to do anything with Windows. I can delete files, but I'm unable to move or copy. On certain things, like in services.msc, I'm not allowed to view the properties of what's running. I can't view images I have stored on my computer; I'm supposidly logged in as "Rachel" on the Startup menu, but not in the Task Manager; Windows/my computer does not detect my speakers, my network connection, etc.; I can't load anything without it performing an illegal operation; I cannot uninstall and I can barely edit or change anything; etc.

I have no idea what I did to my computer. I don't mind doing a fresh reinstall, but I *must* have my files before I do so.

Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know what has caused it? I've thought of several things, such as Panda was missing a file, or has a problem with SP2. Or that maybe I did have a hidden virus somewhere. Or that when I installed Panda something was accidently deleted or overwritten.

I've tried many possible solutions (including the one from the link above) but I have yet to prevail.

Help would be greatly appreciated... I'm missing my computer as I type.

Thank you.

[Panama Red]

You say you think it's not the Blaster, but why? The RCP shutdown is a typical indication of Blaster. Since you obviously have access to another computer, I'd suggest you remove the hard drive from the troubled machine and slave it to another XP machine. Run the Symantec Blaster fix from there on the slaved drive. That will also allow you to do a virus/adaware/spybot scans from there. You might also consider trying to boot to Safe mode and uninstall Panda from there.

[bozo]

I would try a System Restore first.