Windows ME hanging after startup screen

[sschlicher]

When ever I startup the computer in either safe mode or normal mode, it shows the startup screen while booting, will then go to the splash screen (will even run scandisk if I just turn the power off), then when it should be putting up the login screen, it just seems to hang. No hard disk activity, if I do Ctrl-Atl-Del, explorer is the only thing running, if I click on shutdown button it shutsdown properly. I just can't get it to come all the way up. Any suggestions before I run the system restore. I have booted off the Norton CD and run a virus scan with the latest definitions, no problems found. And when the virus scan is done, I can get to the c prompt and see all the files on the drive, even back up the documents.

 

[sschlicher]

One more thing, my aunt told me before this started happening, she was on the Internet and a box popped up telling her to click here to download and she did. Thats what mede me think it was a virus at first, but I have run the scan and the computer also had Norton 2003 installed with Live Update set to automatic so the computer should have had the latest definition file. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

 

[mattjurado]

Possibly spyware. If you can get it to boot, download spybot from

http://security.kolla.de,

install it, then update it, then run it.

Now, how to boot you ask?
Try browsing to the C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp folder, and delete everything out of there.

If not, run the system restore.

Matt J.

 

[sschlicher]

I located the problem, was able to get it to boot in safe mode with logging. and I found in the log file that the computer was starting up as normal with no errors, and then it would run a cool.dll which would then shut everything back down but leave the computer at the startup screen. Th virus def was up todate but hadben disabled, found that it had been infected by the W32.Swen.A@mm virus. Downloaded the fix tool from norton and problem solved. Installed Norton Internet security and all updates on it to prevent further issues.