calling Xp buffs, cant close any windows

My computer (every week or so) just stops working, says computer idle using 99% memory as usual but i cant close any windows, even the task manager one i opened. The only way round it is to restore my settings from a month ago. any suggestions? also i get a popup of hot offers??? which boots me off any website im using. i used to use ad-ware but that finds things but crashes if i attempt to delete spyware. Thinking that i may just re-install windows but i'd prefer another option.

It certainly sounds as if your computer is affected by at least one and probably more than one piece of spyware and / or virus.

Get ahold of a copy of Microsoft's anti spyware solution from their website and run it. Try downloading, installing and running it all in safe mode if you can.

Check for odd startup programs in the registry. You can find them in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\Microsoft\Windows\currentversion\run by using the program "regedit" and you can look up the various programs in the list on a website such as

http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

To see which ones you should delete (if any).

Make sure that you have a decent virus checked installed and active and that you are up to date with patches from windows update, otherwise you will get infected again.

If that doesn't clear it, format and reinstall windows after backing up your data.

downloaded that microsoft beta program you suggested. It found 17 threats which have now been removed. hopefully that was the problem. thanks for that!

Do you have up to date virus software? If so restore as you have been doing and run a full scan. BUT REMEMBER TO DO A VIRUS DEFINITION UPDATE FIRST. When you restore it will take the definitions back to that date.

Download spybot and run that as well.

It's at Shareware.com

Remember to look up anything it finds on the symantec website to see if you have to delete registry entries as well.

Grisoft do a free version of AVG antivirus which is excellent and doesn't slow down your PC anything like as much as Norton.

In addition to the other suggestions, you could do a free online scan at;

http://uk.trendmicro-europe.com/consumer/housecall/housecall_pre.php

Also, consider getting yourself a firewall......don't waste your time with the windows firewall - well known to be crap. Several good free ones around.

Originally posted by Kevious
My computer (every week or so) just stops working.... (...) Thinking that i may just re-install windows but i'd prefer another option.

Originally posted by sevenstar
http://www.apple.com/imac/

Originally posted by Kevious
My computer (every week or so) just stops working...