Since you are not receiving any confirmation of an infection, what errors appear in the events logs when booting into normal mode?
I've introduced so many Windows XP users to the Event Viewer that I made my own 'sticky'. (Vista has it also- path is slightly different) It's not 'stuck' anywhere on this board, but please feel free to use it any time. Here is the entire post:
Unfortunately, many Windows XP (and Vista) users aren't aware of the Event Viewer, what it is, where it is, how it can help with a problem:
Start> Run> cmd> eventvwr
Description of the Event Viewer:
The Event Viewer has logs for everything that happens on the computer. There are three sets of logs: System, Applications and Security. By opening the first two to display the Events, you can look for Errors that correspond to the time of the problem- in your case, the crash.
There are three types of Events in the System and Apps logs:
- Information (white circle w/blue i): this is just basic documentation of the normal working of the System or Apps.
- Warnings (yellow triangle w/black exclamation mark) noting some problem at that moment. Warnings usually resolve on their own. If they do not, they become>>>
- Errors (red circle w/white X- they document something that didn't work or isn't happening as it should. Each Errors has three parts: an ID#, a Source and a Description.
By doing a right click> Properties, the Error will open to a screen that can be copied. These three parts taken together can usually lead to cause and resolution.
Do this on each the System and the Applications logs:
1. Click to open the log>
2. Look for the Error>
3 .Right click on the Error> Properties>
4. Click on Copy button, top right, below the down arrow
5. Paste here (Ctrl V)
You can ignore the Categories 1 and 2. If you have a recurring Error with same ID#, same Source and same Description, only one copy is needed. You don't need to include the lines of code in the box below the Description, if any.
Please do not copy the entire Event log.
Vista path can be followed here:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art...ows-Vista.html