First off, I know a little bit about computers but I'm not particularly tech-savvy so please simplify any advice, haha.
I'm using a PC with Windows XP and recently my computer got a few viruses. I used to use Norton but my subscription ran out and I uninstalled it before this incident occured. (Which is probably why I got a virus in the first place. Bad move, I know.) I never used Norton to try to fix this problem, but I still have the CD. A friend suggested I use Avast, and after I ran its scan and it supposedly took care of everything I restarted my computer. When I click on my username it shows my desktop background for a few seconds, then says "logging out, saving settings". My father and stepmother also use this computer, and trying to log in with their accounts had the same result. I have very important files (family photos, a huge music collection, all of which isn't backed up) on my computer so reformatting my hard drive is not an option.
Any advice as to what might be wrong and how I can go about solving the problem? Thanks!
I'm using a PC with Windows XP and recently my computer got a few viruses. I used to use Norton but my subscription ran out and I uninstalled it before this incident occured. (Which is probably why I got a virus in the first place. Bad move, I know.) I never used Norton to try to fix this problem, but I still have the CD. A friend suggested I use Avast, and after I ran its scan and it supposedly took care of everything I restarted my computer. When I click on my username it shows my desktop background for a few seconds, then says "logging out, saving settings". My father and stepmother also use this computer, and trying to log in with their accounts had the same result. I have very important files (family photos, a huge music collection, all of which isn't backed up) on my computer so reformatting my hard drive is not an option.
Any advice as to what might be wrong and how I can go about solving the problem? Thanks!