Okay so, since you guys helped me with my computer so much, I figured you might be able to help me with my moms. I am visiting her for the holidays, and the only way I am posting this is because she has two computers. Her second computer was running incredibly slow so I downloaded the usual, spybot, ad aware, avg, ccleaner. I ran spybot, and ccleaner, and afterwards it wouldnt let me log in regularly. So I logged in on safe mode and then i ran AVG, assuming the problem was a virus. AVG found over 1,400 virus infected files which was far more than I had ever seen, after it was done, it wouldn't let me open ad aware so I figured I'd restart. Upon restarting, it will not let me log back in. I have tried for hours leaving the computer unplugged, trying in every single variation of safe mode, but none of them work, when I try to log in it starts to log in, and then the moment it shows the wallpaper it says its logging out. Because of this, there is really nothing I can do besides go to the command prompt and try and fix the problem from there by recovering the directory file but I don't really know what I'm doing, and I don't want to mess with it without specific instructions. From what I've read online, if I had a windows disc I could run the repair which could probably fix the problem without deleting information, but the computer didn't come with windows and my mom doesn't own a copy. The only disc the computer came with was a recovery disc, and the only option it supplies is that to reformat which she does not want to do. Any help would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.

Also, while trying to follow tips from other sites about what to do in the command prompt. I cant get it into C, which worries me. When I get to the command promt from hitting f8 at startup and choosing it, it starts in A:/ and no matter what I try it wont let me change it to C:/ it says that its an invalid directory. I'm hoping there is a way to fix this besides ways which include owning windows and/or reformatting, but im doubtful.

Can you borrow a copy of an xp cd or do you have one. In that it has not been updated to sp2 you should be able to run a "repair install" from an xp cd. Newer versions of xp must have the disk supplied with the computer to do a "repair install".

"recovering the directory file but I don't really know what I'm doing" Obviously... What do you hope to accomplish by accessing C:\ (not C:/) from a Command Prompt? Have you tried running a System Restore while in Safe Mode? ""include owning windows and/or reformatting,". So you're saying the OS is an illegal copy? If so, your post here is against the rules and will probably be deleted. Since you don't really know what you're doing, if you can get into Safe Mode, backup your Mother's data and run the Recovery CD. Although if the computer didn't come with Windows installed, I'm wondering where the Recovery CD came from... Life's more painless for the brainless.