Hi, I recently got wireless internet - have Pc-cillin antivirus installed (which I assumed updated automatically). Before Thanksgiving I received info that my antivirus setting was potentially unsafe. I tried to look into it and saw that the firewall option was grayed out and also the wi-fi security option. Well, being the newbie I am, I didn't do anything about it then (Thanksgiving, you know) so now I believe I may have gotten a virus. Windows XP will not load up. I get a message saying something about 'Sorry for the inconvenience but Windows will not load'. I have the option of choosing 'safe mode, last known good configuration, boot normally, etc.'. I've tried all this stuff but still Windows won't load. I did F8 also to try to boot into safe mode but get the same screen. After choosing one of these options and is not successful, it goes back to the beginning of rebooting. I'm now trying to reinstall my operating system. I can get to the Windows Setup but when it gets to 'examining my hard drive', it seems to just hang - no activity. I have a 160G HD. What to do now? Thanks, Carol

No, this is not a virus but a system message. It sounds like something in your bios has changed which would give you the message you are getting. There is one spyware program which gives a message similar to this, but I would need the exact wording to know for sure. My first thought is that something in the bios as changed. You might consider just entering the bios, Change Nothing. Then just exit and save settings. The o/s will realise the bios has been changed and more then likely will boot.