"At this point, I'm ready to reformat the drive and start over. It seems that its the same amount of work." Okay, yes. Save isntallation files, reformat and start over. 1) Install Windows XP, install all the drivers, install Service Pack 2. Do NOT connect to the Internet. Do not even TOUCH Internet. 1a) Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Security Center. Turn off Windows Firewall and, if there is something, antivirus program. 2) Install Norton, Zone Alarm, Spybot. Start Spybot Resident (see that other post, Security, for GG). Do not connect to the Internet yet even if something asks you. 3) Now connect to the Internet. Open Internet Explorer and connect to www.opera.com or www.mozilla.org. Zone Alarm will ask you whether you want to allow Explorer to connect. Say Yes, do not check the box that remembers the answer. Download either Opera or Firefox with Java. Close Explorer. Install the chosen browser and tell it to be the default browser. 4) Now open Spybot and tell it to update definitions. Afterwards, update Norton definitions. If possible, tell both program to do that automatically. Check whether there is a new version of Zone Alarm, download and install. Tell it to check automatically whether new versions are available. If there is, it will start the new browser, not Explorer. 5) Ignore Internet Explorer, use the other browser. 6) Find another program for mail instead of Outlook Express. PocoMail, The Bat, even Forte Agent which is primarily a news reader. Or even Outlook, the older brother of OE. 7) Do not let anything open attachments automatically. ANYTHING. And you should be pretty safe.

-- erlik