Can not log in, can not use system restore or safe mode...

[Schneiderman]

I have a T60 with Windows XP. I caught some kind of virus or malware, the AVG scan returned thousands of files listed as infected and many of them were "whitelisted" as important files that shouldn't be removed. I didn't remove anything and used Spybot S&D which returned something like 24 problems and I used Spybot to cure them all. I rebooted, then scanned with AVG again and it returned one file as infected but it was whitelisted. Unfortunately I did not take not of what the file was, or the infection but I think the infection was something along the lines of "system32/virut".

I did not remove the file. At this point the computer was partly operable, I could use the internet but was getting a few popups (I only used it for a few minutes to check my email and the weather). I could not load many programs. My desktop background was gone. I decided to try a system restore. Trying Start->Control Panel->Performance and Maintenance I could not do a system restore, it said it couldn't find a file (again I did not take note of exactly what file).

I shut down the computer and tried to do it by hitting the blue thinkpad button on startup, then going in to the recovery console but it said it could not locate "dmload.sys" and had to restart. I restarted the computer again and let it load normally. It brought me to the login screen and I logged in, but the dialog box would show "loading personal settings", the log in sound would play, then immediately the log out sound would play and the dialog box would show "logging off" then "saving personal settings" then I would be brought back to the log in screen.

I've tried starting the computer many times now, trying to get to the recovery console or just trying to log in and I can't do anything at all. I really don't know what to do now, can you guys help me?

In the interrupted startup screen I can only choose F11 to get in to the system recovery mode but I get the dmload.sys error message. I can not use the other options because they are password protected (the computer was a school computer and some features are still blocked).

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
If you have a USB/SATA adapter or USB enclosure for SATA 2.5" Hard Disks, take the HD out and connect it to the adapter/enclosure.
Then connect it via USB to another PC or laptop, and do an online scan from there. http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Scanners.htm
Is that your own laptop, or borrowed from school?

[Schneiderman]

Thanks for the advice, I ordered an adapter and will give it a try as soon as it gets here.

The computer technically belongs to a school at the moment but becomes officially mine in about a year and a half.

[RealBlackStuff]

Bring it into school, and let the local IT guru have a look.
They may be able to swap the HD or reload a fresh image.
If you have personal files on it, try and get those off before any reload/reinstall.