My wife was recently online when a fake microsoft essentials screen came up alerting her to a "trojan.dropper". Instead of doing the wrong thing she hit the x in the upper right corner. Then the computer promptly shut itself down. Every time it restarts if left alone it goes to a screen with the underscored flashing cursor in the top left of the screen. I am not able to use f11 to get to the system recovery. F8 does not work either. I am STUCK. Any suggestions that do not involved hammers or shotguns are appreciated.

Unfortunately, with malware droppers like this, there is no "right" thing to do other than hit the reset button or power switch. If you click on anything, you might very well be clicking the very thing that installs the malware. I won't give any further details (we don't want to educate MORE idiots on how to do this crap). I'd try booting with the install disc, or recovery disc assuming you created one. If you don't have a disc is there a way you could borrow one from a friend and perform a repair install? (If you do this, be sure to use YOUR key when prompted, if you use your friends key you effectively have made THEIR installation invalid! If you do get the system back working, make sure you create a recovery disc. If its a machine from a legitimate vendor they should have given you a means of creating discs to get back to a factory configuration. DAS

Hi, Based on the current situation, If you don't want to reinstall Windows 7, please boot in Safe Mode and use security software to scan the computer. http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx Meanwhile, you can contact PCSafety phone support. For support within the United States and Canada, call toll-free (866) PCSAFETY (727-2338). Best Regards, Niki Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, Based on the current situation, If you don't want to reinstall Windows 7, please boot in Safe Mode and use security software to scan the computer. http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx Meanwhile, you can contact PCSafety phone support. For support within the United States and Canada, call toll-free (866) PCSAFETY (727-2338). Best Regards, Niki Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Have you tried using the Start Up Repair wizard? More here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Startup-Repair-frequently-asked-questions If you are able to login after this step, download Microsoft Security Essentials (microsoft.com/security_essentials) and do a Full Scan. Please revert back here if this does not resolve your issue. Hope it helps! Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast | My first TechNet Wiki Article