Here is what happened and what I've done so far:

I clicked on a webpage while browsing and a box opened saying [Security Shield has installed successfully!]. Suspicious, I didn't dare click anywhere in the box, my delete key is not working so I could not ctrl+alt+delete it either, so I right clicked on the task bar to 'close' it. That prompted a "system check scan" (fake I'm sure) so I quickly turned my computer off. I restarted it a few minutes later, and disabled my wireless connection. I tried to run free AVG 2012 but a message appeared stating [AVG failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.] I didn't reinstall, figuring it had been disabled by the malware. Um, do I have to be connected to run AVG??

At this point I should admit that I am not very tech savvy, so the following may seem somewhat...'naive' too. I then opened msconfig to see if any new boxes had been checked in startup and it didn't seem so. (I hate anything running in startup that doesn't have too, so I disable the obvious) I then started a search (including hidden files) for files named or with, "security" in them that was modified today 1.26.12. The search produced two files found in C:windows/system32/config - both named "Security". One was a 1K text file and the other a 256K "file." There was a warning before opening the Windows folder basically warning 'dumbies' like me not to mess around in there if you don't know what you are doing. So I resisted the temptation to drag those two files out to a new folder on the desktop and exited before touching anything.

Still scrambling for something that might help, I started S&D even though I was not going to be able to update it first (still worried about connecting to the internet, unless you say I can). S&D found about five things and fixed them (mostly cookies, I wrote them down, jic). Interestingly, before the scan started, a screen came up saying the scan would go faster if I allowed it to delete the files in the temporary folder, and I did so. It then came up saying [Spybot removed ? files, 2 files are still running and cannot be removed].

Knowing I needed help, I got out an old laptop and came here looking for assistance. I read Tashi's stickey notes and followed the directions. I did have to save ERUNT and DDS to a thumb drive first, then move and save it to the desktop on the affected pc (an Asus eee netbook, btw). Running ERUNT I didn't get the last "file>exit" window, but something a bit different. It created and saved something to a folder in C:windows/ERUNT (I assume it was a backup of the registry...it had today's date). Running DDS, I got as far as the black screen, it then flashed a blue screen quickly (with lots of white writing), then proceeded to restart itself. I now have a "Activate Desktop Recovery" screen (with options. It's hard to read them as the icons are jumbled with the writing), one however is a button [Restore My Desktop]. After a moment another window popped up with [An error has occurred in the script on this page, ...continue.....Yes / No]? I am out of my league, and this is where I am, and also why I'm on a different computer.

This wonderful forum helped me a several years ago and I hope you can "save" me again! I would sure appreciate any help you could offer.

Many thanks. for what you do.
Robin