Help me fix this mess?

[pirategirljack]

Hi!

So I had a virus about Christmas, and it took days of scans to get rid of it, and since then, I've had the following problems:
- I can't launch most exe files, so that means most programs won't launch; I can get a few of the ones pinned to my task board to launch, like Chrome, but even then, they need two or three tries, and the first try, they think the shortcut is dead and ask if I want to remove it. If they don't launch at all, which is most of them, it puts up a "parameter is incorrect" error. It does this for almost all installation or run files, so I can't do any of Dell or Microsoft's diagnostic programs to detail what's wrong, and a lot of program updates won't work.
- Microsoft Update stopped installing automatic security updates; most will install manually, but not the ones that have exe or related file extensions.
- Most programs will run just fine in Safe Mode, except for the ones that won't run in SM anyway--like anything that changes the system.
- The In-Place Upgrade to replace the System files doesn't work because I can't run exe files, so I can't get it to launch. I also can't burn a copy because the burner isn't working.
- All the things I use my computer most for--writing, printing, almost anything outside of passive internet stuff--won't work, so I'm getting further and further behind on work.

I'm running Windows Home Premium Service Pack 1, and my computer is less than two years old.

I'm out of options that I know how to do myself, so any help would be appreciated! I've searched through so many forums and i've found the same symptoms, but not any related reasons, and I just don't know what to do anymore.

Sami

 

[TrainableMan]

The truth is that if a virus (or the attempted repair) did enough damage that things no longer open or function properly then the best solution is a complete reinstall of Windows 7 (or restore the system from an image made prior to the infection or a complete system restore from Dell Restore Disks or Restore Partition if your computer came with either).

Before you reinstall or restore you should make sure you have your Windows 7 Home Premium Product Key. If you do not have it written somewhere then extract it from the current installation using freeware such as SIW (simply install SIW, run it and locate the section Software > Licenses, & print the screen or at least record the Windows Product Key).

Next you should back up your data to an external flash or hard drive.

Then reinstall/restore W7 (using the product key if needed). Reinstall all your programs. Then restore your back-up data.