Programs won't open; System Restore won't work after CHKDSK

[spaddack]

Hi everyone.

WHAT I DID:
I installed FlipShare (Flip Video camcorder's software), and it didn't work right. So I uninstalled it, reinstalled it, rebooted per the installer's request.

WHAT HAPPENED:
CHKDSK appeared before the XP welcome screen and "fixed" some errors in the file system.

SYMPTOMS OF MY PROBLEM:
-Applications take an ungodly amount of time to open, or don't open at all
-When I click System Restore, a dialogue box appears, but is filled white with no text or graphics
-I can ping remote hosts, but I cannot browse the internet through mozilla or internet explorer

Am I the victim of malware? Unfortunately, although I am behind the hardware firewall of my Linksys router as well as my COMODO software router, I have not been running virus-protection software for the past few weeks because I uninstalled it while troubleshooting another problem and never got around to reinstalling it.

If not malware, has anyone experienced these symptoms after trying to install an application?

Any other ideas as to what would cause no internet (but ability to connect to LAN and ping google), applications failing to load, and lack of system restore?

Thanks in advance.

[Geek-9pm]

In your present situation it is hard to make a recommendation. The CHKDSK program is potentially dangerous, especially when there are significant hardware issues. Or a bad case of cross coupled files.
At this point the list goes recommendation is to find some way to make a complete backup of your system, probably using some type of drive imaging software. In order to do this you may need the help of a friend of that has a working computer. You would remove your hard drive and slid it in your friend's computer and make a backup of the entire hard drive onto another hard drive you have available. The safest assumption at this point is to assume there is a hardware problem with your original hard drive. Now that may not be the case, but it's better to error on the side of safety than on the side of chance.

[spaddack]

I have a drive image from last year. I suppose I can try to back up any more files I need and restore to the backup image. Just out of curiosity, what are "Cross coupled files"? And do you have any idea what the problem might be if it's not a hard drive issue? Thanks for the help.

[Allan]

The fact that you are running without an AV would lead me to believe your system is infected. To be sure you can do this:

Please follow the instructions in the following link and post your logs in the thread you create (NOT in this thread):
http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,46313.0.html

[spaddack]

Since damage had already been dealt at the hands of CHKDSK, I decided that I didn't want to spend time on the malware removal process. I installedl Linux Mint because I got sick of troubleshooting bizarre problems in XP. Thanks for the suggestions though, everyone.

[BC_Programmer]

Well don't be too hopeful, Linux may be a great OS but it is hardly the problem free one that evangelists pretend it is 

[patio]

Well don't be too hopeful, Linux may be a great OS but it is hardly the problem free one that evangelists pretend it is 

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,114471.msg765858.html#msg765858

Looks like he's finding that out already...

[spaddack]

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,114471.msg765858.html#msg765858

Looks like he's finding that out already...

lol