if it is his regular pc it is windows 2000 I do believe. Shax can you get to safe mode at all? if so you can run malwarebytes in safe mode, it sounds like it could be something from that update that did not agree with your system. I just don't know much about windows 2000. You could try to get a linux live cd and stick it in the cd drive and see if it will boot to the live cd and using it you could at least see your windows partition and save your files. Use Ubuntu Live CD to Backup Files from Your Dead Windows Computer Geek to Live: Rescue files with a boot CD oh yes you were using a registry cleaner??? hum well that could definitely cause some issues, do you happen to know if that one you used created a back up of your registry? Not that it will help very much if you can not get to boot.

I downloaded and installed the JV16 Power Tools 2007 last night. Quite an interesting utility. The Reg Cleaner option is quite familiar as it strongly resembles the old RegCleaner. I ran the "Cleaner" and it located 305 entries which I backed up and removed without a problem. Admittedly, I didn't spend too much time with the other options. For me personally, I am much more comfortable with this application on Vista than the aforementioned RegSeeker. Finally not to misrepresent to anyone my use of a registry utility, I do not believe a cleaner is part of a standard maintenance program. It is my opinion it should be used for cleaning up after a series of major application deletions or as a response to a system not operating as it should. DA

Just a quick update to anyone who may (or may not!) be interested in my original problem... After literally weeks of frustrating searches, futile attempts and dead-ends, I wiped Outlook Express from my computer and downloaded Thunderbird...it's a real gem! I did lose my old address book (but luckily I had a replica within Hotmail), but DID keep all sent/deleted/saved messages...can easily rebuild address book as people email me...messages to my old OE address still arrive at new Thunderbird one, so I'm a very happy chappy! Regards to all, Shax

that is excellent news Faron! please please get rid of the registry cleaner so you will not be tempted to use it again, they do that scare tactic telling you there are so many errors to fix, the versions of windows from xp on up do not need registry cleaners at all, the very old versions did benefit a bit from them but not now, in fact we see more damaged computers from registry cleaners than you would belive. to do the adblockplus on your firefox to block the ads you can watch this little you tube just pay no attention to the version numbers he mentions. How to Install and Set Up AdBlock Plus once you put adblock plus on firefox it will ask you to restart firefox do that then you can either do the easylist as they tell you on the video or just go here and under easy list click add to adblock plus, I also add their easy privacy. then restart firefox one more time to make sure it all set and you are good to go. EasyList any help you need with firefox feel free to ask, there are so many fantastic addons for it that I just can not live with out now. You can look through the lists of them here Add-ons a few that I love are colorful tabs copy as html link dictionary search WOT for safe browsing xmarks which saves all your bookmarks to your persona xmarks page and you can access them from any pc anywhere plus it syncs all your bookmarks automatically if you put it on more than one pc so all your pc's have the same updated bookmarks. I love it. so there you have a few to look at. You can always add them and if you find you don't like them very easily go back and remove them.