Cleaning it out?

[se7en]

My computer is being totally owned by spyware/adware. I've tried every spysweep and ad removed there is, and still its messed up. Randomly the cpu usage will just jump to 100% and no programs will respond.

I would like to just whipe out everything and start over. Reformatting? I would like an expert to tell me how this would be done, before I have to make a call to Sony about it.

I have all the original system recovery discs, and stuff like that.

Thanks

 

[Praetor]

Here's a step by step with pictures: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp

 

[se7en]

Here's a step by step with pictures: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp

But how would I follow that while actually doing it?

 

[Praetor]

1. You can print it
2. Read it through, WindowsXP installation is one of the easier things to do; everything really should be quite straightforward

 

[Scrat]

Have you tried 'Spybot Search & Destroy' yet? if not, try it before you do the re-install. I have it installed... works very well. You can read about it and download from here...
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html