Windows XP - System Restore?

[keith555]

Hello - My parents bought a brand new Dell computer for Christmas. Somehow (in less than a month) they managed to get all kinds of viruses and spyware on the computer. It's a nightmare. I ran through the usual tools (Housecall, Adaware, Spybot, HiJackThis, etc) and it just keeps coming back. They're getting tons of pop ups, etc.

Can I use Windows XP System Restore to just restore the computer to the day that is closest to when I pulled it out of the box and set it up? They dont have anything important on there yet (no important files, etc). And I can transfer their emails and such to a cd.

If I take the computer way back to when it was first turned on, will the viruses/spyware be gone? I dont have a clear understanding of how System Restore works in that regard. Will the computer still remain infected, even if I "restore" it to a point in which it was not infected?

Thanks all.

[keith]

[Basementgeek]

Keith:

It is worth a try, never can tell. A lot of it depends were the problem lies/what file location.

System restore normally can be undone if it does not work.

BG