Can't Download Anything!

[jek1862]

My computer is all messed up, all of a sudden, and I don't know why. I will take it from the beginning. Out of the blue, while trying to boot up, I get a message saying "Windows cannot load, there is a missing file that is needed..."(the rest I can't remember, sorry). Please use your installation disk and use the Repair option to fix this problem. I use Windows Vista Ultimate, by the way. So I popped in the disk and ran repair. It ran for about 15 minutes and apparently fixed whatever was wrong, as I was then allowed to get to my log in page, and subsequently my desktop. But now, a host of new problems have emerged. Some, but not all of my previously downloaded software is now inoperative. I clicked on the shortcut icons and nothing happened. Yet, some DID work. Then on a couple I would get the following message: in a box in the upper left hand corner it says "SmartWebPrinting", then the message says-"the feature you are trying to use is on a CD-rom or other removeable disk that is not available. Insert the 'SmartWebPrinting' disk and click ok". At the bottom is a white space with the wording 'Use Source' and the number "1" in the box. HOWEVER...when I hit 'cancel', whatever I was trying to access then comes up okay, so it is crazy. I don't want to use my computer in this fashion. Something is obviously wrong to get that error message. Heck, I don't even know what "SmartWebPrinting" is, and NOTHING I have downloaded came from a CD-rom, either. Then I had to delete the software that was now not working, and when I tried to download these items again, right in the middle of the installation I get the message: "the directory name is invalid" and it lists some destination location for the file. I am stopped cold at that point, and cannot proceed further. Apparently when I repaired my computer, it messed up some other things. I DO NOT want to do a complete reinstall of Vista if I can avoid it, so please do not suggest that as a first remedy. Please tell me what you think is going on and how I may fix it some other way. I don't mind so much that error message I am getting when trying to bring up certain software, because all I need to do is cancel the error message out and it comes up(although I don't like it either). But not being able to download anything of course is totally unacceptable. Concentrate on that please in helping me try to fix this. Thank you very much.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

May want to start by installing some antimalware software such as malware antibytes, and also spybot search and destroy. Maybe run a scan on the machine with these in safe mode to see if there is anything lurking, let us know what you find out.