Anyone else having these problems? (poss MBR errors, or AVG!)

indiegirl_2

Step by step of these problems:

Father-in-Law phones me: "I'm not getting any icons on the screen, it's black". I get him to boot into Safe Mode and run an AVG scan. He tells me that it reports nothing other than it not being able to scan the MBR of the disk.

Strange, I think, so I order him a second HD to clone his stuff and set about getting his machine sent to me for repair. His machine arrives, and boots fine, first time - no sniff of a problem. When running a chkdsk, the machine reports that it finds errors and fixes them.

A fixmbr reports that there is a 'non standard or corrupt' MBR, fixing this makes no difference (ie it reports it again).
However - the machine boots and runs fine.

At no time whatsoever has the FiL's machine been connected to my machine, or through my Internet connection.


Tonight:
My machine refuses to display the desktop. It boots, through POST, past the Windows XP splash screen, and when loading the desktop - my monitor goes into standby and will not come out. Previously working fine.
I can Remote-Desktop onto my machine (hence being on the net now) from my laptop (I run a peer-to-peer wireless), and all looks fine. However - I run AVG and it reports an MBR error.

When booting my laptop - I get "C:\Windows\ is corrupt - please run chkdsk" messages. I have run these - and touch wood - all is fine so far.


The common denominator on all of these machines: AVG (latest update). Has AVG let in a stinky horrible MBR virus that's attacked the machines I had AVG on? Or, has the latest update of AVG (I usually check for updates daily) corrupted something?

The laptop is - touch wood - currently fine.

Has anyone else had this recently?? Am I really unlucky, and do you think I'm leaning in the right direction with AVG being at fault??

Malestrom

I'm running the latest AVG on two desktops and one laptop, all networked and no problems here.