This issue is troubling me because i can not figure out how it happened.

A few days ago i repaititoned my HD, then formatted it.

Installed 98 - then my upgrade version of XP

The very first thing i did when XP was OPERATIONAL was to install my wireless card and connect to the network/internet.

Ok, did that.  Then i opened IE and went to www.windowsupdate.com and was FLOODED with messages for registry cleaners and my system would crash alot.  

After i installed my firewall and blocked some internet attempts to my computer, it stopped.
I checked and found a generic trogan with the name systray.exe in the registry, and i deleted it.

I did not install or download anything before the pop-ups started happening.

Any ideas on that guys?

Also, I have a 1 meg connection to the net.  When i first start my computer i can download at about 130k/sec transfer speed.  After  5 minutes it tops out at 30k/sec transfer speed.

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I have checked every RUNNING process and there are no viruses.  I am using zone alarms free firewall and norton anti virus, along with adawares free ad ware remover.
Windows XP
1.6 gighz AMD
758 ramIn their insidious but never-ending quest to make our lives miserable these malware writers are getting more and more creative...the popups you saw were in fact delivered to you thru the Windows Messenger Service which you probably didn't have time to disable before you logged on to the web.

Trust me when you re-partitioned and formatted you didn't have virii or trojans left on that drive.

I personally don't use the messenger service just for this reason although i have BETTER than adequate protection with a router and firewall. I see no need for it.

If you would also like to do without it DLoad and install "Shoot The Messenger" a handy little utility that disables Messenger Service.

patio.   8-)I agree with Patio.  Repartitioning and reformatting the hdd definitely blows away any stuff you've got on the drive.  

When I have to do that for a client the FIRST thing I do once I get the OS running, and before I ever THINK about connecting to the Internet, is load my AVG antivirus software, Adaware & Spybot antispyware, then the Firefox browser (ALL from CD, NOT the Internet). I then do the complete install of AVG UPDATES, as well as the Adaware and Spybot...then I do the Windoze updates.

You can never be too safe on the web.  Ya gotta protect yourself as no one else will.  

Alan <><  

You should have SP2 loaded and the firewall turned ON, besides haveing a loaded spyware and antivirus application before you ever connect the wire!

THEN you can connect for the updates, although you will have Alexa just from going to the Microsoft update site, guaranteed.

By the way, you do not have to load 98 to load on XP. Just start loading XP (the upgrade edition, no doubt) and insert the 98 CD when asked for proof of a qualifying product.