Removing difficult junk from my PC

[Nerfed]

I recently installed what might be potentially harmful software on my computer... at the very least, it is aggressively resistant to removal and was installed in a misleading way that makes me highly suspicious of it.


From the Add/Remove Programs option from the control panel, it shows up in the list of installed programs as "Windows Saftey Alert". On my system tray (by the clock on my taskbar), its icon is a blinking symbol alternating between a white question mark in a blue circle and a red circle with a line through it.

I try to remove the program by clicking on the Change/Remove button, but nothing happens. At times, the blinkie on my system tray pops up a message telling me I have several applications running with spyware and/or virus. I can do nothing with the icon on the system try other than click it (there's no menu for it when I right click on it), and clicking on it takes me here:

http://www.spylocked.com/?aff=334

Its a website selling anti-spyware software called SPYLOCKED.

I got another popup message from Windows Explorer about another anti-spyware prgram called PestCapture. PestCapture said it had detected spyware and was going to scan my system. The only thing I could click was to remove the popup was the [OK] button... doing so prompted a download of the PestCapture.exe file (which I cancelled).

While I'm typing this, my Norton Antivirus suddenly found something called SpySheriff (and called it a medium risk) and prompted me to remove it.

So how do I get rid of this newly installed crap?


[Edit]

Oh hell... my computer won't even let me go to Google now... when I try going to Google (by way of Favorites link) or typing www.Google.com in my address bar directly, I get redirected here:

http://asafetyproject.com/

[Green Tower]

What OS are you using? If XP, you could go back to a Restore Point and eliminate any recent installations.

[Kinetix]

Hit up SpyBot Search and Destroy, it's a good spyware scanner. Also download HijackThis, do a scan and delete anything with the suspicious names. Be careful though, you will be able to delete important files.

[Nerfed]

What OS are you using? If XP, you could go back to a Restore Point and eliminate any recent installations.
I am using XP. How do I do that?

Hit up SpyBot Search and Destroy, it's a good spyware scanner. Also download HijackThis, do a scan and delete anything with the suspicious names. Be careful though, you will be able to delete important files.
Where do I find SpyBot Search & Destroy and/or HijackThis?

[Nerfed]

While I'm pondering unwanted stuff on my system tray... does anyone know how to prevent stuff from loading and showing up there? Specifically, I have Quicktime installed on my computer and it always loads up along with everything else. I can disable it afterwards... and even if disabled, it doesn't prevent you from viewing Quicktime files. It just bugs me that it takes up space there.

[Green Tower]

I am using XP. How do I do that?
You also need to have system restore active. Click Control Panel and then System and the System Restore panel. There's a box to click to turn it off.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084