Boot into safe mode by pressing F8 during the boot process and select the 'boot into safe mode' option.

When your computer has finished booting, hold down ctrl+alt+delete together and select 'start task manager'.

Click on the processes tab and look for recycler.exe.
Right click and choose to end the process.

Go to My Computer and then go on to your root drive ( ususally the C drive )
( windows 7 ).

Near the top left corner of the window, you should see a button labelled 'Organize'.

Click here and then select the 'Folders and Search' option.

You should have a small window open titled 'Folder Options'.

Click on the view tab and scroll down until you see 'Show hidden files, folders and drives'. Check this button.

Scroll down a little further and you will see 'Hide protected operating system files'. Uncheck this box.

Go into the root drive and look for a folder named 'recycler'.
Open the folder.

If you see any suspicious .exe files that you were unaware of using, delete them, including the recycler.exe file and autorun.inf file.

Hold down the windows logo key and press 'r', this will open the run window.
type in regedt32 to open the registry editor.

Go to 'Edit' and choose 'Find'.

***Enter NoDriveTypeAutoRun and search. You should find the entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE.***

Once you've found the entires you need to right click and modify the data in the right hand window.

This is where you put in 33ffffff and click Ok

Reboot and complete a full virus scan.

If you can remember when you first got the virus check any cd/usb or external drive for the infection as well otherwise you'll get infected again.

Any problems and I'll have my pc on for the next hour or so.

Martin, Thank you for the new post. I will print out the steps and previous messages and attempt to apply the steps. I may be off line later, so if I don't talk to you again, thank you for your work in helping me. Vern

Martin, There is a problem or two. I am still using MS Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3. I have been able to find the equivalent folders and files in XP Pro, however. My problem is that when I attempt to delete the only file in the C:\Recycler folder, I get a message that I cannot delete the file because it is being used by another person or program. I am in the Safe Mode and have no other files or programs open now. Please help. Vern

What's the name of the file?

Martin, I could not delete the C:\Recycler folder or its only file because the message in the resulting window said the file was being used by another person or computer. Thinking the file must listed in the Task Manager, I tried to end a process in the Task Manager, but I am not sure that will work. I could not return to the root directory after ending Explorer.exe (no screen icons appeared), and the system would not let me end the processing of "smss.exe". (I am using trial and error to try to find the Recycler related file in use.) Please help me inactivate the Recycler file. Vern

Ok. Looks like you're going to struggle.
I'll find a good removal tool and post the link tomorrow.

Martin, I see that the Recycler folder in my External F Drive has the same folder as the C.\ folder, but that it also has what looks like a second file. It's actually another folder. The Properties indicate that it has 417 files in 35 folders, although it has no folder icon. The size of the second item in the F drive is 27.6 MB. I have not opened it for fear of activating some malware. It looks like I need some command to override the deletion prevention for active files and folders. I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow. Vern

Try this software instead. It's sometimes difficult to explain manual removal instructions if you aren't very experienced with your computers' system.
I don't want you to go too far and make a mistake with other files and folders that I can't see.

If you have any problems with this software let me know. I haven't used it myself but everyone else seems to be pointing to this software, so good luck and post back to let everbody know if it worked

Thanks!

Free Download - Autorun Virus Remover

Martin, I just finished running the autorun virus detection program from the link you provided. I used the free, limited program. It seems to have scanned only my C:\ drive, but not my external hard drive, and possibly not my flash drive. It detected no threat. The Recycler folder remains on my C:\ drive.

After running the detection program, I went into the System Configuration Utility, hoping I could recognize something I could uncheck in the Startup tab. No luck. Please get back to me about the alternative. Vern

Yeah don't worry about the recycle folder on your c drive its for the bin that you see on your desktop.
You should be able to set up the software to scan your other drives.
If it hasn't found anything how do you know you've got the virus?