Windows

I'm not an expert, but I do have a father-in-law that believes backing-up is something that he does in his truck. First, don't write to your hard disk at all. Web browsing and picking-up e-mail aren't safe because your files may still be one the disk, but as freespace. Writing anything to the disk will use freespace and possibly overwrite your files. I know that Norton Utillities work with deleted files, but you'll have to check to see what works with a deleted boot sector. Whatever you get needs to be run from the CD not installed on the hard disk. Good luck.

Frodad,

Look, removing viruses from Boot sector is an experts area. The best thing to do is to put your XP-Home edition CD in the cd-drive and restart your PC with the CD inside.
You will then be able to reinstall the XP-Home edition from the start. You have to format the hard disk that's for sure, sorry but this is realiy. Everything on your hard drive will be deleted, but if you have a chanche to get your photos or documents etc on to a disk, CD or DVD do it, but scan the disk etc for viruses first before installing the stuff to your new made hard disk!!!

When you have reinstalled the XP you have to upgrade it at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
strait away when you get connected to internet.

Then go to: http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm/
down on the page in green letters it says free download, install this NR.1 free firewall from Sygate(better than ZoneAlarm).

Then go to:
http://www.free-av.com/
Install this freeware antivirus program called AntiVir it's a unbelivable good tool if you don't have money for Norton etc...

To be on the safe side for the furture you should install Spybot Search&Destroy from:
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download/

If you do all this you will be really safe from further furture attacks...

But never forget to update your PC!!!

Good luck++