hourglass in Windows XP

after my Windows xp computer starts up all I get is hourglass. Can't open any programs OR can't shut down except by pushing button on computer.

 

Marie

No it doesn't happen in safe mode. I am able to access some of my programs in safe mode. Thanks

 

Marie

No new software installed recently but one day last week I updated Ad-Adware Free antispyware program and while it was running a scan we had a thunderstorm and lost power for a few seconds. Our surge protector/battery backup is old and apparently is not working properly. It started beeping and the computer turned off. In the next couple of days I updated Ad-Aware again and ran it again. I believe it only found some cookies and took care of them. I seldom update or run Ad-Adware at all but just decided to that day. Since this is not our only computer (I might add it's on a network) I don't use it everyday and can't remember if I used it again before it started acting up. This is the only unusual activity I can remember that's happened recently. Thanks

 

Start by running chkdsk c: /f from Administrator login.

 

Marie

Do you mean bring up computer in safe mode, choose administrator login and go to start and run and type in chkdsk c: /f and then run? I did this and got the following message:

The type of the file system is NTFS. Cannot lock current drive.
Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? <Y/N>

I chose Y and restarted in safe mode but then got stuck on a screen with a page full of the following:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS\system 32\DRIVERS\and then different file names with .sys as extensions.

The screen is frozen with the above.