I don't think I can fix this

[suburbandecay]

It sounds like your mother has some variant of this: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/viru...e-system-check. If the system is running some sort of rogue anti-malware program, searching for the program's name and "bleeping computer" will generally find good removal instructions.

I don't remember who suggested it, but setting your mother up as a limited user really is your best bet. Just make sure when you create your admin account she doesn't have the password. And for those times when you need to install something new and don't want to run over, you can load something like TeamViewer and remote in to administer the machine.

[Der Cute]

Personally I would advise to NOT install remote access. Because you'll get called @ 2am asking "Why cant the mouse move?" (when it got unplugged).

My opinions:
Create her as a super limited user.
When installing stuff (that you use) don't share the .lnk for it - not on All User Desktops.
Create your own admin account.
Create the God Admin account.
Use CCleaner. It removes cookies, temp files, and has a registry cleaner. You MAY want to tweak the cookie cleaning - your mom will shit a brick if she can't get into her "special my favorite website called asleirfuqouroj, the username I forgot and the password I forgot". You can tell CCleaner to save some cookies and not toss those.
I use Microsoft Security Essentials. It's idiot proof, self updates, has its own schedule, works great for me IMO. (and I'm a techy kind of person).
If you're running W7, defrag is already scheduled. If you're running XP, create a weekly defrag schedule. Schedule "Restore Points" often. Do not let the OS update automatically- check every other week for updates. (and restore point just before you add it!)
Install FF, use AdBlock Plus, and find some other plugins you might need. Oh. And VLC, a media player that's small, free and plays ANYTHING.
**shit. She'll need to update Flash and Java...does anyone know how to let a locked down user "ok" those?***
You MIGHT find a way to remote access it on the sly; like after she's gone to bed or such. Like if she emails you "This can't update so I can't watch Scooby Doo on the web tv channel thingy" (flash), you can get in and update it.

Somehow have to let her update Flash and Java, but the rest of it: no. No toolbars, no popup rogue warnings, no screensavers...Does she know the basics of Email?

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I too have had a similar issue of repeating viruses on my mom's computer until I just got fed up and told her to ONLY use the programs that I put on there (Firefox or Chrome instead of IE, for example), and that if she deterred from this or her computer was infected again, that I wouldn't fix it.

I go through this with my brother, who thinks he can do anything on a computer that I can (but he can't because he's mentally challenged.)

We go through the same crap all the time: he downloads crap he shouldn't and the computer won't work.

Cue lots of yellling and screaming from him

Me having to take time out from what I NEED to be doing to fix the damn thing, which can take a few days if I have to do a reformat and reinstall everything.

Cue my brother getting even more pissed b/c it's something I cannot do in five minutes

Get the damn thing fixed and everything's fine for a while (after MOM and I BOTH have to keep telling him not to download crap) until he does this again.

Rinse, later repeat.

I broke that today. Well, last month when he tried to do some download on my old Dell Inspiron 1501 and it wouldn't reboot. He was told then . . . I had had enough of this and I would NOT fix it again.

He screwed it up again this morning. It's now in my office on top of the stereo. I'll redo it but this time . . .he won't get it back. It's either going to our younger sister (who I wanted to give to in the first place last spring after I upgraded to the Toshiba) or I'll keep it as a backup.

Either way, I don't plan on it going back in his room. He's got his desktop PC and his PS3. He does NOT need my old laptop.

[suburbandecay]

Personally I would advise to NOT install remote access. Because you'll get called @ 2am asking "Why cant the mouse move?" (when it got unplugged).

Good point, I haven't been abused on that one yet (knocks on wood). However, if you want to access on the sly, something like VNC might work out ok.

[Moon]

I avoided this with my mom... When she bought a laptop a few Christmases ago, I immediately created a dual-boot with Linux. She hadn't really used a computer before, so she wasn't "used to" one particular system. She uses Linux like 85-90% of the time. No viruses. Although I do have to frequently go up and reinstall the printer, it likes to go AWOL from time to time -- possibly due to the funky wireless connection.

Another advantage of Linux -- SSH. For SOME things you can just log in remotely and do it through the command line. Of course, on any system there's remote desktop.