Malware removed but so what?

This is probably a dumb question but here goes:
Assuming my problem is caused by malware, my anti-virus program finds some and then I have it removed from the system. However the problem still exists.

Do the effects of some serious malware remain after all of the malware has been removed?

My problem is my programs fail to open. Control panel, Ctl-Alt-Del, MS Word, IE, etc. do not run. Windows Explorer does open up. But I can't open up any files or apps.

Here's one more question: How relevant is this error message: "Error loading Winsock2 library (WS2_32.DLL): A system call that should never fail has failed." Yikes! Is this malware causing my problem?

It is impossible to say whether or not your present issues are caused by malware, or if damage was incurred during the removal of malware. Either or both are possible, but we cannot say for certain, due to insufficient data.

In order for us to help you it is necessary that you provide us with a HijackThis log. A HijackThis log, as well as other logs that may be requested, provide us with a guideline for removing whatever malware is infecting your system. We cannot proceed without such logs for guidance. If you are unable to run the necessary applications, then it's highly unlikely that an online help forum would be able to assist you.

If possible, please follow the guideline at the link below to start a new topic and post your HijackThis log. If you are unable to create and post a HijackThis log, then your only option may be to reformat your computer and reinstall the operating system.

This topic is now closed. Please start a new topic by following the HijackThis Guideline posted here: >Guideline for posting your HijackThis log<