How would you tackle this?
The trouble with MB is that with over 1k different nasties picked up, even if there are only say 100 genuine ones, removing them (which it failed to do on my machine recently - I had to outsmart them) could still cripple the system if they're all just wiped out at once. I've had this happen a few times and found it's better to remove one at a time. With my recent infection on my desktop MB couldn't get rid of the trojans as they were installed with a rootkit. It also couldn't remove the registry keys either so I exported those, opened in notepad++, edited them out and imported the keys 
That stopped them running and then MB was able to pickup the rootkit and remove it.
With that said, the laptop has been destructed to bits. I mean I had everything out of it down to the motherboard sitting on the wood of the desk. Put in some new thermal paste as the internet guides suggest (HP dv6700 - notorious for overheating) and unlike the guides I took the fan apart too rather than settle for new thermal paste. The thing was totally caked up with dust - I mean seriously clogged up, no wonder it was so loud (though you couldn't see the dust from outside but if anyone else reads this there is a 4th hidden screw on the fan - under the black stick plastic). With dust like that blocking it there was virtually no cooling. Anyway laptop back together (just!) and a bit of fiddling with the ram to stop error beeps and it's now running in the 50-60 degree range instead of 80 - 90.
I've reinstalled windows today and am now just working on installing software for the owner. The thing is much quieter now too. The fan still kicks in pretty quickly when you open up something or do something CPU intensive but it also settles back down pretty quickly too. Even when it does run it's nowhere near as noisy as before which was basically full speed continually. When I first ran it the thing got so hot you could feel the heat through the wood underneath the top of the desk
Anyway it's done now thankfully and I'mm just copying her documents etc back onto the machine
Thanks for your help guys
That stopped them running and then MB was able to pickup the rootkit and remove it.With that said, the laptop has been destructed to bits. I mean I had everything out of it down to the motherboard sitting on the wood of the desk. Put in some new thermal paste as the internet guides suggest (HP dv6700 - notorious for overheating) and unlike the guides I took the fan apart too rather than settle for new thermal paste. The thing was totally caked up with dust - I mean seriously clogged up, no wonder it was so loud (though you couldn't see the dust from outside but if anyone else reads this there is a 4th hidden screw on the fan - under the black stick plastic). With dust like that blocking it there was virtually no cooling. Anyway laptop back together (just!) and a bit of fiddling with the ram to stop error beeps and it's now running in the 50-60 degree range instead of 80 - 90.
I've reinstalled windows today and am now just working on installing software for the owner. The thing is much quieter now too. The fan still kicks in pretty quickly when you open up something or do something CPU intensive but it also settles back down pretty quickly too. Even when it does run it's nowhere near as noisy as before which was basically full speed continually. When I first ran it the thing got so hot you could feel the heat through the wood underneath the top of the desk
Anyway it's done now thankfully and I'mm just copying her documents etc back onto the machine
Thanks for your help guys
I would tackle this by replacing Windows with Linux.
Where is the "like" button on here when you need it
@sprite, +guys thanks for the interesting series of post, reminded me I hadn't 'blown' out my system units for a couple of months 
I would be well pleased to receive my machine back with Linux installed -
1 - working better than when it was new
2 - never having to worry about internet security
3 - no longer constantly downloading OS and application updates
4 - no worries about Microsoft withdrawing all product support in a few months
5 - having access to thousands of free programs
6 - having the lifetime of the laptop extended considerably
7 - booting up in seconds
8 - having a choice of which desktop environment to boot to (Unity / Gnome / etc)
9 - the best online support and the ability for users to get problems fixed
10 - never crashing or BSOD
11 - all existing document can be read and written - unlike old versions of MS Office
... an so on ...
I would only regret having lived in the (Windows) stone age for so long !
1 - working better than when it was new
2 - never having to worry about internet security
3 - no longer constantly downloading OS and application updates
4 - no worries about Microsoft withdrawing all product support in a few months
5 - having access to thousands of free programs
6 - having the lifetime of the laptop extended considerably
7 - booting up in seconds
8 - having a choice of which desktop environment to boot to (Unity / Gnome / etc)
9 - the best online support and the ability for users to get problems fixed
10 - never crashing or BSOD
11 - all existing document can be read and written - unlike old versions of MS Office
... an so on ...
I would only regret having lived in the (Windows) stone age for so long !
Whch is the sort of answer an experienced user of linux would put out....
when doing this linux "baiting" it is as well to remember that not everyone has any inkling of linux.... so to suggest that a replacement of windows by linux would benefit one and all is presumptious and insulting at the same time....
If you had no knowledge of linux you would not be pleased to have a brand new operating system installed on your machine.
You are experienced enough to know this, and I am surprised that you continue in the same vein as "foxy"....
Enough... it is pointless, and does not achieve anything useful or worthwhile in solving the original owners problems..
Yes, Linux does have its virtues, so does Windows.... each to his own, and may the world be kinder to you in future.
when doing this linux "baiting" it is as well to remember that not everyone has any inkling of linux.... so to suggest that a replacement of windows by linux would benefit one and all is presumptious and insulting at the same time....
If you had no knowledge of linux you would not be pleased to have a brand new operating system installed on your machine.
You are experienced enough to know this, and I am surprised that you continue in the same vein as "foxy"....
Enough... it is pointless, and does not achieve anything useful or worthwhile in solving the original owners problems..
Yes, Linux does have its virtues, so does Windows.... each to his own, and may the world be kinder to you in future.
The OP asked "How would you tackle this?"
Another point: most users want to use the same operating system (or very similar) to the one they use at work so they don't have to learn much new. Perhaps the Linux trolls should concentrate on getting businesses to use Linux for their general office PCs!
A rather extreme reaction to my suggestion, don't you think?
And the OP did actually replace the OS, contrary to what they wanted to do.
Of course this didn't actually fix anything.
Expect to have to do this "repair" at regular intervals.
And the OP did actually replace the OS, contrary to what they wanted to do.
Of course this didn't actually fix anything.
Expect to have to do this "repair" at regular intervals.
Yet another inane remark. from someone who should know better. 
