Preliminary symptoms

• Virusbuster will not run. According to the permanent shield it is checking files all the time, but when I try to run a proper scan it starts and then vanishes - and when I ctrl+alt+del there is no mention of virusbuster running. The same happens when I try to update it - it starts updating, then vanishes.
• Windows won't update (XP home edition). I use the windows update program, and I got a load of updates downloaded and installed. I then scanned again, and more updates appeared. I can download them, and it claims they are installed, but when I scan for more updates the ones I just downloaded and installed appear, and it says I need to download and install them. Even after rebooting the system. It doesn't make a difference if I download them in a bunch or one by one - windows doesn't seem to actually update, despite telling me it has. One of these updates is the service pack 1 express - I don't know if that's significant?
• As soon as I start up I get a network connections window that tells me I or a program requested info from x.god.vapid.biz. What connection should it use? I have always clicked cancel, as it didn't look right to me.
• Also when windows starts, zone alarm puts up the following 3 warnings all requesting internet access - which I have denied so far. I don't recognize these programs: Motive Chorus Daemon (application mad.exe destination IP 0.0.0.0:DNS), smsc.exe (application smsc.exe destination IP 255.255.255.255:Port 52331) and NAVSCAN32.exe (application NAVSCAN32.exe destination IP 194.74.65.69:DNS)