Help, I keep getting this popup when I'm online with my new-to-me used laptop

The stupid popup says that my registry is corrupted and I need to IMMEDIATELY go to some registry.com site, download a file and install it on my computer. Now, I know a scam when I see one. This thing pops up about once every two minutes, and I can't seem to get rid of it. I think I got it when I went online to download Win 2000 service pack four so I could install my anti-virus software. My laptop is a refurbished Dell Lattiude C 800, and I just installed McAfee's Internet Security (via cd) and scanned all the files. I got online to update the virus definitions, and the popups started again. I'm now scanning the files again (at home, I'm now on my work computer), and I'll see if that gets rid of it. My questions are: is this some sort of spyware or virus? and how do I get rid of it, assuming the McAfee doesn't? Also, can I download Spybot Search and Destroy and run it along side of the McAfee? Anything else an ignorant 56 year old needs to know about this sort of stuff?:dunce:

You definitely have malware/virus. Its probably a variation of smitfraud. Spybot should take care of it. Personally, I don't use McAfee or Symantec. I use AVG antivirus with Spybot S&D, Spywareblaster , Advanced Windows Care and Comodo for the firewall.

you are using Internet Explorer 6? try upgrading to IE 7 from Windows Update or using Firefox browser.

It should run with McAfee no problem.

Here's a link to SpyBot --> http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

While looking around here, I found an excellent website suggested by another DUer: MajorGeeks.com

It's full of information and links to free downloads. I'm going to try some of their suggested programs, including Spybot.

when I downloaded the service pack. If I X'ed out, it would come back in a few minutes. After that I ignored it and it did not seem to bother anything. This pc is a stand alone, not normally connected to anything but a printer.