What are the symptoms of RootKits?

Whatever it is, it seems to be preventing me from running some AVs or Spyware tools and/or access the Internet to download S/W and update the definitions.

I'm about ready to bag it and just restore to the previous clean image and instal some better AVs / Anti-Spywares.

What should I be installing? (I'm thinking Avira, SuperAntiSpyware, MalWare, Ad-Aware, Spybot, Comodo, SpyWareBlaster, and SpyGuard. anything else? )