First-time Windows user. Brand new Asus Eee running Windows XP. Will installing Ubuntu get rid of these nasty viruses? I've had my Asus Eee 904 for two days, and it's already besieged by spammy IE pop-ups and fake "You Must Protect Ur Computer" windows. I've barely touched the thing, except to install Firefox and a legit copy of Microsoft Office from my university.

Assuming I can battle the pop-ups long enough to download Ubuntu, will installing it rid me of these problems, or do I need to wipe the whole machine and start over?

If wiping it is the only option, is there any way to do this that doesn't involve using the recovery CD that came with the computer? The Eee doesn't have a CD drive, and I don't have an external one readily available.

Thanks in advance. I'm going to go cradle my trusty MacBook and weep for a bit.