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re: problems with computer Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 4:18 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Diana, it sounds like you need to do some cleaning and trim down your startups. You can run Spybot to clear out spyware junk, but first check in Add/Remove programs, and if Gain is listed, remove it. That's part of Gator. This is lengthy but doing these things should help quite a bit, for starters. Post back and let us know. Clear out your TIF, other temp files and ActiveX Controls. Open the Control Panel - Internet Options. Under the General tab click the Delete temporary internet files, choose to delete all Offline content. In Settings, set the size of your TIF folder between 5 - 10 MB. Choose View Objects tab. On the toolbar, choose View Details. Right click and remove ALL that aren't by MS, Macromedia or Apple. If any of those are marked "damaged", remove them. Any and all ActiveX Controls, can be safely removed. They'll be downloaded again as needed. Also, go to Start - Find - Files or folders - in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose Edit - select all - File - delete. Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder and C:\temp folder, if you have one. Empty Recycle bin. Download Spybot S&D Close all running programs, install then reboot. Start it and go online and press 'search for updates' tab. (NOTE: if you have problems, select the US or Australian mirror site to download updates from). Download all updates that aren't optional. Close all browser windows and run the scan. When it's finished, 'Check All', and fix everything SpybotSD labels in RED. Reboot. Most programs can be started as needed. To remove programs from your startup, right-click on the icons in the Systray area, open each, go through the options to turn off the "tray" or "run at startup" feature. For the others, go to Start - Run, type: msconfig. Hit Enter or OK. Startup tab - Leave Scan Registry, and Systray checked and Load Power Profiles (if using power schemes). Btw, it's adviseable not to use power saving features on Desktop PC's. Power saving features use resources, too. Instructions here: How to Disable Advanced Power Management For a description of other applications listed, check this tasklist site to see whether they're needed in your startup. AnswersthatWork [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 5:15 pm Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) Thank you for the quick response Carol. I am at step: delete the files in C:\WINDOWS\TEMP and while deleting it said there are programs in there that if deleted will not function correctly. Is it safe to delete these? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 5:34 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Windows always throws out those scary warnings. :) Yes, anything in the temp file can be safely deleted, BUT there are times, when some may still be in use, until the next time you reboot. An example is, if you've just installed a program. Anyway, don't clear out temps while you're online or your browser is still open. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 11:12 pm Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) So as far as I can tell everything went well with what you told me to do before. Hopefully the problems will not reappear. Do you have time for another undertaking? When I go to Add/Delete programs, I find that I have a ton of programs listed and at least half of them I don't know what they are or what they do. How do I go about figuring out what each thing is and if I need it on my computer? Also, now that I have Spybot S&D, do I need Adaware or StartStop on my computer? Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you? More importantly how can I become as knowledgeable? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 11:44 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Diana, every little bit helps. There's no need to get rid of Ad-Aware, but be sure to keep it up to date. Many people use both AW and Spybot and say they compliment each other. StartStop is a startup manager, so that's not simliar to those programs. It's not whether you need it or not, but whether or not you use it and want to keep it. I'll be happy to help you find out what those programs are. You can post a list, if you want to. Did Spybot find anything on your system, or was it clean? You could run Hijack This and post the log it creates. Also, if there's anything in your startups you have a question about, there's also an option to generate a Startuplist log, which you could do after we go through the 'HT' log. Download 'Hijack This' Unzip 'HT' into a new folder. Close all browser windows and run it offline. Double click the .Exe file to run it. Choose Scan. It'll display a list. Most of the things you see listed are necessary or required entries, so don't fix anything, until you know which items to fix. After the scan is finished, the Scan button will turn into Save Log. Press that and copy/paste the contents in a post. Before you post it, please be sure to check this below: Check this box to preserve your spacing.... [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at 12:21 am Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) When I ran Spybot, it found something like 200 things so I deleted all those it suggested. I'm still having trouble with Netscape Navigator and this may just be something I'll have to deal with. When I have a lot of tabs open (10+) the browser starts crapping out on me (it slows down almost to stopping, icons turn black, the scroll bar disinegrates). Is this something other than I just have too many tabs open? Here are the programs I have on my Add/Remove list: Adaptec DirectCD Adaptec Easy CD Creator Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 Ad-aware 6 Personal Adobe Acrobat 4.0 AOL Instant Messenger Belarc Advisor 6.1 CD-Writer Plus software Creative PCI Audio Drivers Earjam Internet Music Player 1.0 Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Eudora FTP Explorer Go!Zilla HP Deskjet 830C Series (Remove Only) ICQ Java 2 Runtime Environment Standard Edition v1.3.0_01 LeechFTP 1.3 Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice American English TTS Engine Macromedia Flash 4 McAfee Security Center McAfee VirusScan MDP2880 PCI Modem Microsoft AcitveX Control Pad Microsoft Draw 98 Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 Microsoft FrontPage Express Microsoft Greetings Microsoft Money 99 Microsoft Office 97, Standard Edition Microsoft Outlook Express 6 Microsoft Picture It! Express 2.0 Microsoft Word 97 Microsoft Works 4.5 Microsoft Works Calender 1.0 Microsoft Works Setup Launcher mIRC Mjuice Components Modem Test MouseWare Musicmatch Jukebox Napster v2.0 Beta 8 Netscape (7.1) Netscape Communicator 4.6 OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-01-31-01 OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-02-07-01 OpemMG Secure Module 3.2 Outlook Express Update Q330994 Pan-European Language Support PhoneTools Pixelon Player Platinum WorldView for Internet Explorer PureVoice 1.0 QuickTime Quicktime Browser Plug-In QuickTime for Windows (32-bit) ReadPlease 2000 RocketBoard Shockwave Snood Beta for Windows version 2.1/0.95 Spanish Menus and Dialogs for IE 6 Spinner Spybot TagScanner 4.8 build 481 beta TurboNote Tweak UI Viewpoint Media Player WildTangent Multiplayer Library Winamp (remove only) Windows 98 Q823559 Update Windows Media Player 7.1 Windows Media Tools 4.0 Currently I use Eudora for email and Netscape 7.1 as my browser. Napster and ICQ both say they are unable to uninstall when I try and delete them from my system. Napster can not load anymore I don't think but apparently ICQ is still fully functioning. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Friday, March 5, 2004 at 3:40 pm Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) Carol, For some reason your most recent post about Opera and Trillion is not listed anymore. I ran Hijack This and here's what the log says: Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7 Scan saved at 3:35:19 PM, on 03/05/04 Platform: Windows 98 SE (Win9x 4.10.2222A) MSIE: Unable to get Internet Explorer version! Running processes: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SPOOL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE C:\PROGRAM FILES\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\MCVSRTE.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RPCSS.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE C:\PROGRAM FILES\MCAFEE.COM\AGENT\MCAGENT.EXE C:\PROGRAM FILES\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\MCVSSHLD.EXE C:\PROGRAM FILES\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\MCVSESCN.EXE C:\MOUSE\SYSTEM\EM_EXEC.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE C:\MY DOCUMENTS\HIJACKTHIS.EXE R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName = N1 - Netscape 4: user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://bluelight.my.yahoo.com"); (C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\dhufford\prefs.js) O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] c:\windows\scanregw.exe /autorun O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCUpdateExe] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\AGENT\McUpdate.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCAgentExe] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\AGENT\McAgent.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirusScan Online] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\MCVSSHLD.EXE O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EM_EXEC] c:\mouse\system\em_exec.exe O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [McVsRte] C:\PROGRA~1\MCAFEE.COM\VSO\MCVSRTE.EXE /embedding [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Friday, March 5, 2004 at 3:42 pm Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) here's this message again with spacing preserved so it's easier to read... On Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at 12:21 am, Diana wrote: When I ran Spybot, it found something like 200 things so I deleted all those it suggested. I'm still having trouble with Netscape Navigator and this may just be something I'll have to deal with. When I have a lot of tabs open (10+) the browser starts crapping out on me (it slows down almost to stopping, icons turn black, the scroll bar disinegrates). Is this something other than I just have too many tabs open? Here are the programs I have on my Add/Remove list: Adaptec DirectCD Adaptec Easy CD Creator Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 Ad-aware 6 Personal Adobe Acrobat 4.0 AOL Instant Messenger Belarc Advisor 6.1 CD-Writer Plus software Creative PCI Audio Drivers Earjam Internet Music Player 1.0 Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Eudora FTP Explorer Go!Zilla HP Deskjet 830C Series (Remove Only) ICQ Java 2 Runtime Environment Standard Edition v1.3.0_01 LeechFTP 1.3 Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice American English TTS Engine Macromedia Flash 4 McAfee Security Center McAfee VirusScan MDP2880 PCI Modem Microsoft AcitveX Control Pad Microsoft Draw 98 Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 Microsoft FrontPage Express Microsoft Greetings Microsoft Money 99 Microsoft Office 97, Standard Edition Microsoft Outlook Express 6 Microsoft Picture It! Express 2.0 Microsoft Word 97 Microsoft Works 4.5 Microsoft Works Calender 1.0 Microsoft Works Setup Launcher mIRC Mjuice Components Modem Test MouseWare Musicmatch Jukebox Napster v2.0 Beta 8 Netscape (7.1) Netscape Communicator 4.6 OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-01-31-01 OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-02-07-01 OpemMG Secure Module 3.2 Outlook Express Update Q330994 Pan-European Language Support PhoneTools Pixelon Player Platinum WorldView for Internet Explorer PureVoice 1.0 QuickTime Quicktime Browser Plug-In QuickTime for Windows (32-bit) ReadPlease 2000 RocketBoard Shockwave Snood Beta for Windows version 2.1/0.95 Spanish Menus and Dialogs for IE 6 Spinner Spybot TagScanner 4.8 build 481 beta TurboNote Tweak UI Viewpoint Media Player WildTangent Multiplayer Library Winamp (remove only) Windows 98 Q823559 Update Windows Media Player 7.1 Windows Media Tools 4.0 Currently I use Eudora for email and Netscape 7.1 as my browser. Napster and ICQ both say they are unable to uninstall when I try and delete them from my system. Napster can not load anymore I don't think but apparently ICQ is still fully functioning. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Friday, March 5, 2004 at 6:37 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Hi Diana, some replies disappeared permanently, when they changed the forum software again. I'll repost my reply, so this discussion makes some sense to others, too. Before we get into that list of programs, don't you have Internet Explorer installed at all? The reason I'm asking is, at the top of your HijackThis log it says, "MSIE: Unable to get Internet Explorer version!" That's exactly how it shows, and it can't be uninstalled without a third party program, because it's part of Windows; it's integrated. There's nothing in your log that shows as spyware or anything, but see how the R0 and R1 entries are blank? There's one thing that's bad news and that's a Windows app. RPCSS Remote procedure call service, and if you're not networked, get rid of it by locating and deleting it. I can't understand why it's running, unless you're on a network. That's what the MSBlaster worm used to infect NT systems. I'll post another message about some of those programs listed, but I can't check them all out. Run HijackThis again and have these fixed anyway. Reboot. Then let me know about IE. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RPCSS.EXE R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName = I know you're using Netscape, but I'd think something would show, and I figured you must use IE once in awhile. I've never seen that before. > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Friday, March 5, 2004 at 8:01 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) This is a repost of my previous reply. I still had this saved in a text file, since we weren't finished. Diana, this is a partial reply to your post, since I've had some typed up before the forum went down. I don't know that having that many tabs is the problem, but Netscape a bloated browser. Not to mention it's by AOL, and they get worse all the time about installing extra junk and spywware. Consider using Opera for a browser, and Trillian for an IM program. I found out awhile back on the Spywareinfo forums, that the new Netscape and AIM, install WildTangent and ViewPoint Media Player. I'm sure that's one of your main problems. Go into Add/Remove programs and remove Go!Zilla, Viewpoint Media Player, and WildTangent Multiplayer Library. Then Reboot. Wild Tangent in new AOL IM ver. 5.5 SpywareInfo Forums thread Download 'Hijack This' Unzip 'HT' into a new folder. Close all browser windows and run it offline. Double click the .Exe file to run it. Choose Scan. It'll display a list. Most of the things you see listed are necessary or required entries, so don't fix anything, until you know which items to fix. For a description of the entries in the log, check here: HijackThisTutorial After the scan is finished, the Scan button will turn into Save Log. Press that and copy/paste the contents in a post. Before you post it, please be sure to check this below: Check this box to preserve your spacing.... If those older versions are actually installed, uninstall them. I can't explain what all those MS programs are. Don't you use them? Do you want both of these: Adaptec Easy CD Creator and Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4? I'd also uninstall Netscape Communicator 4.6, Macromedia Flash 4, and Adobe Acrobat 4.0. They're old versions. Reboot after uninstalling programs and don't uninstall them all at one time. For ICQ, you'll need to download and install over what you have now. Then you should be able to uninstall it. > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 4:01 am Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) I uninstalled IE (through add/remove programs) if that makes any differenc . [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 8:58 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Like I said previously, IE can't be uninstalled without a third party program. It can't be completely removed from Add/Remove programs, or any other way, within Windows. I don't know why it's not listed, since it looks like the original was upgraded to IE 6: "Spanish Menus and Dialogs for IE 6". Belarc Advisor is a neat little program, a PC auditor..shows a lot of info about your system's hardware, and all software installed. Maybe it would help to run that. I hadn't thought about that. TurboNote = Sticky Notes RocketBoard is a special keyboard ? Most of these are audio players or something to do with Mp3's, s'pose since there was a P2P file sharing program installed, Napster....you probably want rid of all these, but I don't know what your preferences or interests are. Earjam through Winamp are audio related: Earjam Internet Music Player 1.0 Mjuice Components Musicmatch Jukebox Pixelon Player OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-01-31-01 OpemMG Limited Patch 3.2-03-02-07-01 OpemMG Secure Module 3.2 Spinner Winamp FTP Explorer = file transfer protocol mIRC - Internet Relay Chat program LeechFTP = file transfer Snood Beta = related to warez software cracks TagScanner = program for renaming MP3 files ================================== Quicktime- it looks like two versions installed. Adaptec DirectCD Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 Ad-aware 6 Personal Belarc Advisor 6.1 CD-Writer Plus software Creative PCI Audio Drivers Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Eudora HP Deskjet 830C Series (Remove Only) Java 2 Runtime Environment Standard Edition v1.3.0_01 Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice American English TTS Engine {Microsoft-keep} McAfee Security Center McAfee VirusScan MDP2880 PCI Modem Modem Test MouseWare Outlook Express Update Q330994 Pan-European Language Support Platinum WorldView for Internet Explorer {IE plug-in installed with 98} PhoneTools PureVoice {Player and Recorder- "Messages recorded with this program's voice encoder are then compressed for delivery by e-mail."} QuickTime Quicktime Browser Plug-In QuickTime for Windows (32-bit) ReadPlease 2000 Shockwave Spybot Tweak UI Windows 98 Q823559 Update Windows Media Player 7.1 There are some good MS programs here, but some are probably old? MS Works looks like an older version, but some of these aren't cheap like MS Office Programs - Office 97, but I don't know why Word is also listed separately. If you don't know what some of these are, why not locate them and open them to see what they're like. Microsoft ActiveX Control Pad Microsoft Draw 98 Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 Microsoft FrontPage Express Microsoft Greetings Microsoft Money 99 Microsoft Office 97, Standard Edition Microsoft Outlook Express 6 Microsoft Picture It! Express 2.0 Microsoft Word 97 Microsoft Works 4.5 Microsoft Works Calender 1.0 Microsoft Works Setup Launcher You should check in the Programs Files folder for these apps to see, whether they're still intalled and have a directory. There should be Readme or Help files, that will give you more of an idea, what they're for and if you want them. If no longer installed, you can remove the entries from Add/Remove using TweakUI. That won't uninstall them, but it'll remove the listing. If not, download this small app. It's handy for things like this and shows more installed items than Add/Remove. Be aware, they'll be uninstalled, if you remove them with this program: Add/Remove Pro Carol > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Monday, March 8, 2004 at 12:36 am Posted by Diana (8 messages posted) Yeah I've found Belarc to be great as well. What off of it's diagnostic of my computer would be helpful to you since it gives a lot of info. I will look into my programs one by one and start sorting that way too. Also, what do I do about IE? Should I reinstall it so that it's listed on Add/Remove? How do I actually get it off my computer and is that a smart thing to do or more bother than it's worth/or it comes in handy once in awhile? Also, How do I make Opera look and feel more like Netscape? It's really awkward right now. I was reading somewhere that there a lot of alterations you can do you just have to check out other people's hints and fool around with the settings and codes a bit. Any suggestions? Or a different browser to try out? and then should I delete Netscape as well? Sorry this is such a loaded email but once again thanks so much! Diana [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: problems with computer Monday, March 8, 2004 at 2:07 am Posted by Ms. Eagle (33554 messages posted) Hi Diana, I mainly thought Belarc might be helpful to you, when trying to track program installs. I think I'm finished with my research on those. Once all the bad programs and spyware junk are cleaned off, that's the main thing. Anyhoo, it's not a must to have IE installed, but some websites are best viewed in IE. If it's already installed, I'd leave it. Only IE 6 can be downloaded from MS site, but there are full downloads for ver. 5.5. IEradicator is a small program that's used to completely remove it, and it's not that much trouble. Have you checked in the Programs directory for it? Belarc should show, if it's completely gone. If it's not there, there's nothing to remove. :) I don't know about alterations to Opera, unless their forums have some tips. I should have mentioned Mozilla as another choice, sorry about that. There's also Mozilla Firefox (previously Firebird), but that's more for advanced users, if I recall. Opera and Mozilla are the ones recommended by security/spyware experts. It's sure not mandatory to quit using Netscape, so don't uninstall it, until you know you've found something else that works for you. http://www.mozilla.org Carol [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows 98 Discussion Forum