Virus/Worm

[Julie Wright]

HELP !!!!

My browsers keep shutting down... :mad: :mad: What can it be?? I am running windows ME (I know, it Stinks!!) But for now thats what I have running..

Any Ideas? I have Norton running and a Firewall...

Thanks in advance...

[Dan Mages]

Have you run live update and scanned the computer? I also reccomend installing Spybot Search and Destroy. It will free your computer of spyware and other mallicious code sent from the internet.

Dan

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Julie, a recent worm sent out caused that exact symptom. If you have an active Norton antivirus you might try downloading the most recent updates and scanning your computer. John M., could you advise her?

[Hal Flynt]

I would suggest that you go here and click on the "House Call" scan now link

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/personal.htm

It's free and up to date.

[John Miliunas]

Julie, what the other guys said. Fresh definition files and do scans. It sounds as though you have a "trojan", which is causing the issues. If the browser you're using is Internet Explorer, there's a good chance it's a trojan specific to IE. I would definitely try "Adaware" and "Spybot S&D" first. If those don't work, get a copy of "cwshredder". If you go to this site, you're very likely to find a solution: http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html

Now, the problem may be if you've only got IE on your machine and it doesn't let you get to the site long enough to do it. You may need to get on a different machine and get a copy of some of the above apps and load them up on your machine. Keep us posted on progress. :cool:

[Julie Wright]

:mad:
Its STILL NOT working..... It seems to be getting worse!! :mad:
When the popup said do you want to send an error message, I said no (I've already sent about 1000 ) then the puter rebooted..... :eek:

Then the next time I got an error explorer has caused an unknown error..

I hvae updated Norton antivirus, run Spybot and adware... and went to Merlin all come up clean ?? :confused: ???

I have some work to do, I can't keep a borwser open long enough to get anything done.. :mad:

I have both Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers, BOTH crash!!
Now what??? FORMAT the Hard DRIVE??

[John Miliunas]

Drat and double-drat! OK, two things: 1) Does it reboot or act "weird" when you're NOT online? 2) Worse case (before formatting), try to do the "Recovery" in ME. I don't use that POS operating system, so I'm not even sure where that feature is located, but I think if you go to the "Help" section under "Start", you should find it. :cool:

[Julie Wright]

So far it only acts weird when online. However I havent done to much offline..

[John Miliunas]

Julie, before doing too much more of *anything*, make sure you have backups of any and all important data! If you don't yet, do so NOW! I don't mean to scare you, but if it's happening under both browsers, it could be something quite serious. It may very well be sectors on the hard drive starting to go belly-up, in which case, you need to be sure you have copies of important data.

Also, if you can, send along whatever error message(s) you're getting (if any). Good luck!

[Chuck Wintle]

Julie,
I found this info online and posted it here

1.Do the Windows Update routine again and see what turns up.
2. Update all your device drivers again.
3. Ensure you have latest antivirus updates and run a full system antivirus scan.
4. Run the IE Repair Tool (Run: msinfo32)>opens the System Information Tool>Tools>IE
Repair>check Repair IE>OK.
5. Periodically dump your cache>browser>Internet Options>General tab>delete button.
6. Use the Settings button to double the amount of cache memory.

[Julie Wright]

I am getting <Explorer> has caused an unknown error, Please reboot..
Yes, it does it off line as well as in both browsers. I'll be lucky if I can get this out

I have updated all virus software.. run it all !! YIKES
Glad the new 80GB drive is here>>

I put new memory 256MG memory in and a new VGA card. Could this be software incompatablilitie?? Pkg insert says compatiable with windows ME.

GeForce FX5200 128MB card, I was getting some errors before I put the card in, but now the happen Very OFTEN!!! :mad: :mad:

[John Miliunas]

Julie, it sounds like you've got the bulk of your upgrades in place, *except* the MOST IMPORTANT one: Put XP on that machine and get rid of that piece o' crap Win ME once and for all! Before doing so, drop me an email for some specific tips to help keep you out of trouble. :cool:

[Chuck Wintle]

It could be faulty memory causing your problem. My kids computer had exactly the same problem and it was faulty memory. Luckily there was 2 sticks of memory and it was easy to isolate the faulty one. I agree with John to upgrade(clean install) soon to Win XP with the new hard drive and your problems will largely disappear. Win ME is so bug ridden it is considered to be the worst of all operating systems ever sold by Microsoft. Also be sure to install WinXP SP1 for the critical updates contained in it. Personally I would partition the drive into 3 or 4 partitions. That way you can store important files etc on extra partitions and, should you ever need to reinstall WIN XP in the future, those files on the other partitions will remain intact. You may need to use the install disk from the hard drive maker to prepare the drive for WIN XP installation.

[Dan Mages]

Here is another thing you should check. Go to the device manager in the control panel and check for any hardware with an exclamation mark or a question mark. Delete those items and reboot. It will reload the correct hardware.

Dan

[Julie Wright]

Thanks Dan,
I did that last night. There were none...




Here is another thing you should check. Go to the device manager in the control panel and check for any hardware with an exclamation mark or a question mark. Delete those items and reboot. It will reload the correct hardware.

Dan

[Hal Flynt]

Ok Julie,

It looks like you can get here and post ok. Have you done the TrendMicro scan I posted above?

Since I can't see your desktop from here, could it be that the pop-up that says Unlown Error, please reboot is actually a malware program? What happens if you don't reboot?

Other things that have helped me in the past:
1- Delete all Temporary Internet Files [Tools] [Internet Options] [Delete under Temporary Internet files] (I also delete offline content when prompted).
2- Browse to your Windows Temp file and delete everything that will delete.
3-Reboot and see what comes back. In REGEDIT drill down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\Curr entVersion\Run and see if there is something loading that shouldn't?

Then if this doesn't work, delete your cookies or at least remove ones you don't recognize.


Good Luck

[Julie Wright]

I am work posting at this time. I will print out all your responses and take them home with me. No Hal, I have not been able to run yet, my computer kept resetting, rebooting.

Thanks for All Your Help. :D :) :D
I'll update you all as to what happens. My new XP software is not here Yet, sooo its on with WIN ME for now :eek:

[Julie Wright]

what is msinfo32? how do I run check Repair IE ??

The problem is getting WORSE!!! I have tried each mem stick individualy, still get errors....

Here wormy wormy wormy !!! SPLAT!!!!!

[Chuck Wintle]

Julie,
Click Start...Run and type MSinfo32 in the box and Click OK. In the box that pops up there should be an option to repair IE. Hope that works in Win ME. Just wondering when the problem first cropped up...was it after installation of the new hardware?

[Julie Wright]

The computer hung a little before I started adding stuff, now it gets worse each day. I started changing stuff because of this system hanging up and freezing. So, I added more memory and a larger video card.

HAL,
I can not run trend micro because when I try to load it it says it cant find netscape pluggins I have tried several times.

[Jim Becker]

Try removing one of your memory modules and see if the problem continues. Freezing up is often the result of a driver or DLL problem OR a memory problem. "Suspect" the original memory first...

[Julie Wright]

Already removed older mem. still causing probs.
what is DLL?
The drivers are all updated, I checked them earlier.
I can not run Trend Micro, it wont work on my computer

[Julie Wright]

Ok, so I finally got Trend Micro to run. No virus??? I did delete all cookies and some windows Temp files. I have been running on the net for about 15min.
I have the new stick of Memory in and am going to swap out the video cards and put the old one back in. When I try to shutdown the system I have to manually close each program. A popup screen comes up and says its not responding...

I'll do a swap and let you in on the status... Maybe I have a bad stick and the video card is incompatable with Win ME even though it says it ok to run with it.
jsut got a popup error.

Unknown error, ..... how do I find REGEDIT ?? what is that ??
How do I know what Temp files are ok to Delete?

Thanks Once again

[Julie Wright]

video card out.. all memory in 512MG, will keep you up to date.....

[John Miliunas]

Julie, you can delete anything with the "*.tmp" (sans quotes) extension.

Try putting you "old" memory back in and remove the "new" stuff. You never know...You may have gotten a defective stick of RAM! :mad:

"Regedit" is the Windows Registry editor. You go to "Start/Run" and type in "Regedit" (sans quotes). BUT, you really, REALLY need to be very careful when messing around in there! (Not that you can really mess ME up any worse than the developers did in Richmond to begin with! :rolleyes: ) :cool:

[Julie Wright]

I think its the video card. WHen I shut it down this am it shutdown fine. How can I tell if it is incompatable or messed up (defective)?
it is Nvidia FX5200 Chaintech 128MG memory.

I checked the system status and it look ok, no interupt errors, confilcts that show up, however when I shut down the system with the new card in it it makes me shut down each program individually... ?????

[John Miliunas]

Julie, I just checked out "Chaintech" and it looks like they have drivers for ME dated 2004/03/05. Those are pretty recent drivers, probably newer than what might have been packed with the card. I'd recomend downloading and using those for the NVidia. And yes, it does otherwise appear to be compatible with Windows Massive Errors (ME). (Sorry, just can't resist! :rolleyes: ) Also, you may want to check if you have the latest version of Direct-X. Go to your Windows updates and see if a newer one is available for your installation. Good luck & keep us posted. :cool:

[Chuck Wintle]

My opinion FWIW is to install your new hard drive and load Win Xp. The newer drivers and improved functionality may well solve all your problems. Make your new drive the master and the old one as slave and you can then transfer all important files over. Your email addresses and list of favourites can be exported to a file on a floppy disk and then imported later. Hope this helps

[Julie Wright]

Charles,
I will load Win XP as soon as I get it. ITs in the mail on the way to me..
Hopefully it will be here TODAY!!!

John,
Thanks for checking out Chaintech, hadn't had a chance yet.

EveryOne Thanks for your HELP!! :)

[Hal Flynt]

Hi Julie,

Sounds like you are making progress and that's good.

When things get stable, you may want to add the questionable memory or card one at a time and run for a while and see if you can isolate the culprit.

A lot of what you have done may have fixed any file problems and it may not be memory or video.

Sequencing can also be a bear to figure out. For example back on WIN 98 and a Diamond video card, you had to select base VGA in the install and NOT the diamond drivers until WIN 98 was fully functional, THEN install the Diamond drivers from the CD; otherwise, the system would never boot to an operational system. I've had motherboards that funtioned correctly until you clicked on the "red X" in the upper right hand corner of Xcell and then hang city. That was in the PLUG and PRAY days.

Anyway XP is way stable, I would suggest turning on the "system Restore" as soon as it's loaded and before you connect to the internet. And create a back up if possible. Your first internet connection should be to the Windows Update and let it scan for the "Critical Updates". Download and install all of these before you do anything else and install your virus software. Now you can venture out into the rest of the internet or open any email.

Good Luck,

Hal

[Steve Evans]

Julie

If I could make an additional suggestion to Hal's, turn on the very basic Window's Firewall before you connect to the internet, or even better, download a copy of Zone Alarm ahead of time and install it before you connect. There are many bugs out there that can infect an unpatched machine and in some cases it only takes minutes to happen.

To turn on Windows Firewall, open the control panel, network connections, right click on Local Area Connection and select properties, left click the advanced tab, and select the Internet Connection Firewall

[Julie Wright]

I am running Win ME. I am running ZOne Alarm firewall. I dont think windows ME has a firewall, if it does, I can not find it.


So far the old video card is working. I have downloaded the updated FX5200 driver and reloaded DirectX 9.0

Now to put the new video card back into the puter..... :eek:

Thanks for your help.

[John Miliunas]

Julie, I don't mean to speak out of turn, but what I think Steve is referring to is, when you get to loading XP on the box. You *have* to take precautions against virus, worms and trojans "right out of the box"! On campus, we have the Enterprise Edition of Symantec AV running, but sadly, because of the environment, not all areas have firewalls. Our bandwidth (speed) is phenomenal, with numerous T-3's and such. But, that same speed also "helps" the spread of virus. An unprotected XP install, has an average of 15 seconds (YES! I said *seconds*!) :eek: before it gets nailed with stuff like "Welchia" or similar! I even know of instances where, unprotected fresh installs on regular *dial-up* (phone line modem!) have gotten nailed before all the updates could be downloaded and installed! It's not a very safe cyber-space we "live" in anymore! :mad: At any rate, let us know if the driver thing clears up the issue, for now. If so, it's something to keep in mind for the XP install, as well. :cool:

[Jim Becker]

If she is using ZoneAlarm as she says (especially if she paid for the "Pro" version), there is no reason to turn on the less capable Microsoft firewall in XP. There is something to be said about a product that not only lock others out and make you "invisible" as well as warn you when applications (or trojans) try to access the Internet behind your back. Of course, all of these products also need to be kept up to date and are not worth much if one doesn't!

[Julie Wright]

How often do you all check for updates? I dont subscribe to any computer mags sooooo, I dont really know when new problems arise. How often should I check for new updates?

Now I'm afraid to use XP... :eek: BUGS :eek:

Thanks again... :)

[Jim Becker]

Most of the virus, firwall and spyware programs have either automatic updating or easy one-click updating when you start them up. XP also has auto-updating. If you are one broadband...it just gets done.

[John Miliunas]

Julie, as Jim mentions, most of those apps have either, automatic or very easy update checking built-in. In addition to that stuff, I would also recommend a "Pop-Up Blocker". Personally, I use Google's toolbar, which has a blocker built-in and have been extremely happy with it.

Please, PLEASE don't let any of this scare you away from XP!!! It is, by far, superior to *any* of the Windows 9x (which includes ME) version operating systems! XP itself isn't really buggy at all. It just happens to be a great BIG target for hackers. Outlook is another big target. I happen to really like BOTH of them, but am constantly aware of them being targets, which in a way, tends to keep me more vigilant and aware of how I use either application. I guarantee that, if Mac or whatever flavor of Linux there is, were the prevalent operating systems for the majority of users, we'd be seeing the exact same thing. Guaranteed! :cool:

[Julie Wright]

I'd have to say its the NEW video card...
The computer ran fine, had about 10 browser screens open at a time with the old video card and it ran GREAT>>> I am currently downloading the drivers for the FX5200 card and will contact Dell too. This is the card that they sell as an upgrade, hopefully someone there can tell me whats wrong..
I am at work using the computers there...
Cant take the computer withdrawl..... :eek: