98 SE won't boot properly after a spyware attack!

juba2jive · 10-12-2004, 06:39 PM

Hey y'all, newbie here...

Anyway, we have a computer at school in the writing lab that's totally screwed up. I'm kind of the "techie" for the writing lab teacher, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. She caught a kid downloading stuff on it, which must have opened the floodgates for spyware and the like. I tried to open IE and it ran at a paleolitic pace on what should be a high-speed connection, so I knew it was a big problem. (I've already had to deal with attacks of spyware twice at home using XP...so annoying...but now that I have Firefox, no more problems!)

The first plan of attack I took was to go into Control Panel and delete programs that I knew were spyware...yeah, maybe not the best move since I know that it tends to clog up your registry even when it's deleted. I'm positive I didn't delete anything that was essential to Windows running, though. Anyway...then I went to reboot. BIG problem.

The normal system processes started on it fine, but when 98 SE started opening, it prompted me for the serial code for the Windows software and some other setup stuff before it would open. I guess it was like the first time you set up Windows on a new box? It's been a LONG time since I had a new computer running 98, so I don't remember for sure. After I went through all that, it gave me a fatal error involving Explorer (I'm not at school to quote it exactly), and when I closed it, I just had a blank screen. Did the spyware somehow format the registry and cause this?

Is there anything I can do to fix this that's minimally invasive...or is it screwed? Do I need to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows? If so, is there a guide here to going about that?

Thanks for any answers you can provide.

Jaw865 · 10-15-2004, 09:21 PM

paleolitic is not a word its in no thesaurus or dictionary around seconed just format drive and reinstall i mean for crying out loud its 2004 and your using 98 come one.

CTSNKY · 10-15-2004, 09:52 PM

Quote:

paleolitic is not a word its in no thesaurus or dictionary around seconed just format drive and reinstall i mean for crying out loud its 2004 and your using 98 come one.

Uh, 98SE is one of MS's most stable OS's and is still in use on hundreds of thousands of PC's to this day. Nothing wrong with it at all for older models.

You may want to check your own grammar and spelling, which needs desperate help, before chastising another.

Anyway.........juba2jive, please download HijackThis. Create a folder at C:\HJT and move HijackThis.exe there. Run a scan and save the log file. Post the whole log file here. Do not fix anything since most of them listed there are harmless (some are system required). This program will help us determine if there is any spyware/malware on your computer

Jaw865 · 10-15-2004, 11:05 PM

It says come one that its a good program you fool i was never knocking 98 just praising it sustainability again make sure you read it through next time and stop chastising my writing also im thinking you have a word a day calendar.

CTSNKY · 10-16-2004, 06:25 AM

Quote:

It says come one that its a good program you fool i was never knocking 98 just praising it sustainability again make sure you read it through next time and stop chastising my writing also im thinking you have a word a day calendar.

No calendar.....just educated. We try to help folks here, not bash them based on their older systems or complete lack of grasp on the concept of punctuation.

Jaw865 · 10-17-2004, 01:49 PM

obviously your not quite as educated as you say if you read the post correctly its still talking about the sustainability of his system you definitely need to learn how to read.

But I guess i can forgive you

CTSNKY · 10-17-2004, 01:55 PM

Whatever youngster.........

juba2jive, if you want assistance, follow the directions above. Thanks.

10-12-2004, 06:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
juba2jive Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1 OS: XP Professional & XP Home	98 SE won't boot properly after a spyware attack! Hey y'all, newbie here... Anyway, we have a computer at school in the writing lab that's totally screwed up. I'm kind of the "techie" for the writing lab teacher, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. She caught a kid downloading stuff on it, which must have opened the floodgates for spyware and the like. I tried to open IE and it ran at a paleolitic pace on what should be a high-speed connection, so I knew it was a big problem. (I've already had to deal with attacks of spyware twice at home using XP...so annoying...but now that I have Firefox, no more problems!) The first plan of attack I took was to go into Control Panel and delete programs that I knew were spyware...yeah, maybe not the best move since I know that it tends to clog up your registry even when it's deleted. I'm positive I didn't delete anything that was essential to Windows running, though. Anyway...then I went to reboot. BIG problem. The normal system processes started on it fine, but when 98 SE started opening, it prompted me for the serial code for the Windows software and some other setup stuff before it would open. I guess it was like the first time you set up Windows on a new box? It's been a LONG time since I had a new computer running 98, so I don't remember for sure. After I went through all that, it gave me a fatal error involving Explorer (I'm not at school to quote it exactly), and when I closed it, I just had a blank screen. Did the spyware somehow format the registry and cause this? Is there anything I can do to fix this that's minimally invasive...or is it screwed? Do I need to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows? If so, is there a guide here to going about that? Thanks for any answers you can provide.

10-15-2004, 09:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jaw865 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Souther,ca Posts: 6 OS: XP	no such word paleolitic is not a word its in no thesaurus or dictionary around seconed just format drive and reinstall i mean for crying out loud its 2004 and your using 98 come one.

10-15-2004, 11:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jaw865 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Souther,ca Posts: 6 OS: XP	hey c It says come one that its a good program you fool i was never knocking 98 just praising it sustainability again make sure you read it through next time and stop chastising my writing also im thinking you have a word a day calendar. Last edited by Jaw865; 10-15-2004 at 11:09 PM.

10-17-2004, 01:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jaw865 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Souther,ca Posts: 6 OS: XP	obviously obviously your not quite as educated as you say if you read the post correctly its still talking about the sustainability of his system you definitely need to learn how to read. But I guess i can forgive you

10-17-2004, 01:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
CTSNKY Knower of all that is MS Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 10,755 OS: (multiple machines) 95, 98, 2K & XP Home & Pro	Whatever youngster......... juba2jive, if you want assistance, follow the directions above. Thanks. __________________ GO BIG BLUE!!