[SOLVED] I Think I Been Hacked..

James2008 · 07-10-2008, 09:14 PM

This is wht happen and i will give as much information as i can.. I was on yahoo "IM" for a while then got off. I restarted my computer and the resolution has changed to 640x480 and 1bit color depth, and it apeared to be in SAFE MODE but its not, and the "Please enter the windows password" came up which it has never done before. I tried to open real player and the message came up and gave me the information "Real player works best at 800x600 or higher and display color 16 bit or higher" it continued to give me the information in which i stated above about 640x480 being my current resolution. I opened up the resolution menu and changed my settings to the 800x600 and 16bit. The computer restarts but nothing has changed. Looks like its in safe mode but its not. I also tried opening the Windows Media Played and the message comes up: "Cannot playback the audio stream. No audio Hardware is available or the hardware is not responding." So thats what i know.. I tried maintenance on it but that didn't work.
I don't know what to do..Have i been hacked? and how do i fix it?

THANKS

**OldGrayGary** · 07-10-2008, 11:50 PM

Hi James

Is this the Presario 4000? Is it running Windows Me? If yes, you can try using System Restore, choosing a restore point from before your current problems.

It would be a good idea to run thorough system scans for malware, too -- since these can cause havok with your system files (Windows seems to be having trouble finding your drivers). If you find evidence of serious infection, you can try the 5-Step Security Checklist from our TSF Security forums --- IMPORTANT - Read This Before Posting For Malware Removal Help

If the system is running Win98se, try starting the computer with a bootable Win98se CD or floppy diskette, and from the A:> prompt, type scanreg /restore --- and choose a saved Registry from before your latest video/sound trouble.

Let us know if this doesn't help, and we'll investigate a bit more.
. . . Gary

James2008 · 07-11-2008, 12:27 PM

Yes its Windows Me..Tried the System Restore and it didnt work. I did Mr.Watson and that scan said the following: "Does not appear to be a Windows 95 Plug-and-Play Compatible display driver." Went to System properties and Device manager and it has the Dial Up Adapter and TV/Video Connection as not working porperly it says the following:"The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the file (ndis.VXD) that loads the drivers for the device.(Code8) To fix the program run windows Set up again using your Windows CD-ROM." I put the computer in diagnostic mode and got the audio back.. The mouse wasn't showing up like the audio, and diagnostic has brought that back too.. So thats what i know at this point..

Thanks Gary for the help this far.. If anybody else has had this peoblem please help..if can..

**OldGrayGary** · 07-13-2008, 01:27 AM

Hi again

Is the display driver the main missing link at this point? It shouldn't hurt to try installing the drivers supplied by Compaq: they are still available on their website. Choose your exact model number from the list on the webpage in the following link, and drivers are available, listed by version of Windows --- http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Nav?h...&lang=en&cc=us

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

James2008 · 07-13-2008, 03:50 PM

Update: CD-ROM is not working. I put a disc in and you can hear it trying to read the disc but it doesn't show up in the system. Lost the audio again. Uninstalled my internet connecting software and now can't get it installed back in due to resolution being at the current setting. Which means cant install nothing from the net or CD-Rom.. Ya know something: I'm thinkin about taking it in the back and shootin the damn thing!! lol Seriously speaking though, im lost here. If the CD-ROM does't operate then i can't do a windows reinstall right? Question: In "Setup utility" if i switch to "default configuration" will that bring the it back without loosing my data(music/pictures/writings)? And one more thing: can i use a 4GB Flash drive to transferre data(music/pictures/writings) from the computer to the flash drive?
Sorry if these are stupid questions, i'm still some what new..
Thanks Gary for the time..

**OldGrayGary** · 07-14-2008, 12:49 AM

Hi again

To use the USB flash memory drive, you might need to install WinMe specific drivers for it first (though it won't hurt to try letting it detect it). WinMe's USB support is better than Win98 or Win98se's, but that isn't saying much! Compatible WinMe drivers are usually provided by the drive manufacturers.

To check the CD-drive, boot into Safe Mode (tap the F8 key as your PC is starting to see the Safe Mode Menu). Then right-click "My Computer", choose "Properties", and then "Device Manager" (or perhaps "Hardware" then "Device Manager"... I don't have a WinMe PC handy & it's been a while). Remove the CD-drive from Device Manager by selecting it from the list, and clicking "Remove". Then reboot, and see if the PC correctly detects the drive. Then test with a known-good CD (no scratches or smudges ... a music CD would do). It might be that the drive is failing - WinMe hardware is due to start reaching it's end-of-expected-span by now (though well-made parts often work well long after the average span).

Truthfully, there is so much going wrong with your PC, I think you probably should check the hardware, to make sure that you aren't trying to fix a hardware problem with a software solution (which of course doesn't work).
Run some diagnostics, and check your Bios settings.
1) Test the memory --- http://www.memtest.org
2) Test the hard drive --- http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
3) Check the Bios Settings --- find a system manual for your make/model (Google is good for that) & look in on the settings. Make sure the time/date haven't gone backwards several years -- that usually means that the CMOS battery needs replacing. Your system manual would answer your question about what the default settings are. (So long as you don't have unusual settings for the hard drive, using the default settings shouldn't hurt ... usually the default is to auto-detect the drives).

If the hardware proves OK (even the CD-drive) -- a reasonable repair might be to try an in-place 'over-the-top' reinstall of Windows (when successful, you don't have to reinstall all your personal data or programs). But you need to make sure no viruses are present before performing an over-the-top.
________________________________
Windows 98/Me "Over-the-top" Reinstall

Sometimes an over-the-top reinstallation of Windows can be a timesaver. On most recent computers the whole procedure can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. A nice feature of this procedure is that your programs do not have to be reinstalled, and your data is not lost. You likely will need to visit Windows Update when finished, though, to download and reinstall some of the Security Updates. [Windows Update still works for Windows 98/Me, even though its period of active support by Microsoft expired in mid-2006 (all the updates up to that point can still be found there)].

Beforehand:

You may need to temporarily disable the Bios virus protection that is found on some motherboards (if your motherboard does not have this feature, you can skip this step). Enter Bios Setup by pressing the key displayed during startup, and somewhere on the first or second menu should be an item to Enable or Disable Bios Virus Protection (might be called BiosShield, or VirusGuard, or whatnot) ---> then, when you're finished with your reinstallation of Windows, re-Enable the Bios protection feature.

During the reinstall, it is also a good idea to be entirely disconnected from any networks, wired or wireless (unplug ethernet cables, disable wireless), and to be disconnected from printers, scanners, cameras, multifunction devices, fax machines, PDAs, memory card readers, USB flash drives, external USB/Firewire/eSATA drives, etc.

Over The Top ReInstall:

Place your Windows98/Me CD in the CD/DVD drive (or be ready to point Windows to the place on your hard drive where your Windows 98/Me installation files are stored).

Boot with a bootable floppy (or CD - "with CD-rom support"), and from DOS rename the win.com file to win.bak. Like this

C:
cd \Windows
rename win.com win.bak

If you have the Windows 98/Me CD in your CD/DVD drive, you can then switch to the drive letter of your CD drive [often drive D:], simply by typing the drive letter followed by a colon ( for example - D: ) at the command prompt. You can then start setup by typing setup from the command prompt.

If you don't have a Windows 9x/Me installation CD, but instead have the Windows 98/Me installation files on your hard drive, switch to that location (which is often C:\Windows\Options\Cabs - by typing cd C:\Windows\Options\Cabs ), and start setup (by simply typing the command: setup)

***Important!*** When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose Other and type in C:\Windows (without the .000 following).

Make sure that you have your antivirus, antispyware, and firewall running before you connect to networks afterward. Don't forget to visit Windows Update ASAP to get the Critical Patches the need reinstalling.
________________________

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

James2008 · 07-14-2008, 06:34 AM

Update2: I got the resolution back!! This is what appeard to be going on: 2 drivers was conflicting.. The S3 Prosavage driver and the Standerd driver..I removed the Standerd and went with the Prosavge and then it shut down and it came back up in reg format resolution. Dont know if this had alot to do with it or not but i also went to run >msconfi and to System Configurations Utility and just loaded STACTIC VxD and Start Up Group Items only.. so, i am writing you this right now on it and its working ok.. Not perfect but ok.. Right now the audio is still gone on it.. When i go to open a mp3 or any file on windows media player it says : Windows Media error. "Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding." Then Advance says:"Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding. (Error=80040256)" When i try to open a music file in Real Player it says: "Cannot open the Audio device. Another Application may be using it." I went to the Device manager and i have under the Sound,Video and Game Controllers= 'SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio' and
it says after clicking it twice: "The device is working properly".. So thats where im at the present time..

James2008 · 07-16-2008, 08:36 PM

Update: Well.. The CD-ROM must be malfunctioning and dead cause the computer detects it after i take it out and connect it back. The driver SMWDM.SYS was missing and i downloaded it and put it where it suppose to be in DRIVERS folder..Then i uninstall the SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio..Then i restarted the computer and it detected "new Hardware" then installed it and updated the settings.. Still no AUDIO.. As before i go to open an music file/mp3 and it says "Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding." Then Advance says:"Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding. (Error=80040256)" . In Device manager under Sound, Video and game controllers he only thing that is listed is the SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio..Is there suppose to be something else listed there? I missing something here but aint smart enough to know what it is.. If i download Windows Media Player V9..Just like what is in there, will that fix the problem and give me back my AUDIO?

Thanks again Gary for taking time to help..

James2008 · 07-16-2008, 10:40 PM

Update2: Downloaded Windows Media Player 9, took me bout 90mins to do so..13.3 MB. Opened a mp3 file and it says:"Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be functioning properly."

James2008 · 07-16-2008, 11:42 PM

Update3: I checked the codecs and all are ENABLE..ALSO in the control panel> Sounds and Multimedia Properties > AUDIO> Sound Playback > Preferred Device: (its faded) it says:"No playback Devices".. How can this be when the SoundMAX card is installed and "Working Properly"????? When i first opened up a mp3 file in the new Windows Media Player v9.. it said "downloading codec" and then it still won't play!! I dont know Have a damn clue whats going on!!! I'm 'bout ready to take a sledge hammer to it and bust it into a hundred pieces!!!

James2008 · 07-17-2008, 12:22 AM

UPDATE4: Went into Windows Media Player and clicked on tools and Download plug ins and the message pops up and says: "This program is incompatible with this version of windows. " When i click details it says: "You are attempting to install an earlier version of Internet Explorer than was installed with Windows. Installing an earlier version of Internet Explorer replaces the up-to-date files with obsolete files and causes the operating system to malfunction." When did i do that..Install a earlier version of Internet explorer? AM i the only one that has a headache over this? Man do i need help!!

**OldGrayGary** · 07-24-2008, 01:40 AM

Hi again James

I've been away from the forum for a week or so -- swamped by some rather urgent business, so I apologize for the delay in this reply.

I think you'd be well-served by an in-place 'over-the-top' reinstall of Windows. It's best to make sure your system is free of any malware before trying the reinstall. One of the easiest ways to manage this is to use a tool such as the "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows" ( http://www.ubcd4win.com ). If you can round up a friend to make you a "UBCD4Win" disk, you could use that to start the computer with, and then use the antimalware tools on the UBCD4Win to scan & clean the drive.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

PS ... the variety of device and program mishaps that you are experiencing could point to either serious mismatches in file versions - or possible mayhem from malware ... or it could also be due to random data corruption caused by failing hardware: so I'd also recommend that if you haven't yet tried the diagnostics, be sure to run them to make sure the hardware is OK.

James2008 · 07-27-2008, 06:54 AM

Thanks bro. for replying.. I transferred all my music to my other computer..So my music and some other data is saved.. Still no audio.. same errors come up as always.. I tried to make a start up disk and about 23 files could not be found.. here's some of the files that comes up missing: aspi2dos.sys , autoexec.ebu , checksr.bat , fixit.ebd , findramd.exe and winboot.ebd..Thats just a sample of the files thats missing..
Problem "458" is that my cd-rom drive is malfunctioning.. Its freezes my system up when its connected and it only reads for bout 2mins maybe.. I think it might be time to take it out in back and shoot it.. lmao Today im gonna try to get the rest of the vaulable data that i have left and try a factory restore..Hopefully the cd-rom will read long enough to get it back..
Believe it or not..Everything else is working pretty good.. screen is good..Get on the net good.. Just the audio is out.. If you don't see me again in here its that my computer has went to the great comp-heaven in the sky.. lmao Thanks Gary for the time..appreciate it..

James2008 · 07-28-2008, 11:07 PM

Did a factory restore and everything is working great!! After the restore i Upgraded my audio to Soundmax 3 and upgraded windows player to ver.9 and its working like a new one.. Took me back 2 days to back up everything.. But now i got my music and my data and i got like a new computer. What i think the problem was, was that one of the system files got deleted..
Been workin on this computer for about 3 weeks now and i will say one thing it has taught me alot about computers and what to do in the future. Wrote alot of what i did down on paper. But thanks Old Gray Gary for taking time to help. As you can see you was the only one and i appreciate it.. God bless you man....Thanks..

07-10-2008, 09:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	[SOLVED] I Think I Been Hacked.. This is wht happen and i will give as much information as i can.. I was on yahoo "IM" for a while then got off. I restarted my computer and the resolution has changed to 640x480 and 1bit color depth, and it apeared to be in SAFE MODE but its not, and the "Please enter the windows password" came up which it has never done before. I tried to open real player and the message came up and gave me the information "Real player works best at 800x600 or higher and display color 16 bit or higher" it continued to give me the information in which i stated above about 640x480 being my current resolution. I opened up the resolution menu and changed my settings to the 800x600 and 16bit. The computer restarts but nothing has changed. Looks like its in safe mode but its not. I also tried opening the Windows Media Played and the message comes up: "Cannot playback the audio stream. No audio Hardware is available or the hardware is not responding." So thats what i know.. I tried maintenance on it but that didn't work. I don't know what to do..Have i been hacked? and how do i fix it? THANKS

07-10-2008, 11:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,978 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Hi James Is this the Presario 4000? Is it running Windows Me? If yes, you can try using System Restore, choosing a restore point from before your current problems. It would be a good idea to run thorough system scans for malware, too -- since these can cause havok with your system files (Windows seems to be having trouble finding your drivers). If you find evidence of serious infection, you can try the 5-Step Security Checklist from our TSF Security forums --- IMPORTANT - Read This Before Posting For Malware Removal Help If the system is running Win98se, try starting the computer with a bootable Win98se CD or floppy diskette, and from the A:> prompt, type scanreg /restore --- and choose a saved Registry from before your latest video/sound trouble. Let us know if this doesn't help, and we'll investigate a bit more. . . . Gary __________________

07-11-2008, 12:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Yes its Windows Me..Tried the System Restore and it didnt work. I did Mr.Watson and that scan said the following: "Does not appear to be a Windows 95 Plug-and-Play Compatible display driver." Went to System properties and Device manager and it has the Dial Up Adapter and TV/Video Connection as not working porperly it says the following:"The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the file (ndis.VXD) that loads the drivers for the device.(Code8) To fix the program run windows Set up again using your Windows CD-ROM." I put the computer in diagnostic mode and got the audio back.. The mouse wasn't showing up like the audio, and diagnostic has brought that back too.. So thats what i know at this point.. Thanks Gary for the help this far.. If anybody else has had this peoblem please help..if can..

07-13-2008, 01:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,978 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Hi again Is the display driver the main missing link at this point? It shouldn't hurt to try installing the drivers supplied by Compaq: they are still available on their website. Choose your exact model number from the list on the webpage in the following link, and drivers are available, listed by version of Windows --- http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Nav?h...&lang=en&cc=us Best of luck! . . . Gary __________________

07-13-2008, 03:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Update: CD-ROM is not working. I put a disc in and you can hear it trying to read the disc but it doesn't show up in the system. Lost the audio again. Uninstalled my internet connecting software and now can't get it installed back in due to resolution being at the current setting. Which means cant install nothing from the net or CD-Rom.. Ya know something: I'm thinkin about taking it in the back and shootin the damn thing!! lol Seriously speaking though, im lost here. If the CD-ROM does't operate then i can't do a windows reinstall right? Question: In "Setup utility" if i switch to "default configuration" will that bring the it back without loosing my data(music/pictures/writings)? And one more thing: can i use a 4GB Flash drive to transferre data(music/pictures/writings) from the computer to the flash drive? Sorry if these are stupid questions, i'm still some what new.. Thanks Gary for the time..

07-14-2008, 12:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,978 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Hi again To use the USB flash memory drive, you might need to install WinMe specific drivers for it first (though it won't hurt to try letting it detect it). WinMe's USB support is better than Win98 or Win98se's, but that isn't saying much! Compatible WinMe drivers are usually provided by the drive manufacturers. To check the CD-drive, boot into Safe Mode (tap the F8 key as your PC is starting to see the Safe Mode Menu). Then right-click "My Computer", choose "Properties", and then "Device Manager" (or perhaps "Hardware" then "Device Manager"... I don't have a WinMe PC handy & it's been a while). Remove the CD-drive from Device Manager by selecting it from the list, and clicking "Remove". Then reboot, and see if the PC correctly detects the drive. Then test with a known-good CD (no scratches or smudges ... a music CD would do). It might be that the drive is failing - WinMe hardware is due to start reaching it's end-of-expected-span by now (though well-made parts often work well long after the average span). Truthfully, there is so much going wrong with your PC, I think you probably should check the hardware, to make sure that you aren't trying to fix a hardware problem with a software solution (which of course doesn't work). Run some diagnostics, and check your Bios settings. 1) Test the memory --- http://www.memtest.org 2) Test the hard drive --- http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287 3) Check the Bios Settings --- find a system manual for your make/model (Google is good for that) & look in on the settings. Make sure the time/date haven't gone backwards several years -- that usually means that the CMOS battery needs replacing. Your system manual would answer your question about what the default settings are. (So long as you don't have unusual settings for the hard drive, using the default settings shouldn't hurt ... usually the default is to auto-detect the drives). If the hardware proves OK (even the CD-drive) -- a reasonable repair might be to try an in-place 'over-the-top' reinstall of Windows (when successful, you don't have to reinstall all your personal data or programs). But you need to make sure no viruses are present before performing an over-the-top. ________________________________ Windows 98/Me "Over-the-top" Reinstall Sometimes an over-the-top reinstallation of Windows can be a timesaver. On most recent computers the whole procedure can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. A nice feature of this procedure is that your programs do not have to be reinstalled, and your data is not lost. You likely will need to visit Windows Update when finished, though, to download and reinstall some of the Security Updates. [Windows Update still works for Windows 98/Me, even though its period of active support by Microsoft expired in mid-2006 (all the updates up to that point can still be found there)]. Beforehand: You may need to temporarily disable the Bios virus protection that is found on some motherboards (if your motherboard does not have this feature, you can skip this step). Enter Bios Setup by pressing the key displayed during startup, and somewhere on the first or second menu should be an item to Enable or Disable Bios Virus Protection (might be called BiosShield, or VirusGuard, or whatnot) ---> then, when you're finished with your reinstallation of Windows, re-Enable the Bios protection feature. During the reinstall, it is also a good idea to be entirely disconnected from any networks, wired or wireless (unplug ethernet cables, disable wireless), and to be disconnected from printers, scanners, cameras, multifunction devices, fax machines, PDAs, memory card readers, USB flash drives, external USB/Firewire/eSATA drives, etc. Over The Top ReInstall: Place your Windows98/Me CD in the CD/DVD drive (or be ready to point Windows to the place on your hard drive where your Windows 98/Me installation files are stored). Boot with a bootable floppy (or CD - "with CD-rom support"), and from DOS rename the win.com file to win.bak. Like this C: cd \Windows rename win.com win.bak If you have the Windows 98/Me CD in your CD/DVD drive, you can then switch to the drive letter of your CD drive [often drive D:], simply by typing the drive letter followed by a colon ( for example - D: ) at the command prompt. You can then start setup by typing setup from the command prompt. If you don't have a Windows 9x/Me installation CD, but instead have the Windows 98/Me installation files on your hard drive, switch to that location (which is often C:\Windows\Options\Cabs - by typing cd C:\Windows\Options\Cabs ), and start setup (by simply typing the command: setup) *Important!* When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose Other and type in C:\Windows (without the .000 following). Make sure that you have your antivirus, antispyware, and firewall running before you connect to networks afterward. Don't forget to visit Windows Update ASAP to get the Critical Patches the need reinstalling. ________________________ Best of luck! . . . Gary __________________

07-14-2008, 06:34 AM	#7 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Update2: I got the resolution back!! This is what appeard to be going on: 2 drivers was conflicting.. The S3 Prosavage driver and the Standerd driver..I removed the Standerd and went with the Prosavge and then it shut down and it came back up in reg format resolution. Dont know if this had alot to do with it or not but i also went to run >msconfi and to System Configurations Utility and just loaded STACTIC VxD and Start Up Group Items only.. so, i am writing you this right now on it and its working ok.. Not perfect but ok.. Right now the audio is still gone on it.. When i go to open a mp3 or any file on windows media player it says : Windows Media error. "Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding." Then Advance says:"Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding. (Error=80040256)" When i try to open a music file in Real Player it says: "Cannot open the Audio device. Another Application may be using it." I went to the Device manager and i have under the Sound,Video and Game Controllers= 'SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio' and it says after clicking it twice: "The device is working properly".. So thats where im at the present time..

07-16-2008, 08:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Update: Well.. The CD-ROM must be malfunctioning and dead cause the computer detects it after i take it out and connect it back. The driver SMWDM.SYS was missing and i downloaded it and put it where it suppose to be in DRIVERS folder..Then i uninstall the SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio..Then i restarted the computer and it detected "new Hardware" then installed it and updated the settings.. Still no AUDIO.. As before i go to open an music file/mp3 and it says "Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding." Then Advance says:"Cannot play back the audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or the hardware is not responding. (Error=80040256)" . In Device manager under Sound, Video and game controllers he only thing that is listed is the SoundMax Integrated Digital Audio..Is there suppose to be something else listed there? I missing something here but aint smart enough to know what it is.. If i download Windows Media Player V9..Just like what is in there, will that fix the problem and give me back my AUDIO? Thanks again Gary for taking time to help..

07-16-2008, 10:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Update2: Downloaded Windows Media Player 9, took me bout 90mins to do so..13.3 MB. Opened a mp3 file and it says:"Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be functioning properly."

07-16-2008, 11:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Update3: I checked the codecs and all are ENABLE..ALSO in the control panel> Sounds and Multimedia Properties > AUDIO> Sound Playback > Preferred Device: (its faded) it says:"No playback Devices".. How can this be when the SoundMAX card is installed and "Working Properly"????? When i first opened up a mp3 file in the new Windows Media Player v9.. it said "downloading codec" and then it still won't play!! I dont know Have a damn clue whats going on!!! I'm 'bout ready to take a sledge hammer to it and bust it into a hundred pieces!!!

07-17-2008, 12:22 AM	#11 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. UPDATE4: Went into Windows Media Player and clicked on tools and Download plug ins and the message pops up and says: "This program is incompatible with this version of windows. " When i click details it says: "You are attempting to install an earlier version of Internet Explorer than was installed with Windows. Installing an earlier version of Internet Explorer replaces the up-to-date files with obsolete files and causes the operating system to malfunction." When did i do that..Install a earlier version of Internet explorer? AM i the only one that has a headache over this? Man do i need help!!

07-24-2008, 01:40 AM	#12 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,978 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Hi again James I've been away from the forum for a week or so -- swamped by some rather urgent business, so I apologize for the delay in this reply. I think you'd be well-served by an in-place 'over-the-top' reinstall of Windows. It's best to make sure your system is free of any malware before trying the reinstall. One of the easiest ways to manage this is to use a tool such as the "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows" ( http://www.ubcd4win.com ). If you can round up a friend to make you a "UBCD4Win" disk, you could use that to start the computer with, and then use the antimalware tools on the UBCD4Win to scan & clean the drive. Best of luck! . . . Gary PS ... the variety of device and program mishaps that you are experiencing could point to either serious mismatches in file versions - or possible mayhem from malware ... or it could also be due to random data corruption caused by failing hardware: so I'd also recommend that if you haven't yet tried the diagnostics, be sure to run them to make sure the hardware is OK. __________________

07-27-2008, 06:54 AM	#13 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Thanks bro. for replying.. I transferred all my music to my other computer..So my music and some other data is saved.. Still no audio.. same errors come up as always.. I tried to make a start up disk and about 23 files could not be found.. here's some of the files that comes up missing: aspi2dos.sys , autoexec.ebu , checksr.bat , fixit.ebd , findramd.exe and winboot.ebd..Thats just a sample of the files thats missing.. Problem "458" is that my cd-rom drive is malfunctioning.. Its freezes my system up when its connected and it only reads for bout 2mins maybe.. I think it might be time to take it out in back and shoot it.. lmao Today im gonna try to get the rest of the vaulable data that i have left and try a factory restore..Hopefully the cd-rom will read long enough to get it back.. Believe it or not..Everything else is working pretty good.. screen is good..Get on the net good.. Just the audio is out.. If you don't see me again in here its that my computer has went to the great comp-heaven in the sky.. lmao Thanks Gary for the time..appreciate it.. Last edited by James2008 : 07-27-2008 at 06:56 AM.

07-28-2008, 11:07 PM	#14 (permalink)
James2008 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 OS: win 98/ 2000	Re: I Think I Been Hacked.. Did a factory restore and everything is working great!! After the restore i Upgraded my audio to Soundmax 3 and upgraded windows player to ver.9 and its working like a new one.. Took me back 2 days to back up everything.. But now i got my music and my data and i got like a new computer. What i think the problem was, was that one of the system files got deleted.. Been workin on this computer for about 3 weeks now and i will say one thing it has taught me alot about computers and what to do in the future. Wrote alot of what i did down on paper. But thanks Old Gray Gary for taking time to help. As you can see you was the only one and i appreciate it.. God bless you man....Thanks..