[conniejean]

OS win98se,,,,running norton, and ad-aware se
I tried to run SFC..it started then gave me this....SFC cannot check the following folder.....
C:\program files\common files\symantec shared\virus defs\temp 1b08.temp\@>_T_(sq. box)TN(w/~on N).dw(sq.box)
report err 161 specified path is invalid
I found the file in windows explorer....when running the mouse over it, it says modified 1/14/2025....there are several other files simular to this one which also give futurist dates like 2031......when you click on it it says..the folder does not exist.........I tried to delete it....I get file system error (1026)..I've been having ongoing problems with my antivirus program in that something seems to eat it...it works a couple of days then disappears...the icons stay but when you try to open it.....you get *****\nmain.exe is not a valid win32 application.....so I uninstall norton and re-install and download all updates and it works fine again......I've had to do this 3-4 times in 2 weeks......yesterday is when I tried to run the SFC and got the above message...thanks for any help..connie..:4-dontkno

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi conniejean

Your Norton product could be suffering from a successful malware attack (successful for the malware, bad news for Norton). Since Norton is so common, malware software will often try to compromise Norton. That would explain why the software works for a short period, and then fails.

There are other possibilities as well (both hardware and software possibilities).

Files with incorrect time-stamps aren't a good thing -- you should be able to delete them in Safe Mode.

Another thing to check --- check your system time/date --- both in Windows, and in your system's Bios Setup screens [use the key mentioned in a banner message or splash screen as your PC powers on "Press F1 (or F2, F10, Del, etc.) to Enter Setup"] --- if the Bios time/date has reverted backwards several years, it's time to replace the CMOS battery --- http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph04375&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=&product=94878 --- (that Hp/Compaq article can be used as a generic guide to CMOS battery replacement).

I'm curious as to what Norton product, and product-version, you are using: I don't think that the most recent Norton products support Win98se anymore. A reasonable alternative for an aging Win98se PC would be the free verson of AVG (I believe AVG 7.5 still supports Win98se --- http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html --- note that even AVG plans to discontinue support for Win9x/Me in August 2008 (after all, Win98 will be ten years old at that point).

I'm also curious as to what firewall protection is in place.

When my customers ask about Windows 98 and the Internet, I no longer recommend that they go onto the Internet with Windows 98: it's just too hard to secure for Internet use. Antivirus tools and firewalls for Win98/98se are getting harder to find -- and it's absolutely essential that anti-malware tools receive updates. For some customers, dual-boot solutions allow them to continue to enjoy their Win9x/Me programs (usually games) offline, while all online activity is done in a Win2000/XP environment. The device responsible for Internet connections is simply disabled in the Win9x/Me system, but enabled in Win2000/XP.
_______________

That said, if you'd like to help coax your Win98se system to get by for another year or two: this time --->
1) Thoroughly scan your PC with an online scanner, such as TrendMicro's HouseCall, or the online scanner of your choice.
2) Thoroughly remove Norton while offline (unplug your ethernet, disable wireless). Use Norton's uninstaller, or use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel to remove Norton.
3) Then use the only Registry Cleaner I ever advise using, CCleaner (there is a forum 'sticky' that shows how badly many Registry cleaners misbehave). You can find CCleaner at download.com --- http://www.download.com/CCleaner/3000-2144_4-10315544.html --- use the Cleaning function to clear unneccessary and potentially harmful temp files & clutter --- use the "issues" function to clear tangles in the Registry. Run the "Issues" function several times, until CCleaner reports "no issues found".
4) Then install a Win98se compatible antivirus (whether Norton, AVG, or whatnot). And test for stability.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

 

[conniejean]

I'm using norton antivirus 2005 which expires Dec 12,2007.....I'm also in the process of buying a new PC w/Vista(so I will be getting an antivirus prog for that sys)....so I'm only interested in keeping this running till the new system gets here....I don't want it to crash as I have a multitude of Photos I need to transfer to the new sys. my floppy will not format so thats another problem...when I do get the new sys I will be back to find out how to move my games over...but for now I will try what you suggested to remove the norton nasties in safe mode....Thanks...Connie

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again


If saving the pictures right away sounds like a good idea to you, you can use a bootable CD, such as the "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows", to start your PC with, scan the pictures for malware with the antimalware tools on the "UBCD4Win", and then copy the pictures to CD-R (or DVD-/+R) using the recording tools on the "UBCD4Win".

The Ultimate Boot disk boots entirely from the CD, and doesn't write to the hard drive unless you ask it to. You might need the help of someone with a WinXP system to make a "UBCD4Win", though. The other alternative would be to try a Linux Live CD ... Ubuntu's might be the easiest nowadays, while Knoppix is likely still the safest.

UBCD4Win --- http://www.ubcd4win.com
Ubuntu --- http://www.ubuntu.com
Knoppix --- http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Of course, if your Win98se comes out clean & usable fairly quickly, you can disregard all of this, and simply make your backups from Win98se

Best of luck
. . . Gary

--- Oh, by the way --- I can't say I'd recommend trying Vista's "Windows Easy Transfer Wizard" to move things over from your Win98se PC. It has enough trouble moving Win2000/XP system settings over, let alone a Win9x PC's settings. Might as well start new.

 

[conniejean]

as of right now I don't have anyway to copy anything except to a floppy and thats not working won't format......maybe I'm misunderstanding but saving the photos to a cd sounds like I would need a burner..........anyway I was thinking(yes that could be dangerous)...when the new system gets here if I were to leave this hooked up ...and hook up the new one...bring in another ISP for the new pc....and basically email the pics between the 2 pcs....as of right now my norton is still working...it claims to have a firewall and worm detector etc....and the new PC comes with an antivirus program.....once they are in the new one I should be able to save them..I do know someone with a cd burner but the last time I tried to send the photos to her, her new PC w/xp....did a nose dive and she had to call in the troops to fix it.....so now she's scared....gotta love these PC's

Would there be any way to go into the registry and clear out or fix those program entries with the weird stuff attached to the end and future dates...???:sigh:

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again

CCleaner does a pretty good job of cleaning temp files, which those identify themselves as. The files are associated with Norton (Symantec is the parent corporation). If you now have Norton working properly again, I imagine it wouldn't hurt to keep those files where they are, so long as they aren't taking up disk space that you need. You certainly can scan them, though, to make sure they aren't infected.

As far as the pictures go, ask around & see if a friend has an external USB hard drive enclosure that you could borrow for a day. If yes, when you buy your new Vista computer, you'd simply remove the hard drive from your current PC, place it in the external enclosure, and plug it into a USB port on the Vista machine. You could then scan the drive with the latest and greatest antimalware tools that are on your Vista PC, and then copy the clean pictures over. If you don't have a friend with an enclosure, you could probably buy one for between $20 and $50 (USD).

If you have a friend with an external USB CD/DVD drive, you could also try borrowing that to burn copies of your pictures. Installation would be automatic under Vista, but with your Win98se PC, you might have to find drivers for the external burner (you could find them on the Internet).

I wouldn't recommend email as a solution for saving the pictures -- it's usually just too slow and cumbersome, especially if there are a lot of pictures.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

 

[conniejean]

I scanned those weird entries with norton when I first found them.....they came up clean.....and so far my norton has been working fine now since I started this thread......the last time I re-downloaded norton I deleted that nmain.exe which was coming up as not a valid win32 application.....I have it sitting in my trash bin....just incase I need to put it back.....but so far norton is working great without it........
I will download the CCleaner......just b4 I found you guys I downloaded and paid for another reg. fixer......called regcure......can't say it's fixed anything or I wouldn't be on with you guys.....

I will find one of those external hard drive enclosures online and get me one...there is no one I know that has anything like that....and only 1 person that has a burner and they have no clue how to use it...the hard drive enclosure sounds fairly simple to use.....

now I don't know if this is coincidence or not.....but this pc has been working fine..(a little slow) but fine up until my ISP decided not to do internet anymore and switched us all over to peoplepc my norton was working up till then also....and now since my norton has been working I've been getting a lot of alerts worms high risk threats trying to come in on Bartshel.....which is part of peoplepc application....c/program files/peoplepc/isp6600/browser.......I hadn't given it any thought till I started getting these alerts and went to find out what Bartshel was......just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else had problems..

my new pc will be on it's way the beginning of the week....I went with a XPS 210/vista.....3gb memory,,,,500 gb hard drive....so this should be interesting.....

Ok I'm going to download the ccleaner now and I'll let you know what happens......thanks connie ray:

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again


I thought you might like a few links that show some of the tools I mentioned ---

Here's an example of a simple 3.5" hard drive enclosure (2.5" drives are usually in laptops or slimline PCs, 3.5" is the standard size for a desktop drive) --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817173016

Some of the more expensive enclosures have adapters, and can handle several different sizes and interfaces (both IDE and SATA, for example).

Here's an example of an external DVD burner --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136112

If you are planning on only using the device once, it'd be nice if you could find one to borrow. If you go with device you'd like to keep -- look toward the future use of it = and try to find one with good flexibility and compatibility, to make your investment go farther.

_____________

Vista might take a little getting used to, but I imagine if you give it a little while, you'll find it's greater annoyances can be fixed. Also, fairly soon the first "Service Pack" for Vista will be released by Microsoft. That should help too.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

 

[conniejean]

Seems you guessed my next ques......ray: an I will check out those sites...I did come across one on CompUSA..3.5 ext. enclosure, USB cable, power adapter, stand,driver CD & manual.....says it works w/3.5 PATA HD USB 2.0..........is this one that will work for me.......the PATA wasn't mentioned in your reply and I have no clue what half the #'s and ltrs mean...I will be using it to help a friend of mine transfer photos from her old 98 to her new XP sys also......so I figure I should at least go for a mid grade one.......

going with Vista is somewhat scary for me......but I like a good challenge...plus I figure it will give me a few months longer b4 it goes obsolete over XP,,:laugh: ...and I found you guys....wish I had found this forum years ago would have made my experience w/PC easier...

Ok I will check out those sites & try again to download the CCleaner
Connie:grin:

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again


Since it sounds like you're considering purchasing an external enclosure, why not look for one that you can use with nearly any hard drive.
Here's one at NewEgg that's $21 (after a $15 rebate) --- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145027
You can connect it either by USB 2.0 or eSata, and it will accept either PATA or SATA drives. It should work with all desktop hard drives, and - if using a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter - it should work with laptop drives as well (there'd be a little extra room, but that shouldn't hurt anything).

PATA
If you and your friend's older PCs are desktops from the Win98/Me era, they are likely the "PATA" type that you saw mentioned. "PATA" stands for "Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment" (a fancy name for the connector you use to plug the hard drive into the main circuit board on a PC --- this same plug was used for CD/DVD drives as well). There are a few other names that refer to this same connector = IDE, ATAPI, Ultra-DMA , ULtra-ATA (these may have speed numbers in their names also, such as Ultra-33, Ultra-66, Ultra-100, Ultra-133). The PATA connector has been popular since the 1980s, and is giving way to newer technologies, such as "SATA" - which stands for "Serial-ATA" (Your new Vista machines are very likely to have the newer SATA drives inside). The prices for SATA drives have dropped to the point where they are now more affordable than PATA (as the production of PATA drives declines, while SATA production increases).

For all you'd like to know about PATA and SATA, the Wikipedia articles are as good as most ---
PATA --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT_Attachment
SATA --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

In the SATA article, you may notice a mention of the new external SATA connector ("eSATA") -- some of the hard drive enclosures connect using this plug, too. It isn't quite so common just yet, while USB 2.0 connectors are on nearly every PC. They are both good connectors, eSATA is a bit faster at the moment.

Time to pick up my kids from school -- Best of luck!
. . . Gary

 

[conniejean]

oh yes definitely I will be purchasing one.....and thanks I will be getting the one you suggested.....

I just managed to get the CCleaner downloaded.....and only because I discovered that wonderful thing called "Internet Download Manager"...cuts download time on this PC by 2/3rds....est time without it 45+..with it 10mins.....boy wish I had found that little gem a long time ago.....normally I really didn't care how much time it took.....but this ISP I have disconnects me way to often...Ok I'm off to cleaning this pc.......Thanks again...hopefully I won't mess things up too much

 

[conniejean]

hi! Gary, wasn't sure if I could continue on this thread or if I should start a new one.......
I got the enclosure......I also have just about all of the new PC......my keyboard has been posted as out for delivery since tues......I figure the guy must be walking it out to me......anyway....with the enclosure will I be able to download/transfer other things from my win98 hard drive.....or just the photos they are the most important thing.....but I have a lot of stored info also that I'd rather not have to go look for again......and then there's the games.....I'm kinda nervous about transferring stuff.....my luck the vista will crash....
Connie

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again


Transferring things like your photos, documents, music, and videos should be a nicely straightforward task. If you want to create folders ahead of time to store them in, you can even take this chance to re-organize your collections [for example, some folders might be "Photos 2005", "Photos 2004", "School Documents", "Business Projects", etc.]. You can use Windows Explorer to copy things over (you'd select the folders or files to move, and select "Copy", and on the destination folder on the new Vista PC, select "Paste").

It's possible (even likely) that some of your older games won't run on Vista (though make sure to try installing them using Vista's "Compatibility Mode" when trying to get them to run on Vista ... you right-click the "setup" or "install" file for the Win98 program, and select "Compatibility" ... and then select the version of Windows that the program works best with). If Compatibility Mode doesn't help, you can look online to see if a Vista patch for the older program is available. If not, you might consider keeping your older PC around, as an off-line PC to play the old games on. Offline = no Internet; no connections to any networks. It's getting tricky to keep Win98 safe online nowadays. Since the old box wouldn't be going online, you could probably do without an antivirus or firewall on it, and you could uninstall all the ISP software --- it's likely to run much better as it's base of installed programs grows smaller.

Remember not to try to just transfer over a game folder, but to use your games' installation CDs/DVDs, and install them fresh into Vista. (If you only copied over a game folder, the necessary Registry entires wouldn't be in place).

If your new Dell XPS comes with Vista "Ultimate" Edition: another alternative to running your older games that have trouble installing into Vista would be to try running Windows 98 in "emulation" or a "virtual pc". Microsoft has released "Virtual PC 2007", which can run Windows 98 in a "virutal environment" ... and you can download it and install it for free if you have Vista Ultimate, Vista Enterprise, Vista Business, XP Profressional, or XP Tablet PC. (I've heard that it might run on Vista Home Premium, but I haven't tested that rumor just yet - so I can't say I'd recommend trying it). Here's the link to Microsoft's pages for Virtual PC 2007 --- http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/overview.mspx

One thing you'll likely notice about Vista right away: it has a nice appearance. That doesn't hurt any.

Alas, though: be prepared to answer a lot of prompts that basically say "Are you sure you want to run this?" ("this program required your permission to run") ... don't worry: it's to keep things like "drive-by" installations from happening (malware tends to try to install that way ... unawares while you browse an infected web page). The Vista version of IE7 is much more secure browser than it's predecessors, too.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary