Help Pleeeease!

[sp54]

Our pc is being awful, and as many of you know I am a technophobe :blush:

We can't keep an internet connection for more than a few minutes at a time if we are lucky. It has taken an hour and a quarter to get on the site :angry: and most of my posts get lost.

We have run all our adaware,spyware,vrus thingies, and they show no problem. Is it possible to have a worm or trojan that doesn't show up?

I can't stay connected long enough to surf and find a reputable site to download a patch or get some kind of help at all. Does anyone know a site I can hopefully get to without having to search and lose the connection? We have Windows 98 and I am going crazy here :rant: I am about to throw the pc out the window btw :rolleyes: :unsure: :rant:

Thanks!

[sonicpainter]

have you got spybot and adware on your computer you need both of these to get rid of most malious spyware what anti virus are you running?

[sonicpainter]

hi sp also try using another browser ie not ie exploer, somethin like firefox or netscape also go to the msdos prompt and type scanreg/fix let the computer scan for any errors reboot machine

[phantos02]

SP are you sure it's your computer? Are you on dial-up or ADSL or cable? What about checking with your ISP in case they are having problems?

[tact77]

Hi sp

Heres the link to spybot

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

and adaware

http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Person...ubj=dl&tag=top5 (http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5)

These have always worked really well on mine.

Reading the title I thought it was going to be a trip to the chemist!!!

[sapphirelily10]

Are you on NTL broadband? I believe some customers have been having some problems today, although on a quick search can't find anything about it on the net right now. Do check with your ISP however that there are no specific problems their end that might be affecting your connection.

Are there problems that are/aren't happening depending on whether you're surfing the net? If so - try disconnecting and see if that makes any difference.

You're only running one anti-virus program, aren't you? :unsure:

If on broadband, do you have a firewall in operation? :unsure:

Do you have Spywareblaster to stop spyware etc being installed on your PC? (this does stop installation as opposed to cleaning spyware off it).

Many questions - no simple answers, sorry :blush:

Sapph :)

[sp54]

Got spybot and adaware - new editions - found nothing. Got spyware blaster. Got a firewall. On dial up as this pc can't take broadband, but hope to change it soon. Hurrah!
Doesn't seem to be a prob with ISP- spoke to them last night.

Does it matter if you have 2 anti virus whatsits running then???????

[Planet 24]

Could be win32 trojan worm - keeps shutting your computer down.Its so you cant get on the net to download the fix.
There is help from Microsoft and Norton to download.
I had this earlier in the year - used another computer to get on the net get on the site and download the virus cure onto a floppy and then ran the floopy on start up and fixed it.
Its maybe worth a try.
Best,
M

[Lady Penelope]

:) Hi sp54

Blimey I know where you are coming from. I had a problem a little while ago with the Bloodhound Virus. Norton picked it up but couldn't repair it. Only way to get rid of it was to completely delete Norton....the virus went with it.

Right then hun, I am no experts, but on my understanding, some spywares work against one another some don't!

Anyhow, what I would suggest is to turn on your pc....don't go online at all. Delete your anti virus programme, delete any spyware too. Delete all your temporary internet files....under tools....internet options. Give that a go and then install AVG (http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/) this is a free Anti Virus programme as opposed to Anti Spyware. This should pick up any nasties. Give that a whirl and then put back your Anti Spyware.

Hope this works......let us know.

LPxxx

[Mr Ribbit]

I was going to suggest AVG as well. :yes:

Definitley sounds like a worm or trojan - is there anyone you know who can download the AVG installation file onto a disc and then you could run it from the disc on your computer without having to be online?

Just did a search for on-line virus scanners.

Here's one at http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan

I've never used it but if you can't get someone to download AVG for you or buy a copy of Norton, an online scanner may be your best bet. From the sound of things though, it really sounds like you need an off-line solution if you keep on being thrown off the net.

[Lady Penelope]

:) Hi sp.....any luck yet with your pc? :unsure: Saw you were back this evening...blooming things...mine is very slow this evening too....think this is because mstr LP downloading some music as usual.. :o

LPxxx

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

i'd follow LP's advice, these things are sometimes stored in the back-up folders of your AV programs. deleting the back-ups sometimes cures the problem. delete the spybot/adaware backups too, spybot automatically makes a restore point for pc's running XP. turn off system restore (for XP) by going into system properties (windows key + pause/break key), click on the "system restore" tab and tick the box that says "turn off system restore" and restart the pc, this will delete the restore files. to turn it off in windows ME, open the system properties box Click the Performance tab, and then click File System.
Click the Troubleshooting tab, and then check Disable System Restore.
Click OK. Click Yes, when you are prompted to restart Windows.

don't forget to turn system restore back on again ;)

[sp54]

:cry: :banghead: :rant: :badmood:

spxx

[sonicpainter]

hi sp you shouldnt have two anti viruses running this will slow the machine down did you run scanreg yet to check if the registry is corrupt you can re install win98 and keep all your settings but its sound like something has corrupted your registry if you can pm me the error message if it has one

also if the computer is crashing only when its online then check your firewall ports to see if anything is going out that shouldnt be if you buy a computer mag even a cheap one with a disc they usually have internet browsers on them so try that as well because it could be that ie explorer has secummed to the many bugs it has

cheers sonicpainter

[sp54]

Thank you very much everyone for your replies. Much appreciated.

We are working our way through your suggestions and a few other things, but since the pc is sooooo slow at the moment it is taking a while!!

I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again.

spxx