Why does Win98/ME crash so much?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

I'm fixing a computer at work and basically anytime I run Ad-Aware or Spybot
it just blue screens the computer. Also if I have a few programs open and
then try to access say control panel it blue screens or hangs. What causes
these hangs?

--
Nocturnal

http://www.spywaretalk.org

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"Nocturnal" <nocturnal@anonymous.com> wrote in message
news:eWVYMLEiFHA.4000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> I'm fixing a computer at work and basically anytime I run Ad-Aware or
Spybot
> it just blue screens the computer. Also if I have a few programs open and
> then try to access say control panel it blue screens or hangs. What
causes
> these hangs?

Of course this looks like bad code loaded at boot --
so we need to know what happens when you boot
Safe Mode (with the minimum of driivers) or run
appropropriate AV software from a DOS boot.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

You can't run AdAware from a DOS boot. If your antivirus even *has* a
DOS mode, you'll need to refer to the AV documentation to find out the
commands. Few if any Adware/Spyware cleaners work from pure DOS.

Lastly, if you "Restart in MS-DOS Mode" to get to DOS, type EXIT to
return to Windows. If you boot to "Command Prompt Only" to get to DOS,
then press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart the system.

DO NOT use WIN command to get into or return to Windows 98. It might
work, it might not, and it might very well cause problems

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"sf" <sf@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:r0ddd112emnjpv7vit8lpkjsr3edcv49tr@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:50:24 -0400, Don Phillipson wrote:
> Don, what would you type at the DOS prompt to cue up the appropriate
> program? I'm thinking I should try running AdAware that way.
>
> To get out of DOS, do you still type win? I haven't messed around
> with DOS since pre-3.1 (I think it was a 286 running Word Perfect) so
> I'm really rusty.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 21:08:10 -1000, "Nocturnal"

>I'm fixing a computer at work and basically anytime I run Ad-Aware or Spybot
>it just blue screens the computer. Also if I have a few programs open and
>then try to access say control panel it blue screens or hangs. What causes
>these hangs?

Work from the outside in, as if you were trying to blast your way to
the center of Castle Wolfenstein ;-)

If CPU, bus speeds, RAM are OK (
If HD is physically OK (
If HD file system and free space OK (
If formal virus scan OK (
Start thinking about specifics
) Else manage resident malware
) Else recover data and repair file system
) Else recover data, replace HD, etc.
) Else clean fans, replace RAM, etc.

Clickfood:

http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/bthink.htm

http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/virtest.htm

It could be that you have resident commercial malware that's bitchy
enough to nuke your anti-cm scanners, making the scanners look like
the problem ("those scanners are flaky, that's why our EULA forbids
use of 3rd-party removal tools, to reduce support costs for our
much-beloved-by-consumers product" ).

It could also be bad RAM, hidden traditional malware, blown mobo caps,
failing HD, overheating processors, overclocked UIDE, corrupted file
system, etc. and that's what "the prelim" is designed to catch.



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