Hello Everyone !!
I have a very old computer (Dell dimension xps t550) that is running with windows98 second edition operating system. However, I do plan to upgrade. I only use this computer for the internet as I refuse to subject my newer computer to the perils that await on various internet sites. I know that my old computer is infected with 6 viruses which are as follows:
The fraudTool.Win32Ascentive.b virus has infected C:\windows\system\contest.dll file.
The other viruses have infected C:\windows\profiles\myname\application data\sun\java\deployment
cache\javapi\v1.0 both file and jar.
Today, I downloaded Avast 4.8 free home version. I did a “Thorough Scan” which included “Scan archived files” of my C: drive. As soon as I was voice alerted to the first infection, the Avast program froze and became totally unresponsive. In addtion, my entire computer froze and was I forced to reboot. After rebooting, I tried again, but in wain!!
Can someone help me, and tell me why this is happening? ???
Wen rebooting does the computer freeze or is it responsive?
Do you plan on using a new Operating system ie Win XP. If so there is no need to bother with cleaning up the PC since a format of the hard drive will erase all viruses.
I’m not sure this is a good idea. Win 98 and even 95 are good OSs but they are out of date. I would suggest upgrading as according to wikipedia support for Win 98 has ended on 11 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_98
Now then, I do plan upgrading to Windows XP full version Home Edition.
If I understand your post, using full version would reformat my hard drive and destroy my viruses. Therefore, if that is true, then I should not even bother trying to figure out why AVAST freezes and ultimately also freezing my computer. Perhaps it is a mute point.
If the computer is as it came out the shop, it has 128Mb of RAM. Sorry, that’s not enough to run XP and anything else, AV included.
Even 256 would make it extremely marginal. It is probably the performance shortage that caused the freezing up. Installing XP won’t resolve this problem, I’m afraid.
Yes, I know all about the SDram 128 thats on my computer. Yes, I also plan to upgrade that as well. I have 3 slots and can upgrade to a max of 768. This is an easy upgrade !! I should then be able to run XP & with the upgrade installed, it should NOT make my computer run any slower.
Now then, without any of my planned upgrades, can anyone answer my original question as to why AVAST is causing my computer to freeze up under the current hardware & software that came with my computer?
AND
If I install the SDram and XP ugrades, will I still have the same problem?
He’s better than me in this department so I won’t challenge him.
SD Ram will solve the performance issue and doing the XP Updates will further secure the system.
Try to get it at 768 MB RAM if not at least 512MB because I have XP on a computer with 256MB and it’s as Tarq said marginal.
I guess (and it is just a guess, but I would bet a dollar or two on it) that if you upgrade the RAM to 512+ you won’t have this problem. Unless you end up having a lot of third-party software starting with Windows (which is the default for a lot of stuff that can be installed. If not needed at startup - and a lot of it isn’t - it should be possible to disable it in the relevant program settings.)
The CPU will become the more limiting factor, but the performance increase with more RAM will be staggering.
Okay guys. Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated. There is one thing that puzzles me, I have very little added software to my old dell. Less than 2 gigs. I have almost 9 gigs of free space. However, if you look at the “system requirements” for AVAST 4.8, it says;
“For a computer running widows 95/98/me: a minimum of 486 Processor, 32MB RAM and 100MB of free hard disk space is required.” Also, there is a note which states: “The operating systems of Windows 95/98/Me/NT4 will be supported until the end of 2009.”
I have way beyond the minimum system requirements. Therefore, I am perplexed as to why this is happening to my computer. ??? Perhaps, Avast should update the minimum system requirements to avoid this mess than I am in.
Anyway, in the weeks to come I shall try my best to update. It will be difficult to find these upgrades, but I shall try.
I have way beyond the minimum system requirements. Therefore, I am perplexed as to why this is happening to my computer. Huh Perhaps, Avast should update the minimum system requirements to avoid this mess than I am in.
Maybe you're right, there. Don't really know.
Few years ago I ran Windows98 on a system with 24Mb of RAM. (Yes, twenty four.) I quite quickly learned about what would run, what would run, but really slowly, and what wouldn’t run at all. At the time the requirements for Antivir (which I was using then, now called Avira) was 8Mb of RAM. As the program versions changed the minimum requirement and computer slowdowns changed also.
Of course, eventually it got to the point where I couldn’t really run any antivirus while another program was open. (IE or OE, for example.) So it became unusable. I think that was around 2001/2002.
I can second this experience but for Win95. I had only used Win 95 up until two years ago when I switched to Vista. I would like to speculate on the cause of your problem but I’m not an expert so sorry.