I have Windows 98, ZoneLabs Free Firewall 6.1.744.001 (also known as ZoneAlarm Free), Dialup Internet connection, GenuineIntel PII 350 MHz, 256 MB ram, Firefox Internet browser Version 2.0.0.14, AVAST! Anti virus free software and SuperAntispyware free edition.
I have been using AVAST! Anti virus free software and SuperAntispyware free edition with no problem for the past year or so. Before I use the avast and the superantispyware programs I shut off Zone Alarm and Avast shields to avoid problems arising.
For the past 3 months I did not use them. Yesterday I made a thorough scan using Avast and no files were infected. But when I tried to open Super antispyware program, it said would I want it to check for the latest rules and definition updates now. I clicked YES and then all activity stopped !! I pressed CTRL ALT DEL and it listed Super antispyware as NOT RESPONDING. When I clicked NO, the activity also stopped and after a few seconds, the CTRL ALT DEL window showed that Super antispyware was not responding.
This happened again and again. Yesterday I decided to unistall the program, download it again from the Internet and re-install it again. The same thing is happening. I am worried that my computer has been invaded.
Please help.
Hi trigan.
The main problem here is that you are using a fairly old operating system with limited resources to run programs that typically get installed on computers with ove double the RAM.
I did a small and somewhat unscientific test on my own PC, running quite a few applications and then starting SAS, and as soon as it had loaded commanding a “check for updates”. The CPU and memory demand was significant, and a big slowdown was evident for a time, until the updater finished doing its thing. I have 2Cb of RAM.
I’m afraid you’ll have to either get a bit more RAM, or find ways of shedding the load before updating SAS.
You could also just try updating it when the computer has no other programs (except firewall and AV) running, and wait as long as it takes, up to, say, 5 or 6 minutes, to see if it eventually comes right. During this time, look in Taskmanager and note what is using most of the RAM, and the CPU.
I also note that the version of Firefox you use is somewhat out of date. Version 3, with some vulnerabilities patched, if I remember correctly, has been out for some time.
If you are unable to get SAS to work on this computer, you might have better luck with MBAM, which is about as good. (ie: very good.)
PS: Possible but not very likely that malware is causing this.
I’d try disk maintenance procedures first (cleaning and defragging) then reducing the programs that run with Windows at startup, to reduce the load as much as possible. If you find the built in '98 defragger slow (I did) And want to try a fix, go here (first help site I ever found), click on “troubleshooting”, and click on “windows98 defrag problems”. (This “tweak” made a big difference to my Windows 98.)
SuperAntiSpyware (SAS) worked for me with no problems AT ALL for the past 12 months with the same Firefox version and even with all my background programs running. But I regularly clean my computer.
The fact that Avast anti virus software is still working under these conditions is making me suspect that there is an invasion of my computer. If this is the case, whatever it is, is stopping the SAS from working. Also after SAS did not work, I was told to click to submit an error report.
I sent it and nothing happened. I kept on restarting the computer and trying the SAS again and after sending a further 2 error reports, the SAS opened up and it and it started to automatically download the latest latest rules and definition updates.
I then clicked on Scan and I selected all my partitions for it to scan.
In less than an hour, it listed 141 memory items scanned and no registry items and no file items scanned and no threats detected. But it got stuck at
c\windows\system\kernel32.dll
Even after 7 hours, it was still scanning this dll file. It has never behaved like this before. But the CTRL ALT DEL combination did NOT list the SAS as not responding this time.
This is almost certainly an malaware invasion of my computer. Am I right ? If so, HOW do I solve this problem please ?
This PC I’m using now is nearly a clone of your PC – 98 SE, PIII, Avast Free, SAS Pro, and BD Free plus a LOT of other crap running. Get CacheBooster from analogx.com, set it to CD Burner, Gamer or Power User, and reboot. Download BySoft FreeRam from snapfiles or majorgeeks and free up some RAM to 70% little by little when you boot your PC about 10% each RAM scrub. Also get analogx Maxmem. You’ll be flying circles round these XP/Vistaholics!
In less than an hour, it listed 141 memory items scanned and no registry items and no file items scanned and no threats detected. But it got stuck at
c\windows\system\kernel32.dll
Can you navigate to this file using Windows Explorer, and (1) report the file size, (2) Upload it to VirusTotal for an online scan.
You could also try scanning the individual file with Avast and MBAM.
Thank you Dave for your reply.
I am afraid I do not understand what you mean by setting CacheBooster to CD Burner. I do not have a CD burner at all but just a CD ROM drive. The same goes for Garner and Power User. Can you please elaborate ?
There is another odd event that happens from time to time with my Avast anti virus program which may be related to RAM.
I have Avast configured so that it automatically updates the virus database on my computer when it starts up but sometimes it reports the following message in a red box above the systray : And this does not happen regularly but on random days.
=====
Avast Antivirus Setup
Summary
Information about current update.
Last encountered error. Not enough storage is available to process the command.
Total time: 2.02
Kernel32.dll is listed as an application of 460 KB last modifed on 11/05/98
I scanned it using Avast but I do not know where to read the log of what it has found. Can you tell me what file will have this information so that I may locate using the FIND command please ?
Regarding downloading the VirusTotal Uploader program, will it be okay to upload the kernel32.dll to the VirusTotal website considering its size or sensitivity ?
Another piece of news. I decided to run SAS in Windows 98 safe mode and instantly a message came up saying:
The IPHLPAPI.DLL file cannot start. Check the file to determine the problem.
What do I do now please ? The IPHLPAPI.DLL file is a 27 KB application last modified on 31/05/99 and is in C\Windows\System folder.
It would appear that Kernel32.dll (a required OS file) is the right size on your computer, and if you haven’t been getting error messages, it’s OK.
You don’t need to download anything from VirusTotal; you just upload any selected file from your computer. The file is then scanned by a large number of online virus scanners. Takes about 2-4 minutes, depending on demand. Chances are you will get a message to say “the file has already been scanned” and a link to view the results.
In my opinion yours isn’t likely to be malicious.
Avast doesn’t present a scan report following a context menu scan, unless you set it to using the program settings. That nothing was presented indicates this isn’t a virus. (The alert would have gone off.) Scan it with MBAM to be double sure.
That the IPHLPAPI.DLL file could not be started is probably because it’s not actually loaded in safe mode. I don’t know this for sure. But if the only error message you have for this file is from trying to run SAS in safe, then my guess is probably right. If there are (or have been) more similar error messages, report back. Things can be done.
How long since you have run a scan disk check? It may be worth doing.
Sorry that is the only bit of advice I can proffer at this time. There appears to be nothing wrong, apart from an out of date and low performance computer.
Regarding the updating error:Not enough storage etc, see here.
[b]Key Features[/b]
■ Support for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista (32-bit and 64-bit).
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
Sorry that is the only bit of advice I can proffer at this time. There appears to be nothing wrong, apart from an out of date and low performance computer.
YoKenny, what about SAS?
That is the main issue, here. [edit]
SAS works (or is supposed to) on 98.
Thought I had seen the OP state MBAM had been used. Obviously this was an error.
Don’t bother downloading MBAM.
Trigan, first get your PC clean even – AND ONLY AS A LAST RESORT – if you have delete infected or corrupt system files, CTRL + ALT + DEL, and re-run your 98 SE setup files from 98 SE CD. But hopefully you won’t have to do this.
Regarding CacheBooster, install it, and run it. You’ll see several options in a drop-down menu at the top of CacheBooster. Select CD Burner even if you do not have a CD burner, Power User, etc. Then hit APPLY CHANGES and restart. You can always restore your PC to its Bare Minimum Windows settings, but when you select one of these such as CD Burner, you probably wouldn’t want to restore Windows defaults.
With BySoft FreeRam, free up memory 10% at a time in stages. You’ll see the settings Free Up to 50%, 60%, etc.
Get a copy of SAS Free from filehippo.com, and get any version that is MUCH OLDER than the newest release. The OLDER versions work best with Win 9x/ME because the NEWER versions are focusing on bells and whistles for XP/Vista/Win 7/2000/2003/2008. So the newer versions DO NOT HELP 9x/ME users, as is stated on the SAS forum.
Update this older version, boot safe mode, scan, and post those findings – if any --here or at the SAS forums.
BUT TRY THE FOLLOWING FIRST.
But in any case, MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU EXCLUDE THE SAS FOLDERS AND THE SAS DLL FILE FOR Internet Explorer FROM AVAST WHICH ALSO HAS ANTISPYWARE DETECTION. THIS COULD BE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE CONFLICT!
You could try DrWeb Cureit which is designed to run on '98. Standalone antimalware. No install (runs from download location). Considered very effective.
Download it at the time you intend to use it. Once it’s downloaded, it can’t be updated.