Mmtask, Msgsrv32.........please help

[artus11]

Trying to remove some spyware files manually from the registry, I might have removed too many. The computer hangs up when the shutdown is performed right at the Windows Shutting Down window. But more important problems happen during boot when Mmtask and Msgsrv32 window opens and says this caused an invalid page fault and will be shut down. I usually just shut it down. I currently run Netscape because Internet Explorer would hang up the start up and I would have to use safe mode to remove it. I have tried re-installing Windows 98 from original disk but it also hangs-up something about KRNDL.DLL.

Can someone please help how can I restore everything without loosing something from my computer...???

Many thanks in advance.

[gstone4911]

Hi artus11

If this started within the last five days
you could try a Registry restore.

Tapping the F8 key as the computer boots
should bring up the 98 Startup menu.
Select "Command prompt only". and press Enter
At the C:\> prompt type scanreg /restore and press Enter
Note the space between the g and /
Select a date before the problem started and press Enter.

[artus11]

Thank you for reply. This actually happened probably within the last month I just did not have anyone to ask for advice. Basically I deleted everything that had word Internet Explorer from disk and registry but somehow Explorer still is somewhere in my startup. Now I re-installed IE 6 but same problems. I'm not really sure what msgsrv32 and mmtask files due but can I just restore those two files from somewhere......?

I'm running out of ideas. I have recently installed PC Inspector file recovery it came up with like 18k files and 60 directories.:dizzy:

[gstone4911]

You can replace the mmtask.tsk and msgsrv32.exe files in the C:\windows\system folder
with copies from the installation CD.

Open the win98 folder on the 98 installation CD and locate the Win98_52.cab file
Extract the mmtask.tsk file from the cab file to your Desktop.(you can use WinZip to extract the file)

Now locate the Win98_46.cab file.
Extract the msgsrv32.exe file from the cab file to your Desktop.

To copy the files from the desktop to the C:\windows\System folder
you will have use DOS.
Click Start-Shutdown-Restart in MS-DOS mode.

At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt type:
copy c:\windows\desktop\mmtask.tsk c:\windows\system
Press Enter
You will be prompted to overwrite the file type a Y click Enter

Back at the at the C:\WINDOWS> prompt type:
copy c:\windows\desktop\msgsrv32.exe c:\windows\system
Press Enter

This will replace the two files in the windows\system folder.
However this may not get rid of the errors.
other files might be corrupted in the registry that
are asscociated with the mmtask.tsk and msgsrv.exe.

[artus11]

Thanks for responding. I did as you have suggested and as we both expected nothing fixed but at least I know those files are ok.

I had tried to re-install windows 98 again and after it saved my Windows files and before it starte copying new files error poped.

Suwin
An error has occurred in your program. To keep working anyway click Ignore and save your work in a new file. To quit this program click close .......etc.
But when I click Ignore it does not do anything when I click close a new box shows up about SUWIN illegal operation and shutting down....etc. when I looked at the details it said "Suwin caused a general protection fault in module Setup.dll.
Any ideas how I can restore missing files or registry links from Windows 98 if I am not sure which ones are actually missing?????:dizzy:

[gstone4911]

Sorry I don't know any way to restore a registry other than
using one of the five days of backups that win98 creates by default (my first reply)
or a manual backup created by you or a third party software.
There might be software that can repair a registry that I'm not aware of.
The only info I could find on the SUWIN error is here.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=224836
Just a guess but maybe the symptoms that caused you to look
for spy-ware were caused by something else.
If it were me I would backup anything important, wipe the drive
and try to do a clean install. But thats me, that might not be an option for you.

[artus11]

Yes that is always an option which I do not really want to consider, just because everything else seems to be working with Netscape browser, and I would like to try other options first before going through the lengthy process of cleaning everything up.

Thanks gstone I appreciate your help and if any ideas pop up about this issue please let me know I'll probably still be fishing on how to fix the problem rather than re-format.