odd problem

wolffreeborn · #1 July 2nd, 2002, 06:12 PM

this started a bit ago.
i've been getting errors in exe (different programs)..

i had decided to reinstall windows clean,i had gotten new vid card and wanted to make sure all old 3dfx drivers were out (the exe problems started before card change)..

..and the system told me both in dos and windows that my windows disks were not the oem windows that came with it(which they are).
in dos,the screen text looks corrupt (it will have something like @#=! instead of yes)

norton says there's no virus-but it won't let me use an online scanner (such as housecall) to check norton either.

does this sound like any virus anyone has heard of?
the comp works,but after awhile it will get either an error,or a blue screen.

**Spider** · #2 July 2nd, 2002, 07:19 PM

Hi wolffreeborn,

With @#=! instead of yes it can be three things.

1) a virus

2) Windows default font is set to a foreign language that you don't
have the fonts for.

3) corrupted operating system files. (the least likely)

If you have #1 or #2 then one of your CDs/floppies/or backups have the virus
or trojan. #2 can be caused by having a foreign language version of Windows98.
Where did you purchase the Windows98 CD?

When installing clean the first step is to run fdisk and remove all
active partitions, then fdisk again to create active partitions, then format
the drive. Once that is done the operating system is the next thing to
be installed.

We have full tutorials on how to do this...
How to Delete a Partition (fdisk)
How to Create a Partition (fdisk)
How to Format a Partition

wolffreeborn · #3 July 3rd, 2002, 01:39 AM

the copy of windows is the one that came with it from hewlett-
anytime previous i had redone it,it had always went thru..that's one reason it think there's a virus hiding in there somewhere.(and the corruption,and exe farts).
but no one i've written to says they've recieved alerts or anything..

i don't think the default font has changed because the garble only shows up on the dos recovery screen..

i had noticed somehow the product key had changed in the registry-i changed it back but it still won't recognize the disks.

this almost reminds me of junkie boot virus-my ex had gotten that on a different machine..:grit:

**Spider** · #4 July 3rd, 2002, 02:25 AM

Hewlett Packard ships recovery disks. You have an actual Windows98 CD?

wolffreeborn · #5 July 3rd, 2002, 02:34 AM

nope

just the ones they gave me (yea,i know that's bad of me.i need to get a regular standalone copy)

:bouncy:

**Spider** · #6 July 3rd, 2002, 02:48 AM

No...that's what you need, Windows98 is burried in there. You have
two CDs from HP (I think) one for recovering programs and a
system recovery disk.

Make a boot disk with Windows98...
Control Panel
Add/Remove Programs
Startup Disk(tab)
put a blank floppy in the floppy drive then click on
Create Disk...(button)

Boot into the floppy and then follow the instructions I linked to
before. When delete partitions, create partitions, and format are
done then insert your recovery CD from Hewlett Packard and
boot into that and do a full install from there.

wolffreeborn · #7 July 3rd, 2002, 05:26 AM

buried is right LOL

i thought about doing that but wondered if it were virused if it will jump to boot disk..

i will try it-hopefully it's just error and nothing else-but i am having a friend make me a virus scan floppy too to see if it comes up with anything in dos..just in case norton missed something..

thanx spider~i will post back when i am done

wolffreeborn · #8 August 7th, 2002, 03:10 AM

hey spider-you wouldn't believe it,but i found out what was causing the errors-my dsl.
got sick of it after changing everything and trying everything to no avail-the AOL wouldn't install,nor would anything else.

i removed the dsl/AOL,put my 56k modem back in temporarily,
boom.no blue screens.no overheating.

that 0028:cooo5338+4338 in vxd vmm (01) error that had been plague-ing me for a year is gone.

no more dsl for me-i'm going cable