Update
I put the Temporary Internet Files issue aside for a few days, but returned to it last night. I should point out that I ran a virus scan with AVG anti-virus, and a virus was located in the Temporary Internet files folder of the C drive. The AVG didn't delete the virus, just put it in a special folder, or something.
Wombat, thank you for the IEKill download. Only problem is, once i downloaded it I didn't really know what to do with it. Nevertheless, thank you very much for your effort.
I was reluctant to try Window Washer for two reasons. First, it seemed to do more than I wanted it to do. Second, it looked like a very good program at doing those things, but was offered free of charge for a limited time. I wanted to save that time for when I really wanted to try out it's capabilities.
I presently have hooked up one physical hard drive, 20 gig, in two partitions. The C drive is 15 gigs and has IE 6 on it. The D drive is 5 gigs and has IE 5 on it. Each has the same Windows 98 SE installed on it. I once had a 1 gig HD installed with Windows 95 installed on this computer as well, but I removed it. I might put it back on later.
I used a program called Internet Cache Cleaner, which seemed to delete all the cookies in the Temporary Internet Files folder. However, it left various other things in there, largely graphics. The Properties tab said the C:\ Temporary Internet Files folder had 10.6 MB on it.
I followed Sangram's advice and ran "Cleanmgr" for the C drive, Temporary Internet Files Folder checked only. When I inspected the Temporary Internet Files folder on the C drive, I saw that the graphics files were gone, only cookies remained. I ran Internet Cache cleaner again, and the cookies disappered. The screen for the Temporary Internet Files folder was blank. So far, so good.
However, when I looked at the Properties for the Temporary Internet Files folder on the C drive, it has increased up to 13 MB. However, no files were visible when you entered into the folder.
How do you "clean out" a folder and end up getting 30% more MB after you clean it out than when you started?
Also, I looked in the Temporary Internet Files folder in the D drive. It had about 14 MB on it, similar to the C drive. However, upon entering the Temporary Internet Files folder on the D drive, I saw a folder on it that said "Content IE 5".
Should a similar folder be on the C drive as well? On the C drive, I have IE 6.
At any rate, it looks like the Temporary Internet Files on the C drive is working normally. I just cannot figure out how I can have 13 MB on the Properties menu and see no files at all when I enter.
Any explanation would be appreciated.
I put the Temporary Internet Files issue aside for a few days, but returned to it last night. I should point out that I ran a virus scan with AVG anti-virus, and a virus was located in the Temporary Internet files folder of the C drive. The AVG didn't delete the virus, just put it in a special folder, or something.
Wombat, thank you for the IEKill download. Only problem is, once i downloaded it I didn't really know what to do with it. Nevertheless, thank you very much for your effort.
I was reluctant to try Window Washer for two reasons. First, it seemed to do more than I wanted it to do. Second, it looked like a very good program at doing those things, but was offered free of charge for a limited time. I wanted to save that time for when I really wanted to try out it's capabilities.
I presently have hooked up one physical hard drive, 20 gig, in two partitions. The C drive is 15 gigs and has IE 6 on it. The D drive is 5 gigs and has IE 5 on it. Each has the same Windows 98 SE installed on it. I once had a 1 gig HD installed with Windows 95 installed on this computer as well, but I removed it. I might put it back on later.
I used a program called Internet Cache Cleaner, which seemed to delete all the cookies in the Temporary Internet Files folder. However, it left various other things in there, largely graphics. The Properties tab said the C:\ Temporary Internet Files folder had 10.6 MB on it.
I followed Sangram's advice and ran "Cleanmgr" for the C drive, Temporary Internet Files Folder checked only. When I inspected the Temporary Internet Files folder on the C drive, I saw that the graphics files were gone, only cookies remained. I ran Internet Cache cleaner again, and the cookies disappered. The screen for the Temporary Internet Files folder was blank. So far, so good.
However, when I looked at the Properties for the Temporary Internet Files folder on the C drive, it has increased up to 13 MB. However, no files were visible when you entered into the folder.
How do you "clean out" a folder and end up getting 30% more MB after you clean it out than when you started?
Also, I looked in the Temporary Internet Files folder in the D drive. It had about 14 MB on it, similar to the C drive. However, upon entering the Temporary Internet Files folder on the D drive, I saw a folder on it that said "Content IE 5".
Should a similar folder be on the C drive as well? On the C drive, I have IE 6.
At any rate, it looks like the Temporary Internet Files on the C drive is working normally. I just cannot figure out how I can have 13 MB on the Properties menu and see no files at all when I enter.
Any explanation would be appreciated.
Hmm, well he didn't necessarily run the virus.. well.. what I'm trying to say is that it could have been an attempted activex control or script that he might have said no to... well none the less it's a virus lol, be cautious and WHY don't you have autoprotect with your anti-virri program? What antivirus do you use? I would advise you to use norton-antivirus and use the latest updates. ALWAYS update the virus definitions its a must. At least ten viruses come out a day, whether they will get to you or not is regardless, you must have the virus definitions. They can attack you agressively so you have to protect yourself in advance You can use liveupdate or go to www.symantec.com >support> virus definitions download. (That's what i do since that's where the latest update is, liveupdate doesn't always have the latest).
Hmm, honestly I remember the hassles of removing temp files from win9x.. it's odd but... despite clicking delete within internet explorer options it would stay... I had to do it manually... ya sure it really is a hassle... Anywho I am very happy with WinXP right now, switching to the NT platform is a kind transition (win2k is what I used to switch from win9x.. but winxp has all the game-wise love and of course waay better hardware support). I'm not forcing you to upgrade but it's a slight little thing that I remember around win9x one of many With winxp you still won't be able to delete index.dat but you can delete everything else, with windowwasher of course no need to do any manually cleaning, just click or set it on auto and voila. You should consider using window washer however. It's a small handy program. I am shocked that you let a virri by (whether script, progpram, whatever). You have to have auto protection on despite it slowing you down. ESPECIALLY while browsing! There are some very malevolent scripts out there which you won't even know about but will be run on your machine (obviously since they were intended to be that way)...
Hmm the virus was quarantined from what I understand you saying. Don't use AVG or whatever first of all. Use norton Antivirus I highly advise it (i'm not biased towards any anti-virus company but seriously... last time I trusted other companies I got the major screwgy... CIH -- now a joke -- was a huge thing back in the day Well somehow it went by me ... it spread like a craze... Norton Antivirus was the only one able to stop it.. McAffe when trying to prevent it, cause more infection and actually GOT infected lmao!)
Wow that's one huge Gig rant Bottom line, try and upgrade your system to run winxp (128MB is minimum sadly, but RAM is dirt cheap, and a descent CPU and mobo are not that expensive, even a 2 year old system would probably beat your old system by a hell lot and you would really feel it. P233MMX to P3 600 was a HUGE jump for me. P3 600 to P4 1.8 was a huge leap as well.). Ok I am getting carried away lol.. Second get Norton Antivirus, I've used a computer for a long time and I used to get adventerous and never install virri detection and prevention programs... but it was stupid and arrogant.. The little resources that it takes up is really not that major.. It's just that I was so picky of the resources I use on my system. Right now I run Norton Antivirus and update virus definitions daily. I advise you to do it too. Hmm normally yeah if your system is totally infected (well we still have no clue what virus it is) you should definetely format... no choice.. little choice to backup and such... I lost so much when I was infected by CIH... ah well bad memories. Hmm try and fix it first before formatting, get Norton Antvirus please :/ Update to the latest version and scan your entire system throughout-through. Don't attempt to format on your own either, it can be a tricky process and you could get stuck with a black screen at boot
Dear God, I type too much >_< *ends rant* I just can't stop lol.
You can use liveupdate or go to www.symantec.com >support> virus definitions download. (That's what i do since that's where the latest update is, liveupdate doesn't always have the latest).Hmm, honestly I remember the hassles of removing temp files from win9x.. it's odd but... despite clicking delete within internet explorer options it would stay... I had to do it manually... ya sure it really is a hassle... Anywho I am very happy with WinXP right now, switching to the NT platform is a kind transition (win2k is what I used to switch from win9x.. but winxp has all the game-wise love
and of course waay better hardware support). I'm not forcing you to upgrade but it's a slight little thing that I remember around win9x one of many With winxp you still won't be able to delete index.dat but you can delete everything else, with windowwasher of course no need to do any manually cleaning, just click or set it on auto and voila. You should consider using window washer however. It's a small handy program. I am shocked that you let a virri by (whether script, progpram, whatever). You have to have auto protection on despite it slowing you down. ESPECIALLY while browsing! There are some very malevolent scripts out there which you won't even know about but will be run on your machine (obviously since they were intended to be that way)...Hmm the virus was quarantined from what I understand you saying. Don't use AVG or whatever first of all. Use norton Antivirus I highly advise it (i'm not biased towards any anti-virus company but seriously... last time I trusted other companies I got the major screwgy... CIH -- now a joke -- was a huge thing back in the day
Well somehow it went by me ... it spread like a craze... Norton Antivirus was the only one able to stop it.. McAffe when trying to prevent it, cause more infection and actually GOT infected lmao!)Wow that's one huge Gig rant
Bottom line, try and upgrade your system to run winxp (128MB is minimum sadly, but RAM is dirt cheap, and a descent CPU and mobo are not that expensive, even a 2 year old system would probably beat your old system by a hell lot and you would really feel it. P233MMX to P3 600 was a HUGE jump for me. P3 600 to P4 1.8 was a huge leap as well.). Ok I am getting carried away lol.. Second get Norton Antivirus, I've used a computer for a long time and I used to get adventerous and never install virri detection and prevention programs... but it was stupid and arrogant.. The little resources that it takes up is really not that major.. It's just that I was so picky of the resources I use on my system. Right now I run Norton Antivirus and update virus definitions daily. I advise you to do it too. Hmm normally yeah if your system is totally infected (well we still have no clue what virus it is) you should definetely format... no choice.. little choice to backup and such... I lost so much when I was infected by CIH... ah well bad memories. Hmm try and fix it first before formatting, get Norton Antvirus please :/ Update to the latest version and scan your entire system throughout-through. Don't attempt to format on your own either, it can be a tricky process and you could get stuck with a black screen at boot Dear God, I type too much >_< *ends rant* I just can't stop lol.
Your temporary internet files folder is corrupt.
Most likely the virus did it, but it could be windows itself. It does that sometimes.
Use TweakUI. That may help, or it may not. Most likely it will, because it's specialty is repairing system folders. If that doesn't work, a reinstall is probably the only way out.
About upgrades, do it only when you want to or get so irritated that there's nothing to do but that We still have a Pentium90 doing duty as a print server in our office. And it runs 98, on 16MB of RAM. Nothing flash, but it gets the job done. Only nobody ever powers it down. Scared of wheteher it WILL boot again...
Most likely the virus did it, but it could be windows itself. It does that sometimes.
Use TweakUI. That may help, or it may not. Most likely it will, because it's specialty is repairing system folders. If that doesn't work, a reinstall is probably the only way out.
About upgrades, do it only when you want to or get so irritated that there's nothing to do but that
We still have a Pentium90 doing duty as a print server in our office. And it runs 98, on 16MB of RAM. Nothing flash, but it gets the job done. Only nobody ever powers it down. Scared of wheteher it WILL boot again...
Well "speed comes at a cost, how fast do you want to go". Lol.. or something like that.. well the quote I knew but in another language was "the amount of music you get is the amount of money give". Well honestly I just fixed up a pentium 133 and damn it was speedy! It's been so long since I was on one, but damn It felt like speedy gonzales! Well, win9x is a really flawed OS platform.. microsoft admitted (well everyone knew, and the admitting part well it was just advertising and publicising for winxp.. but heck it's actually true for once). Think of upgrading soon. Oh and I've made a few 486 with friends into mp3 jukeboxes. fun stuff It's possible the virus corrupted that folder, but... we don't even know what kind of virus it is. Would you check the quarantine and check the virus' name/info. I will look up the virus' threat, info, method, etc... for you and a plan to clean it up if its a timebomb styled virus and is stays active (very dangerous). I am assuming it's a steal information styled script or just a crash the system.. well....... with the recent years these script viruses got more advanced.. so I don't want to soften anything. Please get the name from the quarantine of this virus.. asap :/ I advise you to get norton antivirus seriously.
It felt like speedy gonzales! Well, win9x is a really flawed OS platform.. microsoft admitted (well everyone knew, and the admitting part well it was just advertising and publicising for winxp.. but heck it's actually true for once). Think of upgrading soon. Oh and I've made a few 486 with friends into mp3 jukeboxes. fun stuff It's possible the virus corrupted that folder, but... we don't even know what kind of virus it is. Would you check the quarantine and check the virus' name/info. I will look up the virus' threat, info, method, etc... for you and a plan to clean it up if its a timebomb styled virus and is stays active (very dangerous). I am assuming it's a steal information styled script or just a crash the system.. well....... with the recent years these script viruses got more advanced.. so I don't want to soften anything. Please get the name from the quarantine of this virus.. asap :/ I advise you to get norton antivirus seriously.Well, the virus got me. All kinds of blue screens, etc., even though the AVG antivirus said the virus was quarantined.
I have two partitions-the main C drive and auxiliary D drive. I plan to reformat the C drive, reinstall Windows and install Norton Anti virus.
I have copied some files on the D drive, which I do not know is infected or not.
Can I reformat the C drive, but keep the D drive intact, install Norton anti-virus and scan the D drive, and, assuming the Norton reports it okay, then move important files backon the C drive?
Or do I have to reformat both drives and take my loss? The D drive has the same Windows 98SE as the C drive.
There is some stuff I would like to save, if possible.
Any response is appreciated. In fact, I greatly appreciate all the responses I have recieved so far.
I have two partitions-the main C drive and auxiliary D drive. I plan to reformat the C drive, reinstall Windows and install Norton Anti virus.
I have copied some files on the D drive, which I do not know is infected or not.
Can I reformat the C drive, but keep the D drive intact, install Norton anti-virus and scan the D drive, and, assuming the Norton reports it okay, then move important files backon the C drive?
Or do I have to reformat both drives and take my loss? The D drive has the same Windows 98SE as the C drive.
There is some stuff I would like to save, if possible.
Any response is appreciated. In fact, I greatly appreciate all the responses I have recieved so far.
Hmm well that's too bad :/ AVG or any other antivirus just doesn't cut it compared to NAV, with NAV there are daily virus definitions it's really up to date.. if I had NAV instead of mcaffee i probably wouldnt have lost all my stuff because of the CIH craze (i lost TONS of stuff...).
I am not certain what virus you got so that posses a bit of a problem... I can not give exact advice since I don't know what the virus has done or can do or will do till I get a name :/ For all I know it could just be the usual Win9x memory leaking and overbloatted windows dir, corrupt drivers, rather then a virus (despite that quarantine case).
You say you moved stuff to your second drive (or another partition displayed as D: ), well... again I don't know what kind of virus it is (if you could just get a name in quarantine and stuff...), Backing up everything to D: is risky ... your thinking is valid however, whiping everything from the first disk and then installing clean (win98se .. must.... upgrade... away from win9x!.. can't breath! lol jk), once you install norton antivirus you will also want to update with liveupdate or manually. I am not sure how capable the virus is so it's still risky ... disconnecting the drive or disabling it would help that. Well I don't want to underestimate the virus, so format the first disk and install win98se, latest patches, norton antivirus with latest virus definitions and patches, then scan your entire system throughout through. There are other ways of fixing the virus like making diskettes with nav and latest defs on it... then scan through DOS... but that is hell and when u fix files from viruses they still can remain modified and corrupt therefore still causing crashes despite the virri part.. Clean install was only solution (I got infected with CIH long ago twice not just once, first time was entire screw up of system due to mcaffee, second time around i had NAV and managed to fix the system without format but files were still different after being fixed and that caused problems..)
Well think it over and think it over again. If this is your first time or you don't do this sorta thing very often, make a plan on paper and don't forget to write down the information (such as network settings, email settings, backup favorites, and anything of that sort). Don't forget downloading norton antivirus and virus definitions through the infected system will make them infected I wish you good luck please come back with positive results 
I am not certain what virus you got so that posses a bit of a problem... I can not give exact advice since I don't know what the virus has done or can do or will do till I get a name :/ For all I know it could just be the usual Win9x memory leaking and overbloatted windows dir, corrupt drivers, rather then a virus (despite that quarantine case).
You say you moved stuff to your second drive (or another partition displayed as D: ), well... again I don't know what kind of virus it is (if you could just get a name in quarantine and stuff...), Backing up everything to D: is risky ... your thinking is valid however, whiping everything from the first disk and then installing clean (win98se .. must.... upgrade... away from win9x!.. can't breath! lol jk), once you install norton antivirus you will also want to update with liveupdate or manually. I am not sure how capable the virus is so it's still risky ... disconnecting the drive or disabling it would help that. Well I don't want to underestimate the virus, so format the first disk and install win98se, latest patches, norton antivirus with latest virus definitions and patches, then scan your entire system throughout through. There are other ways of fixing the virus like making diskettes with nav and latest defs on it... then scan through DOS... but that is hell and when u fix files from viruses they still can remain modified and corrupt therefore still causing crashes despite the virri part.. Clean install was only solution (I got infected with CIH long ago twice not just once, first time was entire screw up of system due to mcaffee, second time around i had NAV and managed to fix the system without format but files were still different after being fixed and that caused problems..)
Well think it over and think it over again. If this is your first time or you don't do this sorta thing very often, make a plan on paper and don't forget to write down the information (such as network settings, email settings, backup favorites, and anything of that sort). Don't forget downloading norton antivirus and virus definitions through the infected system will make them infected
I wish you good luck please come back with positive results Oy gevalt!
Okay, I really got into a mess now.
I ran my computer for a couple of days with the virus, not posting or writing anything.
First, I noticed the computer did not recognize my CD drive and the hard drive when they were both hooked up.
Now, the computer will not recognize either of my hard drives.
I have a spare computer from which the slave drive originally came. At first it ran the slave drive, now it does not.
I tried booting up from a startup floppy, which told me that there are some viruses that prevent a drive from being recognized. It said that I was to run anti-virus scanning software.
I have a Norton disk, for Windows 95 I believe, which I believe still has updates. The disk also says that I can use this as a System Recovery Disk, whatever that means.
I believe that on one of the two computers, I can get a CD rom drive recgonized, though not necessarily with a hard drive attached.
I tried attaching a parallel port card with IDE capability, but my hard drive will not be recognized even with that.
Has my BIOS somehow been corrupted by the virus? I didn't think such a thing was possible.
Anyway, with the Norton antivirus disk being used as a System Recovery Disk, where do begin?
Any advice, short of "go out and get a new computer" is appreciated. Who knows, I might get a new one, or used one, anyway. Still even if I do, I would like to recover what is on the old main and slave hard disks.
Thank you for your pstience in this matter.
Okay, I really got into a mess now.
I ran my computer for a couple of days with the virus, not posting or writing anything.
First, I noticed the computer did not recognize my CD drive and the hard drive when they were both hooked up.
Now, the computer will not recognize either of my hard drives.
I have a spare computer from which the slave drive originally came. At first it ran the slave drive, now it does not.
I tried booting up from a startup floppy, which told me that there are some viruses that prevent a drive from being recognized. It said that I was to run anti-virus scanning software.
I have a Norton disk, for Windows 95 I believe, which I believe still has updates. The disk also says that I can use this as a System Recovery Disk, whatever that means.
I believe that on one of the two computers, I can get a CD rom drive recgonized, though not necessarily with a hard drive attached.
I tried attaching a parallel port card with IDE capability, but my hard drive will not be recognized even with that.
Has my BIOS somehow been corrupted by the virus? I didn't think such a thing was possible.
Anyway, with the Norton antivirus disk being used as a System Recovery Disk, where do begin?
Any advice, short of "go out and get a new computer" is appreciated. Who knows, I might get a new one, or used one, anyway. Still even if I do, I would like to recover what is on the old main and slave hard disks.
Thank you for your pstience in this matter.
Do you have any idea which virus you have, or lets say your PC has?
The best approach is as follow:
Try to make a backup of everything that you would like to save.
Perhaps this is not possible anymore.
In case you have a backup, try to have access to a non infected PC
with Norton Antivirus and the latest updates from Norton.
Scan all the backups with that PC, every CD you made, every floppy. Really everything!
Reformat and if you know how to do it Fdisk your infected PC's.
This will be your only solution if the virus didn't infect your BIOS.
Forget System Recovery.
Try to answer my first question.
/Hugo
The best approach is as follow:
Try to make a backup of everything that you would like to save.
Perhaps this is not possible anymore.
In case you have a backup, try to have access to a non infected PC
with Norton Antivirus and the latest updates from Norton.
Scan all the backups with that PC, every CD you made, every floppy. Really everything!
Reformat and if you know how to do it Fdisk your infected PC's.
This will be your only solution if the virus didn't infect your BIOS.
Forget System Recovery.
Try to answer my first question.
/Hugo
Hey buddy,
Hmmz, well, you should have told us what virus it is, could ev made a quick fix that way for you... Hmm, well sounds pretty serious it would seem, not just a crappy newb scripted virri... Or could be, but anyways, ok, here's an idea. Hoping it's not a virus that can infect your CMOS, lets do this.. unhook your drive (write down how everything was hooked up, the jumpers on the back, etc...), and hook it up to your other computer (EEESH lol be careful here make some planning). MAKE SURE you have LATEST antivirus with LATEST virus definitions. Then hook it up as a second or third drive and scan it entirely. That's an idea :/
Hmmz, well, you should have told us what virus it is, could ev made a quick fix that way for you... Hmm, well sounds pretty serious it would seem, not just a crappy newb scripted virri... Or could be, but anyways, ok, here's an idea. Hoping it's not a virus that can infect your CMOS, lets do this.. unhook your drive (write down how everything was hooked up, the jumpers on the back, etc...), and hook it up to your other computer (EEESH lol be careful here make some planning). MAKE SURE you have LATEST antivirus with LATEST virus definitions. Then hook it up as a second or third drive and scan it entirely. That's an idea :/
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