Internet Problem. Windows Perhaps?

Hello: I wonder if someone could help? Thanks in advance.

I have Win98se, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express (OE). I have several problems and they may or may not be related:

(1) Computer freezing and/or crashing very frequently, many times each day too!!! Despite the fact that I religiously do all weekly (or oftener) updates like Live Update, Full Scan, Empty Recycle Bin, Delete temp files, defrag, etc. etc.

(2) Starting this morning, when I minimize windows in OE...they disappear, so I lose half finished emails!

(3) Could someone tell me what exactly "critical update" means?

(4) Last night I updated windows at MS site, all 8 of them, including that "critical update ", but when I opened the computer this morning a popup msg said that I should do the "critical update" right now, otherwise it will appear tomorrow to remind me again (don't know what it wants from me...)

(5) If I recall well, I read on that winup site that one didn't have to do anything, that the system will do it all when one clicked... but I dont recall if it also installed the updates or not. Could this be the cause of the above problems???

(6) Lastly, before I came to the forum, I searched the MS site for the OE forum but it was futile since on clicking "newsgroups" it would take me right back to the same spot...(???)

Thanks ever so much for any help. Adela

 

1 & 2: Have you scanned for spyware? If not, download, install and run Spybot and/or AdAware (I use them both.) Let them clean up any spyware they find.

The disappearing windows problem is usually caused by some spyware/malware called Friends Greetings, or something similar. Either of the two above programs should get rid of it for you.

3. Critical updates are those which fix bugs in Windows operating systems. Other updates available are feature Microsoft thinks you might want but are not critical to the operation of Windows.

4 & 5. It could be that AutoUpdate is configured to notify you when updates are available before downloading, which are enabled by selecting the "Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again when they are ready to be installed option." So maybe they didn't get installed for whatever reason and it's notifying you to install them. Sorry I can't help much more than that, I don't use the autoupdate feature.

6. Click here to go to the MS Outlook Express newsgroup.

 

Internet and/or Windows Problems

Thanks so much, Miz, for explaining a few things, especially "critical update ", and for taking me to the OE forum!

(1 & 2) Since I already have the AdAware, I'll use this. I'll run it before I close it tonight.

<<( "Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again when they are ready to be installed option. ")>>

(4 & 5) Could you tell me how to get to that function so I can see whether or not AutoUpdate is on, and hopefully, I can also find out whether they updates are installed? Would I get to it by going to MS Windows Update?

Again, thanks very much! Adela

 

Windows Update/Internet problems...

Hello again, Miz:

Last night I tried to use my AdAware 5.0 (is it too old maybe?), and saw that it gives too many options and I didn't know which ones to choose, so I didn't do it for fear of causing a worse situation LOL! Perhaps you could tell me which options to use?

Also, I tried to verify that the windows update I made was ok, but I got instead this msg: "Windows Update is looking for available updates...0% complete." How can I verify if the WU has been done correctly? I spent aboout 2 hours going around the MS site...and didn't find any answer to my question...

Thanks very much again if you/someone else could help? Adela

 

Some times ms.com loads quickly, sometimes you gain additional gray hair waiting.....

If the count is at 0% that means you didn't wait long enough for windows update to do it's scanning and loading.

You'll have to be patient and wait for the java scripting to do it's thing and ms.com to do it's thing. When counter [progress of processes being done] reaches 100%, your listed options will appear on the left pane list and the right pane will hold what ever is relative to the highlighted left.
*If things seem to be taking way [intolerable] to long, it may help to stop page load, close browser and go back in again.

I believe the counter will go 0%........wait....waiting....hmmmm.....33%....wait.....lalala....wait some more.....100%! Shazam: left pane shows listed choices, right pane reflect the options you choose.

*Note somewhere in those options will be a button to show installed updates, if you wish to see what has already been updated.

 

Hello Ann:

Thanks so much for helping. It seems that the "0%" was not just a delayed event, but it simply didn't move; in fact, thinking that it would, I went to the kitchen and made a little lunch...when I came back in 25 minutes...it was still there unmoved! In addition, at the left side column 3 items were greyd out...

I would like to find that button that shows installed updates. I'll go again and look for it.

But the most important matter to me is the VERY frequent crashes/freezes, and since someone said it could be because the windows need updating, then I wanted to make sure they were.

If they are already updated, then it isn't this that causes those frequent crashes/freezes, and then I'd like to try that AdAware, but as mentioned, it has too many options and I don't know which ones to choose.

Would you happen to know how to manage those options?

Thanks again, Ann. Adela

 

If you have Ad-Aware 5, that is way too out of date to do any real good. Download Ad-Aware 6, uninstall 5, reboot. Install 6. It is important to uninstall 5 before installing 6.
Then just let it go with it's defaults, it is already setup for you, remove what it finds. It makes backups of everything removed.

Frequent crashes can be caused by spyware/adware. It can also be caused by installing programs that updates files on their own, mistakenly replacing the correct version with an incorrect version.
Another thing that can cause this is too many programs starting at windows startup. Start\Run, type in msconfig, then press enter. Click on the tab labeled Startup. You need both powerprof entries, systray, scanregw, your AV program, and firewall if present. Occasionally there is the odd file needed for your modem, uncheck everything else.

 

Internet Problem. Windows Perhaps?

Hello Mark:

Thanks a lot for the advice, I'll try it and will communicate to you tomorrow what happened.

(I see that now my IE shows the "W" on the button for this program down here, thick and dark blue, meaning it's corrupted, according to my past experiences with this. It hasn't been responding to my clicking on links which takes me to a totally white page, so I'll boot out now).

I wonder if these "corruptions" which I get fairly frequently too, are also caused by the same thing that causes the crashes/freezes?

Thanks again and will be back tomorrow. Adela

 

Hello Mark:

I uninstalled the old Ad-Aware 5, and installed the #6. It eliminated 101 items and I don't know what it did with them, whether quarantined or deleted...so when I tried to go back to view again the results, the "Status" was empty! I would like to also know where this program made copies of the eliminated ones?

The majority of the items were www.hotbar.com which gives all those moving smilies. I'm sorry to lose them, but if this had caused the problem...good riddance. I saw also some items which I didn't recognize and I hope they are not necessary for running the computer? So it seems the Ad-Aware doesn't keep the results as Norton does?

I also followed your advice to "msconfig" and uncheck a number of items except AV, systray and scanregw. But I didn't have any "powerprof entries" which you said to also uncheck? Is this important to have?

I tried working on the computer after these fixings for a short while before retiring tonight and I still experienced freezing when I click on a link, or even without reason... I'll be able to tell more exactly after I work a little longer.

Meantime, thanks so very much for all your help! Adela

 

Ad-Aware put those into Quarantine, black underlined letters on the opening window of Ad-Aware.
Since those nasty things have been removed from IE, you should run the IE Repair Tool. Go to Control Panel\Add Remove Programs, double click the MS Internet Explorer entry. Another small window will open. Look at it carefully, there will be an option to Repair Internet Explorer, you want this one, then click on OK. Make sure Restore Previous Installation is not selected. Reboot when prompted.
Those powerprof entries should be checked, if they were there. Aare you using Advanced Power Management? such as monitor or hard drive shutting off after a certain amount of time, Standby or Suspend mode? Maybe you should run the Add New Hardware Wizard and see what it finds, it won't hurt to do this. Control Panel\Add New Hardware, just let it run.

 

Internet Problem. Windows Perhaps?

Hello Mark, and I'm so sorry I didn't get the chance of reading your last suggestions so I didn't use them, but I hope it's not too late now to do them?

I will follow your suggestions to the letter to make sure I clear this machine once and for all (if there's such possibility in the computer world???).

Again, thanks so very much and I'll report about this next time. Adela