Mstask Error

Dear All Experts in this forum,

Please help me to solve my problem. Everytime I start my pc, there is always error saying: "Mstask: This program has prformed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contacts the program vendor." I tried to reinstall Windows over the existing OS, but the problem become worsen. The list on Device Manager is missing. I can not reformat hard disk and clean install Windows because I don't have the cd driver of the motherboard (Asus TUSI-M) with onboard VGA and sound cards.

So, please help me to solve this problem without reinstalling Windows or reformat hard drive and then clean install Windows.

Thank you very much for yor kind support.

Best regards,

Yasmin

 

A virus perhaps?

http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_99930.htm

 

Hi,

Thanks for your guidance. I check the site and then download the tools for checking and cleaning the opaserv worm from Symantec. After running the tool, the worm is not found. NAV also unable to find the worm. Then, I run F-Prot for DOS and found IE/VMActiveX.exploit and delete more than 800 files, mostly Folder.HTT. But the problem still exist, i.e. error of Mstask.exe when starting Windows 98 SE.

My questions now are: how to solve the main problem. Then how to clean the worm manually. And finally, where is the url site of Microsoft to download the patch for VM vulnerability of IE. I'm using IE from MS Office 2000 SP1; what is the version of this IE?

Many thanks for your support.

Kind regards,

Yasmin

 

Firda

You may have eradicated the virus but still have some damage from it.

This task problem is probably an auto start/startup.

You may need to do an overlay install. You do this by doing an install but when install asks if you want to install in c:\windows.000 etc change that to say only c:\windows. This will keep all your settings and software.

BTW: Print and keep this and the programs that you download now because in the "Used PC business" you may need them again and often.

But do not reinstall windows if there is a remaining virus or other problem first.

Below are some steps to check for more viri, then to do a deep clean.

Online Virus scanners (yes since you had multiple viri and so many files effected)

http://www.anti-trojan.net/at.asp?l=en&t=onlinecheck

http://housecall.antivirus.com/http...ie&venid=sym&plfid=20&pkj=OFRIWOBWYSHSFVIGMKI

Special Virus cleaners

Stinger http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
PQremove http://www.webmasterfree.com/software/2911.html
SysClean http://www.trendmicro.com/download/tsc.asp

Cleanups

Configure CleanMgr to max settings
Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sageset:1
The above need only be run once (these settings will be remembered as the default until another sageset is ran).

It will present a menu select all except compress, then

Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sagerun:1
As long as /sageset above has been ran on this computer from now on the /sagerun is the only thing that needs to run.
____________________________________________

Cleanups
These are for 95 98 only! See below for Win ME.

Boot to DOS (not shutdown to DOS). While booting hit F8 to startup menu. Chose "command prompt only ".

Type these commands exactly hit enter at the end (do not type the notes that are in parenthesis like this).

del c:\*.swp (may get file not found, is ok)
del c:\windows\*.swp
deltree c:\windows\shelli*.*
deltree c:\windows\temp\*.* (answer yes to all) "ALL "
deltree c:\windows\tempor~1\*.*
deltree c:\windows\history\*.*
deltree c:\windows\spool\printers\*.*


NOTE: Win ME cannot boot to DOS so you must get a Win98 install boot floppy and boot to a: So get one somewhere.

Or get one here:
http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Get the one that says Windows 98 SE OEM.

After downloading this to your HD execute it with a floppy in drive a: and it will produce the disk. Make the disk and boot from it! Then do the steps above.

After booting back to Windows then a scan & defrag.

Registry and System cleaners

RegCleaner http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/regcleaner.shtml
Look in first 2 cols for programs you thought you uninstalled or removed, these are the dregs left by the uninstaller. Also tag and remove any that you are POSITIVE are not supposed to be on your computer. After removing these go to the top Tools-Registry Cleanup-Do them all. Delete all it finds.

EasyClean1.7 http://gswi.com/downloads.htm
Run only unnecessary files and registry clean delete all it finds. If you have ME or XP in the "Unnecessary Files" type the word HELP in the skip box. Do not do Duplicate files!

HiJackThis: http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

Using HiJackThis config in bottom rt corner then misc tools then generate startup list log.

While this log is on screen copy it then paste it back in a message to us.

If you can get thru all these things clean and still have problems, then reinstall as above.

Mike

 

Dear Mike,

Thank you very much for your very, vey detailed explanation. I really appreciate you for your time to share your knowledge for solving my problem.

I download all the suggested programs and running them one by one. All run well, except SysClean. It seems that this program contain RedLof. I tried this proggie on several machines with same result, it report that all of the machines infected with RedLof, including the machines that never use for connecting with the net or downloading email.

As to my problem, i.e. mstask error, I use a program called Startup Control Panel 2.7 by Mike Lin and found the mstask under the Services tab. So, I deleted it and the problem disappear.

Well, for timebeing I consider the problem was solved, although I'm sure that the actual problem behind the mstask error is not really solved.

Anyway, thank you very much for your kind support. May God Bless You.

Cheers,

Yasmin

 

Hi Yasmin

Glad to hear all is well.

You can run the task scheduler and you will find the task in it. You can then delete this item there. Then later you can run Scheduler again when needed.

I didn't think of this before. My apologies.

But the tools and proceedures I gave will help you in the used computer business.

The SysClean is from Trend which is well known and highly reguarded. So you were getting a false positve and I think I know why.

If your computer is not in english and is in one of the Asian dialects then the characters used in this language may have caused this.

Good Luck,
Mike

 

Hi, Mike.

How are you? I hope you still remember the case. I have one more question with following deletion you suggested before:

del c:\*.swp
del c:\windows\*.swp
deltree c:\windows\shelli*.*
deltree c:\windows\temp\*.*
deltree c:\windows\tempor~1\*.*
deltree c:\windows\history\*.*
deltree c:\windows\spool\printers\*.*

May I use it everytime I power on a pc or just running it once?

Thank you very much for your great kindness.

Cheers,

Yasmin

 

Yes you may run it everytime. In fact it can be put in a batch. Like Cleanup.bat and installed in the autoexec.bat.

Remember it can be run only on 95,98 and ME.

All items are benificial to clean like this, except the "Temporary Internet Files ". If the computer it runs on has high-speed broadband then deleteing these files will have little effect. If it uses a slower device like a modem then internet browsing would be effected some. But yet the overall safety from items that could get into the temps may be worth it.

Mike

Mike