invalid time/date stamps

For a month or more, now, I have received the error message "invalid time/date stamps" in recycle bin and email ID folder. There are some esoteric errors which occur ocaisionally.

A whielag ago, I received many virus ladened emails(as many as forty or fifty of the false Microsoft security update emails). There have also been other virus and worm filled emails at about the same time. Security patches and Norton definition updates have resolved many of the issues. My ISP also cancelled access of one source.

Question One: Is there a relation between these emails and the error message?

Question Two: What do I do about the error message?

Note: A year or more ago, a post described how to resolve this issue. I have lost the post copy, since my system crashed twice since then.

Thank you in advance.

Tom

 

Knowing how sophisticated and sticky these guys have gotten in addition to being the cautious Doubting Thomas that I am, (when it comes to viral infection), "how sure are you that all the files involving these critters are gone "? The bin is a known hiding spot for many. Infected Email speaks for its self. There is no piece of mail valuable enough to risk a hidden piece of code or script. I can understand your worry.

If it were I, I would delete the bin from dos and get rid of the mail. I would have already looked up the manual instructions for cleaning the virus, I knew I had, and using that nfo, would have walked through OS including the registry and system files, searching for any signs or remnants of the known files or command lines associated with the virus. I would have scanned more than once, spread out over days, using Norton and taken advantage of the many online virus scanning sites. Used a "specialized" Trojan Cleaner, because some of these are not detected or cleanable by a Virus Cleaner. Although they have gotten better at Trojan detection and cleanup, as stated previously, I "doubt it "!

NOTE*A "Protected Bin" may require an additional special step or two, before a dos cleanup. I'm unsure because I do not use this option. I don't delete lightly and when I do, I prefer it to be gone for good.

That said......

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Invalid time/date stamps can be repaired by either Norton or Scandisk [advanced options, before scan]. It is most important that you make sure your computers current date/time is 100% correct before doing this.

I remember some problems, in the past, involving older Norton versions, where a date/time repairs turned down right ugly. Norton was to set to correct these on a reboot such as after a crash but the computers time was the one that was off or incorrect [possibly due to the crash and a bios reset]. Correcting the files and then catching and correcting the comp. date/time, made some programs malfunction. Cases ranged from mild to severe. Some programs had to be reinstalled.

As for the errors, there is no way to pin this on a past virus or chalk it up to computer/human error, unless the error, its self, is a "known" result of one or the other. Any supposition, would be just that. Of course some have been known to consider windows 98 a virus.

In order to help with the errors we'd need more "detailed/specifics ", such as the error QUOTED and any details that can be gotten from clicking on the "Details button" from within the error popup [if applicable] , what you were doing at the time, and any additional info needed that may be asked for.

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Opps.. Guess this nfo may help if needed:

I would empty both windpws regular and Nortons Protected bin. Disable or unistall Nortons Protected bin and....

1.Shutdown option: Restart to a command prompt.
2.Type attrib -s -h recycled.
3.Type del recycled.
4.Restart the computers.

NOTE* You may need to alter the path to reflect the full path to your "Recycled" bin example: c:\recycled. You may also have to do this for each partition or drive that has a "Recycled" bin. Change path accordingly.

Deleting this folder and restarting Windows will re-create this folder and restore functionality

 

Dear Goddez1:

Thank you for your reply. I will answer in some detail about the trial to delete the recycle bin and include some other info (also agree about W98 = virus).

Set up steps:
halted Norton protection
reset recycle bin to show "standard recycle bin "
noted exclusions from protection (below)

Steps:

opened in MSDOS
went to each drive (partition) individually
[drive]:\attrib -s -h recycled (enter)
[drive]:\del recycled (enter)

"All files in directory will be deleted!
Are you sure(Y/N)?y (enter)
Files not found "

(dir/p shows RECYCLED still in directory)
(erase command does not work either)

This procedure carried through in all partitions. Recyle Bins did not disappear from directories or from explorer. I assume the operation did not succeed. What do you suggest?

On looking at exclusions from Norton Protection, found the following. Do these make for any problems?

-*.tmp, -*.tmp\**, -*.bak, -~*.*, +~$*.*, -~*.**, -temp\**, -cache\**, -\wstemp\**, -temporary internet files, -*.sah, -recycled\**, -?\scandisk.log, -applog.ind, -c:\windows\*, +c:\windows\*.exe, +c:\windows\*.dll, +c:\windows\*.bat, +c:\windows\*.com, +c:\windows\*.ocx, +c:\windows\*.dot, +c:\windows\*.sys, -c:\windows\all users\application data\symantec\**, -c:\windows\cookies\\**, -c:\windows\recent\**, -c:\windows\temp\**, -c:\program files\norton systemworks\norton utilities\regtrk\**

Am reasonably sure I copied pathes correctly.

Tom

 

Try deleting it/them from realmode dos. See if you have better luck.

1.Restart system. After initial Power On Self Test (POST) sequence is completed, press and hold down Control key or continually tap the F8 (control key works for some while others have to use the F8 key. This takes finesse in timing and may need to be done a few to catch it right).

When you get the Startup menu, select Command Prompt Only. (You could also use your Startup disk)

2.When you get a command prompt, type the following lines, and press Enter after each one.
attrib -r -s -h c:\recycled
deltree c:\recycled

3. Unsure but, You may need to do this for each partition.

4.Now restart your system and the Recycle Bin will be automatically recreated, which should fix your problem.

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Try the simple realmode dos recycle delete and if that still doesn't do it do this:

Perhaps you need to delete the files, in c:\recycled, first. (use wildcards *.*, making sure those wildcard deletions are only in the directory c:\recycled folder. I don't think this is the problem cause you'd have gotten an error, but you never know.

 

Try this. go and download "CWSHREDDER ". Go to google after download install and run, takes about 30 sec. See what it tells you. Might just solve your problem

Houston

 

12/4/2003 report

Scandisk all drives, delete files in error
Optimize all drives (Norotn Utilities)

Delete all "Recycled" files, as per instructions
Reboot - all Recycled files replaced
(Noted: new files labelled "~," 260 KB, 12/3/2003, 4:39PM in C:\, computer funny face language (??????)

Major improvements:
Norton Disk Doctor - no errors
WinDoctor - one expected error from old downloaded files now deleted

Problem resolved regarding time/date stamp errors

Still have one anomoly on reboot: Autodial function window appears approx. ten to fifteen times. Seems to be related to Norton anti-virus program. Once windows are cancelled, NAV appears in Quick Launch panel, but not before. Only an aggravation, xinse I do not allow autodial to dial without permission.

Thank you, Goddez1 (Anne) for taking the time to reply and resolve issue.

Goaglen (Tom)


*****************************************
Report on progress and procedures used during last crashes: (I do my best with what I have)

System summary:

Microsoft Windows 98 4.10.2222 A
Upgrade using /SRCDIR=N:\WIN98 /IQ /U:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
IE 5 6.0.2800.1106
Uptime: 0:01:34:46
Normal mode
On "ABCDEF" as "Tom Glendinning "

GenuineIntel x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 3 Intel MMX(TM) Technology 730 MHz
512MB RAM
W98SE O/S
67% system resources free
Custom swap file on drive D (6639MB free)
Plenty of free space on drives in eleven partitions

March crash - drive acces not effected:
reinstall programs & data/ Norton AV defs re-updated (a hole, in my opinion, being online, albiet on a "secure" connection, without latest defs and program updates)
local company virus scan
online virus scan

August crash - drive access slowly diminishes to zero:
install new HD's. video card, modem, mouse, floppy drive (error reading disks, fault on sector 0, not fixed)
reinstall programs & data (clean boot: W95>W98>W98SE>all MS critical & program updates) NAV virus defs
online virus scan (Norton) - clean
online trojan scan - clean

Weekly maintenance procedure:
Friday - NAV complete system scan
Sat. - Norton products:
Clean Sweep (*.tmp, temp internet files, etc.)
Norton Disk Doctor - drive and files errors (detected Invalid TIme/Date stamp errors - could not fix)
Optimize all drives (Speed Disk)
Mon. - Spy Bot system check
Monthly - Check registry for errors, optimize registry, leave vitual memory alone

 

Hi Goaglen,

I'm a bit unsure, based on your post, if your problem is fixed or ongoing. Are you still receiving "invalid date/time" warnings fro Norton? On further research, I believe the problem stemmed from having that option set in Norton, which is fine under most conditions. The glitch occurs with a failing or weak cmos battery or a bios that will reset date/time to an incorrect value on an improper shutdown or lockup. Norton will scan after this improper shutdown and fix the date/time stamps based on the [now] improper bios date/time stamp. I would turn this [auto] option off on Norton, and occasionally run it manually with the option re-enabled, when I am sure that my computer reflects the correct current date/time.

I noticed a comment about a file or files named ~, in your c:\root. Is that more than one file? Is the comma included in the name? Do you have your folder options>view settings set to allow system hidden and show file extensions? I ask this because I know that occasionally a file will be found in C: root folder named ~ with no extension. This is a backup of OE's address book. OE is known to store this here for reasons unknown. If you rename and add the extension .wab it can be opened. If this is not the case, then it's a mystery to me and you would have to investigate what this/they are using what ever measures are at hand such as right clicking for a properties check...etc.

Maybe someone else has an idea what they are or could be.

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Dunno'? Don't use Norton Utilities with the Protected Bin option. Wonder what those - and + signs are all about. Someone more familiar with this will have to respond.

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67% resources free? What ya' got running in background or loading at startup? While 67% isn't necessarily bad, there are lots of posts in the archives, stuffed with links, advice and nfo on cleaning up the startups and the reasons for doing so. Crashes being one of those reasons.

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To sum up.....

Your welcome for any help I have been able to provide so far and "thank you" back at ya' for taking the time to update your post with progress.

 

Yes, Goddez1, the new file is a *.wab. My error. I was using correct syntax or grammar, not correct computer language ( "~" not "~, ")

And the issue is resolved. I am driveling on about other issues. Thank you for your help.

Goaglen

 

Sorry, I did not read all of your last post.

The + and - in the Norton exclusion directory is probably for exclusion of subfolders and files (+) under the file name.

And, yes, I run a lot of junk on start up, but I am not sure what 67% is. Thought it to be total HD usage, but may be RAM, which as you point out, is a lot.

Tom