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:cry: I am trying to fix a computer which has a virus on it and will not allow me to access desktop or even get past screen with security warning. My computer has a blue screen with a message saying: "A fatal error in IE has occured at...in VXD...error was caused by Trojan-spy.HTML.smitfraud.c.? System cannot function in normal mode. Check security settings..scan with any available antivirus/spyware remover program to fix problem." Since I misplaced my originals, I purchased win98 start up disk(s) and now I am lost. I was told by people that installed my ehternet card if I try to do reinstall by myself I will "mess up and probably lose" what I paid to have installed. The hardware is there and I have the disk...is this true? Also, when I start up with cd, I have option to start with or w/out? cd support, or to install. My computer had win98 se on it prior to this. Am I just going to start all over and install like there was never anything on computer? I don't mind losing files if I absolutely have to but I cannot afford another ethernet card/install...can anyone help me please???

Hi robofoxmom.


First let's try some other things before you do a fresh install , maybe it isn't necessary.

Can you boot in safemode (hit f8 when booting up)?
If you can , run any anti-virus or spy/ad-ware scanners that you have (if you have them) and then scan with hijackthis and post the log here?


http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip

First off, thank you for your prompt response! :-) I can start in safe mode but I still get that same blue screen with "safe mode" in each corner. I have also tried using spy remover program, but that doesn't work either. It gets stuck at that screen. Also, when I start it like I normally do, I still see the windows 98 screen (x2) and the normal DOS screen that scans at startup. Then I get a message box with an "illegal operation" notice in windows explorer. I was told to either locate or purchase startup disks and go from there...but where do I go? I know the steps include something about formatting hard drive and that concerned me because of the ethernet install I mentioned before. I need to get this computer up and running soon... :-( Someone told me to "try booting from the boot disk" but when I choose start computer with cd support, it still takes me to DOS screen and that is a complete mystery to me... :oops: :oops:

Re-installing Windows probably won't fix the problem because the virus will still be on your PC.

You could download some antivirus software like AVG Antivirus which from memory allows you to create a startup disk which you can use to boot your machine and scan and hopefully fix viruses.

Otherwise if you had another computer you could remove this hard drive and place it in that computer and run a virus scan on it to remove any nasties. (but make sure that machine is fully loaded with antivirus software)

You can do what I always do when I get a virus and I cant see to get it out. I reinstall Windows! So this website will help you clean reinstall Win98. You might need a bootdisk to boot into MS-DOS so you can begin the install.

This is the website. It might help!

http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/win98/install/clean.html

Thanks for the site & glad you're now sorted snoop8

Thanks, Im just gonna try to help whenever I can!