Startup errors

[Computer]

When ever I start up my computer now a days I get 2 errors. the first says it cannot fin the msinfo.exe file or one of it's components. The second says it could not run msinfo.exe specified in the WIN.INI Also, When I am surfing the web I often get a visual C++ Runtime error. It doesn't interfere i.e I can work around it. But when I hit ok on it, It blanks the screen of everything but the background and freezes.

any ideas?

Thanks

[DanGrease]

What Windows OS are you using?
I would assume you made a buggy installation since it maybe didnt install some files. Try do install your Windows again and format your Harddrive again, that would be my first adivce. If you have important stuff in your computer then I really cant help you that much but some other members can for sure.

dan

[Computer]

I am using Win 98 (groan)
And this is a new error it just started a few days ago and ive had win 98 installed on this machine for over 2 years so i dont see how it can be an install error

from what i have read online its spyware.

do you have lavasoft?

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

try it out.

[DanGrease]

Yeah, that could be it.
Download Ad-Aware and Spybot from download.com, or from GZ's site (only for Ad-Aware) they are both freeware. They would take off all the junk you have acctumulated if you havent done this before and its probably that what is giving your errors. Nice advice GZ! I actually don't have the same advice skills as other people, you may have noticed. I have a problem and I format my Hard Drive in the second

dan

[Beemer]

Another handy tool for Win98 is restart in MS-DOS mode and type scanreg /restore. Don't miss the space between scanreg and the /.

It will show you 4 + one hidden system backups by date. Pick a date previous to the happening after you do your spyware check.

Do the spyware check again after you restore to a previous date.

Cheers!

[Computer]

Ok i DL 'd Ad aware 6 and it recognized 628 objects. I clicked quarantine. It asked for a name and i named it quarintine. It did it's thing and now i want to know what happens. do i have to do anything now? How can i view my quarantines? do I have to delete them or do they just remain quarantined for all eternity.
One more thing, Beemer, does doing that restore mean you lose all files between that date and now? if it does that is not an option because my mom keeps all her job files on the computer and I know she has done work between now and a week or so ago

Thanks

[John Prophet]

also in W98 is the tool "sfc"...you can go to the run box and type sfc

when it comes up choose "scan for altered files.

If its been installed for 2 years it probably has some altered files so you can restore them.....it will also show "setupx.dll" as altered but you can just ignore that one as it shows up everytime.


or, maybe even better is to run sfc and choose "extract one file from installation disk" and type in msinfo.exe

that will restore that file to whatever it was supposed to be..that in itself may fix those errors.

JP

JP