repeated unsolicited connections to internet

For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?

Run a scan with an up to date anti virus program. If no luck, see if a
program starting at boot is doing it. Use the technique described he

How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=192926


--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"Tom Barkas" wrote in message
...
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?

Thanks for the reply, Ron.

I've already run 3 up-to-date AV programs, my own (Norton) and two on
line. Am playing with the msconfig settings again - had forgotten
about this, so thanks.
As an aside, do you know how (a) to stop multiple copies of the same
item being checked in msconfig startup (b) to get rid of the lines
with unchecked boxes when you have these multple copies in msconfig
startup?

Tom


On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 09:19:02 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrotg:

Run a scan with an up to date anti virus program. If no luck, see if a
program starting at boot is doing it. Use the technique described he

How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=192926

If you have two duplicate items, one marked and one unmarked, mark both of
them and reboot. One should disappear unless it is a required "duplicate"
like loadpower and AV settings. If there are unmarked entries you want rid
of:

There are seven run keys in the registry that are used to start programs:

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run

2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run

3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunOnce

4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunOnce

5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\ RunServices

6. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\
RunServicesOnce

7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\
RunOnce\Setup

If there is an item disabled in the Startup tab, MSconfig.exe, that was in
one of these keys, it will be in an identically named key except that there
will be a minus at the end, i.e., Run- I suppose any key could be
duplicated; however, I have only found keys #1, #2 and #5 duplicated in my
registry with a minus. If you want to get rid of a non-marked entry in
MSconfig, delete the key with the minus sign behind it.

When you disable an entry that is in the startup folder on the start menu, a
folder is created on the start menu called Disabled Startup Items. As
appropriate, delete the item from either the registry key or the Disabled
folder. If the item is the only thing in the registry key or Disabled
folder, you can delete the key or the folder also.

Items can start from the run= and load= lines in the win.ini file. If
disabled, they are placed in a norun= or noload= line. Go into the win.ini
file and change the appropriate line back to the way it was, i.e., change
norun=application name to run= and save the file.



--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"Tom Barkas" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the reply, Ron.

I've already run 3 up-to-date AV programs, my own (Norton) and two on
line. Am playing with the msconfig settings again - had forgotten
about this, so thanks.
As an aside, do you know how (a) to stop multiple copies of the same
item being checked in msconfig startup (b) to get rid of the lines
with unchecked boxes when you have these multple copies in msconfig
startup?

Tom


On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 09:19:02 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrotg:

Run a scan with an up to date anti virus program. If no luck, see if a
program starting at boot is doing it. Use the technique described he

How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=192926

Do you have any automatic internet access permissions set in ZoneAlarm like
its own update availabiliity checking?
"Tom Barkas" wrote in message
...
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?

Had a similar problem a couple months ago. I simply:

Start\Settings\Control Panel\Internet Options\Connections
and marked 'Never Dial a connection'.
It worked for me. (W98SE)
--------

-----Original Message-----
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly
trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is
scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent
files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active
programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and
the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?
.

Thanks, Ron,

I've now sorted out the "duplicates" - I'd never realised that they
pointed to different keys (Run and RunOnce)!

I thought I was getting somewhere with the startupup programmes, but,
although probably less frequent, it is still happening. Haven't yet
tried the long process of selective startups as it will take some time
to wait adn see what happens with each change.

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 12:08:16 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrotg:

If you have two duplicate items, one marked and one unmarked, mark both of
them and reboot. One should disappear unless it is a required "duplicate"
like loadpower and AV settings. If there are unmarked entries you want rid
of:

There are seven run keys in the registry that are used to start programs:

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run

2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run

3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\RunOnce

4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\RunOnce

5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\ RunServices

6. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\
RunServicesOnce

7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\
RunOnce\Setup

If there is an item disabled in the Startup tab, MSconfig.exe, that was in
one of these keys, it will be in an identically named key except that there
will be a minus at the end, i.e., Run- I suppose any key could be
duplicated; however, I have only found keys #1, #2 and #5 duplicated in my
registry with a minus. If you want to get rid of a non-marked entry in
MSconfig, delete the key with the minus sign behind it.

When you disable an entry that is in the startup folder on the start menu, a
folder is created on the start menu called Disabled Startup Items. As
appropriate, delete the item from either the registry key or the Disabled
folder. If the item is the only thing in the registry key or Disabled
folder, you can delete the key or the folder also.

Items can start from the run= and load= lines in the win.ini file. If
disabled, they are placed in a norun= or noload= line. Go into the win.ini
file and change the appropriate line back to the way it was, i.e., change
norun=application name to run= and save the file.

Thanks for the message. I do have Zonelarm and other things set up for
automatic updating. I'm not sure what set up for automatic internet
access permission is - is this the crosses,ticks etc in the Programs
part of Zonealarm? I don't think it would be Zonealarm updates itself,
as this happens often and is a fairly new problem, whereas I have had
ZA set up like this for a long time (although updated recemtly).

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 17:15:24 -0400, "Lil' Dave"
wrotg:

Do you have any automatic internet access permissions set in ZoneAlarm like
its own update availabiliity checking?
"Tom Barkas" wrote in message
.. .
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?

Dear Bernie,

I haven't resorted to that, - I'd rather sort out the problem if I can

eallyOn Fri, 6 Aug 2004 03:22:52 -0700, "Bernie P."
wrotg:


Had a similar problem a couple months ago. I simply:

Start\Settings\Control Panel\Internet Options\Connections
and marked 'Never Dial a connection'.
It worked for me. (W98SE)
--------

-----Original Message-----
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly
trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is
scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent
files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active
programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and
the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?
.

"Tom Barkas" wrote in message
...
Dear Bernie,

I haven't resorted to that, - I'd rather sort out the problem if I can

eallyOn Fri, 6 Aug 2004 03:22:52 -0700, "Bernie P."
wrotg:


Had a similar problem a couple months ago. I simply:

Start\Settings\Control Panel\Internet Options\Connections
and marked 'Never Dial a connection'.
It worked for me. (W98SE)
--------

-----Original Message-----
For the last 2-3 weeks, my computer has been repeatedly
trying to
connect to the Internet . As far as I know, nothng is
scheduled to do
this. Adaware, Pest Patrol and Spybot (all most recent
files) find
nothing and Zonealarm doesn't detect any active
programmes when this
happening. The connection is made, little data flows and
the phoneline
is left connected. Any ideas?
.

When i installed AOL 9.0, it changed the setting to always dial a
connection....changed it back to never dial..problem solved, all play well
together.......

EdK