Spyware or something messing up my PC

I have some very serious Windows problems. I am using a Windows 98B laptop.
Last week I accessed a site which auto installed a ton of garbage on my PC (in
the background). Garbage like an Internet Optimizer, Interstital AD Delivery
by 180 search assistant, 3 Internet search toolbars and a bunch of other trash
thats in the startup items tab of the msconfig.exe program. I rebooted from
msconfig disabling all the startup items I do not recognize, and my PC has been
able to function somewhat. But everytime I reboot I get a message that says
"unable to connect to the Internet." Its like something is trying to connect
to the Internet
and download more garbage onto my hard drive, all in the background.

I accessed my temp folder and noticed many hundreds of megabytes of files in
there. Perhaps some of it was installed by whatever is screwing with my PC.

Yesterday the file C:\program Files\Common files\WinTools\WtoolsA.exe was
causing some havoc in my PC. I kept on receiving Page fault errors everytime I
opened a folder or such, so I disabled WinTools from msconfig.exe.

So what do you say, and what should I do? I have run NAV, and Norton System
works, however neither are able to solve these issues. Later versions of NAV
auto update virus definitions, so I am safe about having the latest
definitions. There is a a firewall on the campus, but I do not have a
personal firewall on my PC.

I am only able to connect to the Internet and send this message via my
Jornada_720 Windows CE HPC2000 palmtop. It has IE 4.x installed, and I doubt
companies can auto install spywhare and other junk to this device,and even if
they could the *.exe files could not execute, so this machine is safe.

Thanks for all who respond;

John

I have recommended this several times and asked for feedback but have not
received any so I don't know how effective my advice might be about Wtoolsa:

Spyware/scumware/adware are causing numerous system problems. I recommend
you download and use the following programs and consider removing everything
these programs identify. Be aware that there are frequent updates to these
programs and you need to check for them before every use.

AdAwa http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

CWShredder: http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html (download
link near the bottom)

Spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/

If these programs don't help, go to:

http://computercops.info/modules.php...topic&p=172295

Scroll down until you see the post from Yellowhammer. I don't know that his
fix works but it is the most comprehensive reply I found on Wtoolsa.

Let us know what works.


--
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

"John" wrote in message
...
I have some very serious Windows problems. I am using a Windows 98B
laptop.
Last week I accessed a site which auto installed a ton of garbage on my PC
(in
the background). Garbage like an Internet Optimizer, Interstital AD
Delivery
by 180 search assistant, 3 Internet search toolbars and a bunch of other
trash
thats in the startup items tab of the msconfig.exe program. I rebooted
from
msconfig disabling all the startup items I do not recognize, and my PC has
been
able to function somewhat. But everytime I reboot I get a message that
says
"unable to connect to the Internet." Its like something is trying to
connect
to the Internet
and download more garbage onto my hard drive, all in the background.

I accessed my temp folder and noticed many hundreds of megabytes of files
in
there. Perhaps some of it was installed by whatever is screwing with my
PC.

Yesterday the file C:\program Files\Common files\WinTools\WtoolsA.exe was
causing some havoc in my PC. I kept on receiving Page fault errors
everytime I
opened a folder or such, so I disabled WinTools from msconfig.exe.

So what do you say, and what should I do? I have run NAV, and Norton
System
works, however neither are able to solve these issues. Later versions of
NAV
auto update virus definitions, so I am safe about having the latest
definitions. There is a a firewall on the campus, but I do not have a
personal firewall on my PC.

I am only able to connect to the Internet and send this message via my
Jornada_720 Windows CE HPC2000 palmtop. It has IE 4.x installed, and I
doubt
companies can auto install spywhare and other junk to this device,and even
if
they could the *.exe files could not execute, so this machine is safe.

Thanks for all who respond;

John

For you general spyware problems, such as Internet Optimiser and the =
others:

Update your anti-virus app and then run a full-system virus scan.

Use CWShredder, the CoolWeb removal tool, available he
http://computercops.biz/downloads-cat-14.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html
http://aumha.org/downloads/cwshredder.zip

In addition, install Ad-Aware 6 free edition, start it, click its 'Check =
for Updates' link in the app to install updates, then use it to scan =
your system, and remove what it finds.
Ad-Awa
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

Install, update and run SpyBot Search & Destroy, scan your system, and =
then remove the items in RED only.
SpyBot S&D:
http://www.safer-networking.org/inde...age=3Ddownload

Download, unzip, and run Hijack This from one of these locations:
http://computercops.biz/downloads-cat-14.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads...HijackThis.exe
Unzip to a folder other than your Desktop or the Temp folder, =
doubleclick HijackThis.exe, and hit "Scan".

When the scan is finished, the "Scan" button will change into a "Save =
Log" button.
Press that, save the log somewhere you can find it (Desktop, My =
Documents, or similar).
Most of what it lists will be harmless or even required, so do NOT fix =
anything yet.

Copy the log files and paste them into a new post at one of these =
forums:
http://forums.net-integration.net/
http://computercops.biz/forums.html
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showforum=3D30
http://tomcoyote.org/forums/
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com=20
http://boards.cexx.org/

The folks there will tell you what to remove.

A tutorial for using Hijack This is located he
http://tomcoyote.com/hjt/
and an in-depth tutorial is he
http://aumha.org/a/hjttutor.htm


For Wintoolsa -

Restart in Safe Mode:
-Start the computer and hold down the CTRL key till the Windows 98 =
Startup menu (boot menu) appears.
-Use the arrow keys to select "Safe Mode" and press Enter.

Then delete the Wintools folder and run Hijack This in Safe Mode, and =
use it to remove these entries:

C:\Program Files\Common files\WinTools\WToolsA.exe
C:\Program Files\Common files\WinTools\WToolsS.exe
C:\Program Files\Common files\WinTools\WSup.exe

R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {87766247-311C-43B4-8499-3D5FEC94A183} =
-C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\WinTools\WToolsB.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {87766247-311C-43B4-8499-3D5FEC94A183} -
C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\WinTools\WToolsB.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinTools] C:\Program Files\Common =
Files\WinTools\WToolsA.exe

Also, see "YellowHammer's" procedure here, near the bottom of the =
thread:
http://computercops.info/modules.php...ewtopic&p=3D1=
72295


Additional reading:
Dealing with Hijackware
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#tshoot
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

http://doxdesk.com/parasite/CoolWebSearch.html
and
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html
--=20
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"John" wrote in message =
...
I have some very serious Windows problems. I am using a Windows 98B =
laptop.=20
Last week I accessed a site which auto installed a ton of garbage on =
my PC (in
the background). Garbage like an Internet Optimizer, Interstital AD =
Delivery
by 180 search assistant, 3 Internet search toolbars and a bunch of =
other trash
thats in the startup items tab of the msconfig.exe program. I =
rebooted from
msconfig disabling all the startup items I do not recognize, and my PC =
has been
able to function somewhat. But everytime I reboot I get a message =
that says
"unable to connect to the Internet." Its like something is trying to =
connect
to the Internet=20
and download more garbage onto my hard drive, all in the background. =20
=20
I accessed my temp folder and noticed many hundreds of megabytes of =
files in
there. Perhaps some of it was installed by whatever is screwing with =
my PC.
=20
Yesterday the file C:\program Files\Common files\WinTools\WtoolsA.exe =
was
causing some havoc in my PC. I kept on receiving Page fault errors =
everytime I
opened a folder or such, so I disabled WinTools from msconfig.exe.
=20
So what do you say, and what should I do? I have run NAV, and Norton =
System
works, however neither are able to solve these issues. Later versions =
of NAV
auto update virus definitions, so I am safe about having the latest
definitions. There is a a firewall on the campus, but I do not have =
a
personal firewall on my PC.
=20
I am only able to connect to the Internet and send this message via my
Jornada_720 Windows CE HPC2000 palmtop. It has IE 4.x installed, and =
I doubt
companies can auto install spywhare and other junk to this device,and =
even if
they could the *.exe files could not execute, so this machine is safe.
=20
Thanks for all who respond;
=20
John
=20
=20