Win 98 SE system files have disappeared several times

Hello all, I have a system with one hard drive divided into two partitions, I
have win98se on the primary partition and win xp pro on the secondary. I've
been running this config for about two years with no major problems except
that several times now, the most recent being yesterday, most of my win98 sys
files (autoexec, bootsect.dos, config.sys, etc.) vanish from my c: drive root
directory (c: being my win98 partition) when i'm running win98 and reboot my
sys back into 98. after this happened previously, i'd made a backup copy of
this folder in xp, so i was able to boot into xp, copy the files back into c:
and boot back into 98. i don't remember what i'd been doing on the sys when
this happened previously but before it happened most recently, i'd installed
spysweeper, attempted to install an update to adobe acro reader 6 which
didn't work, then i'd powered down my sys (i usually leave it on all the
time) to clean inside my tower. when i turned the sys back on is when i had
the problem with the 98 sys files.
by the by, i have norton antivirus, norton internet security, spybot s&d,
ad-aware and now spysweeper installed, all of which i use regularly, so
although this seems like something a virus or other form of malware would do,
it doesn't seem possible that i would have one that has eluded the attentions
of all these applications, or is it? any leads on this would be greatly
appreciated, regards.
--
What are they infected with? Rage....

I assume that you're aware that FAT32 and NTFS are strangers to one another.
of all things U could have a bug, but it's doubful. I suspect that you have
a failing drive. a good drive checking utility such as norton ndd.exe would
be useful here. drive read/write errors "sector not found", etc. are all
signs of a failing drive, if you find that to be the case, get your stuff off
the drive as this problem will NOT get better with time.

"JasonScott" wrote:

Hello all, I have a system with one hard drive divided into two partitions, I
have win98se on the primary partition and win xp pro on the secondary. I've
been running this config for about two years with no major problems except
that several times now, the most recent being yesterday, most of my win98 sys
files (autoexec, bootsect.dos, config.sys, etc.) vanish from my c: drive root
directory (c: being my win98 partition) when i'm running win98 and reboot my
sys back into 98. after this happened previously, i'd made a backup copy of
this folder in xp, so i was able to boot into xp, copy the files back into c:
and boot back into 98. i don't remember what i'd been doing on the sys when
this happened previously but before it happened most recently, i'd installed
spysweeper, attempted to install an update to adobe acro reader 6 which
didn't work, then i'd powered down my sys (i usually leave it on all the
time) to clean inside my tower. when i turned the sys back on is when i had
the problem with the 98 sys files.
by the by, i have norton antivirus, norton internet security, spybot s&d,
ad-aware and now spysweeper installed, all of which i use regularly, so
although this seems like something a virus or other form of malware would do,
it doesn't seem possible that i would have one that has eluded the attentions
of all these applications, or is it? any leads on this would be greatly
appreciated, regards.
--
What are they infected with? Rage....

hello, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my post. Yep, it's
true that FAT32-based win98 doesn't see my xp partition (although you'll
remember that NTFS-based xp can see and work with a FAT32 drive or partition
just fine). Also, I don't think I've got a dying drive because it was
specifically win98 startup files that were deleted from the C: folder, for
example, the startup files that xp keeps in that directory (since xp uses c:,
my primary partition, as the system partition - or would it be the boot
partition?), e.g. ntldr and ntdetect, were just fine. Also, I run Norton
Systemworks under win98, and the Disk Doctor utility has indicated no
problems with the hard drive. i'm suspecting an app issue, possibly Spy
Sweeper.

"lawn2" wrote:

I assume that you're aware that FAT32 and NTFS are strangers to one another.
of all things U could have a bug, but it's doubful. I suspect that you have
a failing drive. a good drive checking utility such as norton ndd.exe would
be useful here. drive read/write errors "sector not found", etc. are all
signs of a failing drive, if you find that to be the case, get your stuff off
the drive as this problem will NOT get better with time.

"JasonScott" wrote:

Hello all, I have a system with one hard drive divided into two partitions, I
have win98se on the primary partition and win xp pro on the secondary. I've
been running this config for about two years with no major problems except
that several times now, the most recent being yesterday, most of my win98 sys
files (autoexec, bootsect.dos, config.sys, etc.) vanish from my c: drive root
directory (c: being my win98 partition) when i'm running win98 and reboot my
sys back into 98. after this happened previously, i'd made a backup copy of
this folder in xp, so i was able to boot into xp, copy the files back into c:
and boot back into 98. i don't remember what i'd been doing on the sys when
this happened previously but before it happened most recently, i'd installed
spysweeper, attempted to install an update to adobe acro reader 6 which
didn't work, then i'd powered down my sys (i usually leave it on all the
time) to clean inside my tower. when i turned the sys back on is when i had
the problem with the 98 sys files.
by the by, i have norton antivirus, norton internet security, spybot s&d,
ad-aware and now spysweeper installed, all of which i use regularly, so
although this seems like something a virus or other form of malware would do,
it doesn't seem possible that i would have one that has eluded the attentions
of all these applications, or is it? any leads on this would be greatly
appreciated, regards.
--
What are they infected with? Rage....

It's more likely that Norton cleanup is detecting that it's running under XP
and assuming that the W98 files aren't required, and deleting them.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"JasonScott" wrote in message
...
hello, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my post. Yep, it's
true that FAT32-based win98 doesn't see my xp partition (although you'll
remember that NTFS-based xp can see and work with a FAT32 drive or
partition
just fine). Also, I don't think I've got a dying drive because it was
specifically win98 startup files that were deleted from the C: folder, for
example, the startup files that xp keeps in that directory (since xp uses
c:,
my primary partition, as the system partition - or would it be the boot
partition?), e.g. ntldr and ntdetect, were just fine. Also, I run Norton
Systemworks under win98, and the Disk Doctor utility has indicated no
problems with the hard drive. i'm suspecting an app issue, possibly Spy
Sweeper.
with? Rage....