Stuck in safe mode / spool32 error / no mouse

Hi Guys

My computer keeps booting up in safe mode, and displays a spool32 error (this program has performed an illegal operation). Also there is no mouse pointer.

We've had a lot of bother with spyware recently - I did the standard spyware / malware procedure and all was well for a week or so but now it seems well and truly broken.

Does this seem like another spyware infestation to you? Or some other problem (corrupted printer drivers maybe?). AVG says there's no problem, but HJT won't run at all.

OS is windows 98

Thanks

Rache3l

 

This sounds more like an issue for the Software forum. Please post there.

 

See if THIS is any help.

 

It only occurs on startup though - and nobody's printed anything lately. It's my BF's computer and he also reports tonight that the wallpaper and all photos stored on the computer have gone all pixellated (display drivers?). He has also found a Tony1 dialler which AVG / spybot doesn't detect and something called PS guard with spybot deals with but keeps coming back...

 

OK, definitely a Spyware issue.

Please follow the steps below:

- Run ALL the steps in this Sticky thread READ ME FIRST BEFORE ASKING FOR SUPPORT: Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal

Make sure you check version numbers and get all updates.

- Very Important: Make sure you tell us the results from running the tutorial...was anything found? Were you unable to complete any of the scans?...Were you unable to download any of the tools?...Did you do the on-line scans as suggested? etc.

After doing ALL of the above you still have a problem make sure you have booted to normal mode and run the steps below:

- Download HijackThis 1.99.1

- Unzip the hijackthis.exe file to a folder you create named C:\Program Files\HJT

- Do NOT run Hijack This from the Desktop, a temp folder, or a sub-folder of C:\Documents and Settings, or choose to run it directly from the downloaded ZIP file.

- Before running HijackThis: You must close each of the following:your web browser, e-mail client, instant messenger, and programs like notepad, wordpad, MS Word etc. And any other unnecessary running programs.

- Run HijackThis and save your log file.

- Post your log as an ATTACHMENT to your next message. (Do NOT copy/paste the log into your post).

 

New Spool32 Prob - HELP

have searched the forum (I couldn't have a virus) and read many Microsoft bulletins (none worked).
My computer boots up displaying a spool32 error (this program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down) and is stuck on the background of the desktop. NOTHING will come up. The mouse pointer is stuck on the "hour glass" and although I can move it about the screen, no amount of clicking works.

When this occurred, I was moving a large amount of files out of the TEMP folder to another exsisting hard drive, when my mouse slipped and the files where sent to an unformated drive. At that time I got an error popup message for each file I was attempting to transfer. My computer locked up and I couldn't even click on the error messages to get rid of them. So, after waiting 30 minutes, hoping that my computer would straighten itself out, I shut it down with the OFF button as even CTL_ALT_DEL wouldn't work. When I rebooted, the Spool32 error came up.

So far, I have REINSTALLED Win 98, to no avail. I have followed the advice in MS Article ID : 191949 to no avail and am attempting to, on John J. Fried's FAQ Site- regarding Spool32 errors (http://inquirer.philly.com/newsroom/...b7df9-61.html). He suggests that I do two things: Reload Spool32.exe and clean out my temp folder however, I have to do it in DOS because I can't get a clean boot. Just the background screen of the desktop. So, how do I "do it" in DOS?

 

OK, you will need to get a startup disk. I’m hoping you have access to a win98 box. BTW (By the way), is this a Win98 or Win98SE box?

You will need to get some files off the windows directory, so make sure you can view hidden files. There is some danger here, so double check yourself while doing this. Go into Start/Settings/Folder Options/View Tab and click Show all files, and unclick Hide file extensions for known file types. This will let you see the complete file names, all of them. Or you can do the following in DOS from the startup disk.

OK, go to directory C:\Windows\Command and copy the following files into the startup disk.

deltree.exe
edit.com
edit.hlp
format.com
xcopy.exe
xcopy32.exe
xcopy32.mod

You can do this within DOS, but windows is easier. This will add extra functionality to the DOS in the start diskette.

copy c:\deltree.exe a:\*.*

is an example of how it is done in DOS.

To delete an entire folder and all its subdirectories is done thus:

deltree c:\temp

The computer will respond:

<f>ile or <d>irectory

You select <d>

BE VERY SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT!!! Recovering files from this step is more hassle than I ever want to go through.

I don’t know this will work, might even be a bad idea, if so I’m hoping someone else will step in and correct me, but I think you can lift the Spool32.exe file out of a working Win98 box (make sure revisions are the same, as in Win98 or Win98se) and plug it into the systems folder.

Hope this helps. The offer of a startup diskette is still open. (To other forum members, we posted offline before this).

Offtopic comment, the reason I put the other funtions on the DOS is it allows me to install Windows with just the CAB files (a folder within the Window 98 install disk) and the startup diskette. I never use the win98 install disk directly, I copy all the files within the win98se directory, and then run "setup" within the copied folder on the hard disk. It is an alternate way of installing Win98. The DOS command to copy from the CD to formated hard drive is:

xcopy32 e:\win98se c:\win98se /s/e

c:\cd win98se

setup