Spyware?

[Redhawk]

I've been having some trouble with my computer taking a while to shut down when turning off. Some program (not named) keeps causing a Window to pop up that states it's not responding and I either have to say "Wait" or "End Task". Hitting Ctrl/Alt/Del doesn't really show any programs that say "not responding". This happens everytime I shut down the computer.

A little background: things started slowing down upon turning off the computer in addition to other programs acting up by "slow to start" &/or "won't start at all w/o reboot" came after I tried an Anti Spyware program called Bullet Proof or something from www.spyblaster.com. After d/ling it, install, and running a "check' it stated I had 280 spybots and I had to buy the program to remove them. It cost $30, which I though was too steep for that so I untinstalled it. I already have Adaware and Spybot S&D and they don't show I have near that many. Only 1 with Adaware and 8 with Spybot S&D after Bullet Proof said I had 280. Maybe it's just a good program... I don't know... but it looked like it just chose every single cookie perhaps without regard to whether it was a real spybot or not. Anyway since then things have been acting up. Another thing is my memroy stick doesn't show up when I plug it in until I reboot almost every time. I use it a lot to back up Quicken files. My computer was running great until after trying out that spyware program.

I'm running Windows 98 and have all updates from the Windows update website.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Redhawk]

I thought perhaps a little more inforamtion might help someone diagnose my problem:
I hit "End Task" on the Individual Programs in the Running Programs Window to see if they would shut down properly. Half Ended Properly and Half had the Window pop up "Program not Responding" and I had to "End Task" to shut it down.
Below are ones that shut down and the ones that didn't respond:

"Program Not Responding" after indiviually "ending the task" -- I had to "end task" again to shut it down:
zclient
systray
schwicon
qwdlls
wucrtupd (this program was not originally in the running programs box until I ended qwdlls above.

Programs that shutdown w/o trouble when I "ended the task".
zclient
createcd
usbmonit
atiptaxx
vptrays
explore (always shutdown fast after all the others were not running

Further, right now when I go to the Window Update Website and choose "Scan for Updates" nothing happens. It scans 0% and Internet Explorer ends up "not responding". I have been updating Windows regularly.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[SyntaXmasteR]

Honestly this is the best error message i could find for you.



I've faught with windows 98 for years and this is honestly the best picture to describe it.

[Redhawk]

What I wound up doing was d/ling Bullet Proof and installed it again. Ran the program and rebooted. Then Uninstalled it. This time however when the "shared" file window appeared on whether to remove the "shared" files rather than saying "no to all" I said "yes to all". Everything (so far) is working again and I'm not getting the "not responding" window when shutting down. If I've lost a shared file on something I will just reinstall it.

Anyway thanks for letting me bounce this off of you guys. It sure helps to talk this through. Ya'll make good therapists! <grin>

I'm sure I will need help in the future.

[Unregistered]

schwicon looks alittle funny but the rest are all good exe's. The QW exe's are your quicken launch exe's and your ZClient from the most I could gather is a pen based or laptop application or an MSN game application so that is also okay. Unless it is the Nimda Virus.

The others are for your graphics card drivers traybar and the others are actually all good functioning background processes that are either necessary to keep certain things functioning (systray for example)

If it takes a long time for your pc to shut down or long time to start then you may be infected. It means that there are executables still trying to run in spite of the shut-down command.

Do you use Ad-aware SE? that and spybot may give you an idea as to what you have.

My last tower was a 98se OS but was ripped up by scumware. Be careful.