stevestojan Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Yes. Windows Millienium. 228318[/snapback] I wish I could still use 3.11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 you're right...that describes it perfectly...i have "variant A" the instructions for removal are a little over my head at this point. i am about to google it( so please no one yell at me, or send me the link to "effinggoogleit.com or whatever.... ) , but does anyone know a forum where i can get a simpler explanation of the removal process? i STILL may throw the computer off the balcony just on principle alone, but for now i am enjoying the challenge of solving this problem. and there still is matter of just how the bloody hell i got it... ...still trying to figure that out... anyway, thanks everyone for your input. i am convinced there is almost no problem you can't solve by hanging out at TBD. 227927[/snapback] Symantec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidey Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 i am using win98...problem is the computer shuts down before the dos bootup is completed. i can't get to safe mode, and i can't execute any other commands. after doing a little research, i am starting to think it may not be the "bymer" virus after all- i have gone to several sites, and while they do show the bymer as operating under the command "wininit.exe," none of them describes it as causing immediate shutdown of the computer before it is fully booted. i soldier on... 228202[/snapback] brother had something similar happen on GHog day he had to reinstall IE to get it working but at least could boot in safe mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Yes. Windows Millienium. 228318[/snapback] A pox on you for mentioning that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 It seems odd to me that it would be a virus before you even get to Windows. Not to say it isnt but it seems unlikely. Its possible a hardware problem. I would be interested to see if you could do a clean install of windows on a different hd or a partition on that one. Just a thought. Lots of possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 I am sorry for not useful advice. In looking further , its possible you have a damaged wininit.exe file Below is site that has links to microsoft solutions. Scroll down to windows 98 and click on windows 98 boots directly to shutdown screen, this article I think will help. helpful links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philburger1 Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 i will try to condense this: i have an ancient computer...a 1998 compaq...i run anti-virus software(the free AVG one), never open weird email attachments, and avoid sketchy porno sites( )... HOWEVER, when i booted up the rig a few days ago, i got about halfway through the DOS stuff, when a funky error message popped up(the AVG software had already run and said "no virus found") that ended with the words "press any key to continue." there was also something about a "bad command," and "wininit.exe(i assume this is the virus)" on the screen. when i pressed a key, the computer immeditely turned off, as though someone had yanked the plug. i tried to start it up again, and this time when the message appeared, i DIDN'T press any key, but after about 15 secs, the machine still turned itself off. i tried reinstalling the entire OS from the quick install CDs that came with the computer, but again the machine turned off before the CD drive could even read them. so it looks like my ancient rig is screwed good. i guess i'm not TOO broken up about it- i have been meaning to replace the computer anyway. and i didn't lose any truly irreplacable files or anything like that...but i gotta ask....WTF HAPPENED ?! does anyone out there know? whenever i've done something dumb in the past, i've always at least realized it when i did it, and was able to fix it one way or another....but this seems completely unfixable...and i still have no clue HOW i got infected- that's what scares me. and hell, if you absolutely cannot turn the thing on, how can you possibly fix it??? oh well, i bet it will blow up real good when i toss it off my third floor balcony. before i do this however, can anyone offer any insight?? 227397[/snapback] Such is the fate of Windows users. Switch to Apple and you won't have those problems, your PC won't crash, pop-ups won't take over your screen, and you will look cool doing it. Well, 3 out 4 wouldn't be bad. FLY EAGLES FLY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 i will try to condense this: i have an ancient computer...a 1998 compaq...i run anti-virus software(the free AVG one), never open weird email attachments, and avoid sketchy porno sites( )... HOWEVER, when i booted up the rig a few days ago, i got about halfway through the DOS stuff, when a funky error message popped up(the AVG software had already run and said "no virus found") that ended with the words "press any key to continue." there was also something about a "bad command," and "wininit.exe(i assume this is the virus)" on the screen. when i pressed a key, the computer immeditely turned off, as though someone had yanked the plug. i tried to start it up again, and this time when the message appeared, i DIDN'T press any key, but after about 15 secs, the machine still turned itself off. i tried reinstalling the entire OS from the quick install CDs that came with the computer, but again the machine turned off before the CD drive could even read them. so it looks like my ancient rig is screwed good. i guess i'm not TOO broken up about it- i have been meaning to replace the computer anyway. and i didn't lose any truly irreplacable files or anything like that...but i gotta ask....WTF HAPPENED ?! does anyone out there know? whenever i've done something dumb in the past, i've always at least realized it when i did it, and was able to fix it one way or another....but this seems completely unfixable...and i still have no clue HOW i got infected- that's what scares me. and hell, if you absolutely cannot turn the thing on, how can you possibly fix it??? oh well, i bet it will blow up real good when i toss it off my third floor balcony. before i do this however, can anyone offer any insight?? 227397[/snapback] I got that virus.... I dont remember exactly how to do it...but you have to boot your computer up in "safe mode" download a patch, install it, and that will keep your computer from shutting off....then you download the protection for it to go kill it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 I am sorry for not useful advice. In looking further , its possible you have a damaged wininit.exe file Below is site that has links to microsoft solutions. Scroll down to windows 98 and click on windows 98 boots directly to shutdown screen, this article I think will help. helpful links 228375[/snapback] i actually printed that page out earlier today and am going to try it at home tonight. john from hemet: i tried that last night, but u can't even get into safe mode before it shuts off! i am starting to think buying a mac is the best solution, because while this thing is not the end of the world...i still can't figure out how i got it, and if i bought a new computer and got it again, THEN i would be pissed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 doesn't seem like you use it as a powerhouse, so this would be a good solution for a much needed upgrade... you've had her for 6 years... that's like 150 in people years... let her die.. better answer for someone on a budget or someone who doesn't need bells/whistles (Don't turn into a MAC guy either, unless you feel like carrying a man purse, too) http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/p...s=19&l=en&s=dhs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geggytah Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 i had something similar happen to my computer a few days ago. nothing was really wrong with my computer (except an annoying "New Folder" popped up on my desktop a few times a day...weird), but as is my policy for once every 6 month to a year anyway, i reformatted my HD and re-installed windows. the similar thing that happened to me was that when i tried to reinstall using my compaq CDs (which i have used once or twice before because they install all the extra drivers for my notebook), the computer would shut off when i got to either the second or third (of four) CD to reinstall windows. this happened AFTER i had reformatted!!! i had no clue what the problem was, but i went back to the normal windows CD that came with my notebook and that installed everything fine. i had to search around the HP website for all the extra drivers that i needed, but i got everything back to "normal". i have no clue why the compaq CDs didn't work though...and like you, it was my computer shutting down during the installation that gave me the problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 i will try to condense this: i have an ancient computer...a 1998 compaq...i run anti-virus software(the free AVG one), never open weird email attachments, and avoid sketchy porno sites( )... HOWEVER, when i booted up the rig a few days ago, i got about halfway through the DOS stuff, when a funky error message popped up(the AVG software had already run and said "no virus found") that ended with the words "press any key to continue." there was also something about a "bad command," and "wininit.exe(i assume this is the virus)" on the screen. when i pressed a key, the computer immeditely turned off, as though someone had yanked the plug. i tried to start it up again, and this time when the message appeared, i DIDN'T press any key, but after about 15 secs, the machine still turned itself off. i tried reinstalling the entire OS from the quick install CDs that came with the computer, but again the machine turned off before the CD drive could even read them. so it looks like my ancient rig is screwed good. i guess i'm not TOO broken up about it- i have been meaning to replace the computer anyway. and i didn't lose any truly irreplacable files or anything like that...but i gotta ask....WTF HAPPENED ?! does anyone out there know? whenever i've done something dumb in the past, i've always at least realized it when i did it, and was able to fix it one way or another....but this seems completely unfixable...and i still have no clue HOW i got infected- that's what scares me. and hell, if you absolutely cannot turn the thing on, how can you possibly fix it??? oh well, i bet it will blow up real good when i toss it off my third floor balcony. before i do this however, can anyone offer any insight?? 227397[/snapback] Wow, dude! I had a very similar problem 2 years ago. It turns out I was infected by some new code that killed the bios and rendered my motherboard useless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted February 5, 2005 Author Share Posted February 5, 2005 uh oh....anything having to do with the term "motherboard" sounds terminal... well as i sit here and type this out on my friend's IBOOK, i believe i see the future...its time for an upgrade... and i think i will start looking for some m80s to solve the problem with my compaq.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 uh oh....anything having to do with the term "motherboard" sounds terminal... well as i sit here and type this out on my friend's IBOOK, i believe i see the future...its time for an upgrade... and i think i will start looking for some m80s to solve the problem with my compaq.. 229381[/snapback] dude, you realize your whole life is gonna change if you get a mac. You'll start buying $150 shirts, drinking diet mocha frappachinos made with soy milk, carrying a man purse, driving a two wheel vehicle with less than 500 cc's, listening to contemporary rock, laughing at jokes that aren't funny, hanging out with guys named "Heath" and "Chad" and talking about how much better Macs are, even while you're at the 5th store because the first 4 didn't have the software you wanted in the Mac version, and most imporantly, you'll never have a right mouse button again. Now if that sounds like a good life to you, buy a Mac. But for the love of god, think it through first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 dude, you realize your whole life is gonna change if you get a mac. You'll start buying $150 shirts, drinking diet mocha frappachinos made with soy milk, carrying a man purse, driving a two wheel vehicle with less than 500 cc's, listening to contemporary rock, laughing at jokes that aren't funny, hanging out with guys named "Heath" and "Chad" and talking about how much better Macs are, even while you're at the 5th store because the first 4 didn't have the software you wanted in the Mac version, and most imporantly, you'll never have a right mouse button again. 229409[/snapback] Not only that, dude, but all black people can run really fast and hang out with people named Tyrone and Latisha. So put that Mac away, get ye a PC, and you, too, can be a better person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 are there ever getting to be a large number of dudes around here..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 but does anyone know a forum where i can get a simpler explanation of the removal process? i STILL may throw the computer off the balcony just on principle alone, but for now i am enjoying the challenge of solving this problem. 227927[/snapback] Try Tech Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 here is another tech help site you might try cybertech hellp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 oh well, i bet it will blow up real good when i toss it off my third floor balcony. before i do this however, can anyone offer any insight?? 227397[/snapback] You have several possibilities on what happened. 1) You have a virus. 2) Your wininit file is corrurpt 3)You have a hardware problem. I have had roughly the same thing happen with #2 and #3. The hardware problem I had was a bad fan on the heatsink for the CPU. The computer would do a thermal shutdown. Those old AMD chips could be real heat generators. It's tough to sort these out when you can't get started. So instead of throwing that computer off the balcony, I recommend when you get your new system, you take your old hard drive and re-install Windows on it. Then take it out of your comp and save it. If you had a backup HD now, you could connect it to your comp. This would instantly prove it was a hardware problem or not. After that you could copy your good wininit file to the other hard drive, which would insure it is good. You could use virus software on the old harddrive to scan the bad one.. Also, if you only have one comp, it allows you to connect to the internet to seek out help. At minumum, when you get out of this, get an image of your harddrive using Ghost. It easily beats this frustration that happened when you are trying to get running again. One last thing. If you are going to keep a HD back up, make sure it goes with the motherboard and cpu you are going to use it as a backup on. I've tried using HD's from other systems (I've got 4) and they tend not to like to go from one system to another especially if one has an AMD chip in it and the other has an Intel chip in it. They tend to not boot into Windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 dude, you realize your whole life is gonna change if you get a mac. You'll start buying $150 shirts, drinking diet mocha frappachinos made with soy milk, carrying a man purse, driving a two wheel vehicle with less than 500 cc's, listening to contemporary rock, laughing at jokes that aren't funny, hanging out with guys named "Heath" and "Chad" and talking about how much better Macs are, even while you're at the 5th store because the first 4 didn't have the software you wanted in the Mac version, and most imporantly, you'll never have a right mouse button again. Now if that sounds like a good life to you, buy a Mac. But for the love of god, think it through first. 229409[/snapback] Obligatory pro-Macintosh response: 1. I own an iBook, a PowerBook, and a PowerMac. I enjoy Wild Turkey straight, shooting at deer, and bit tee-ots. 2. I'm using a PowerBook right now, and my mouse has two buttons and a scroll wheel which acts as a third. Just plug one in. 3. Virus? Do me a favor, send me your virus stuffed .exe files so I can click on then for hours while reading email. 4. Software? Considering 99.9% of the stuff you need comes with your Mac, there's not much left to buy. 5. Cost? http://www.apple.com/macmini/ Ok. Back to your regularly scheduled "trying to figure out how to get rid of that there virii." -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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