AUTOEXEC.BAT deleted on SHUTDOWN

[Andy Coleman]

I run Win 98 2nd edition. I recently discovered that AUTOEXEC.BAT was
missing. I re-created it, but it went missing again. This happenes every
time I switched off my PC. After a lot of playing I've discovered autoexec
is being deleted when I shutdown not at startup. I've got over the probled
temporaly by making it READ ONLY, so it doesn't get deleted. Does anybody
know why this is happening? Thanks ... Andy

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Andy,

I would suggest you start by doing a virus scan with up to date virus
software, then scan for and removing any installed spyware.
If you are in need of virus software, here are a couple to choose from, for
free.
Download the software, and in Update Manager run Update
then do a complete virus scan.
Free Offer: eTrust EZ Armor Security Suite from Computer Associates
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/index.cfm

Grisoft Freeweb: AVG Free Edition:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/1/

Search and destroy any installed SpyWare/malware/adware:
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans
your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware
components and lets you remove them safely. After installing
Ad-Aware make sure to run the update feature before scanning.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ For large amounts of installed
spyware and such, it may be necessary to run Ad-Aware several
times to clear them all.

Here are a couple more removal tools that should also be run.
CWShredder: http://aumha.org/freeware/freeware.php#cwshred

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

SpywareBlaster:
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware – it
prevents it from ever being installed. SpywareBlaster is
a non memory resident utility. It works by setting a "kill bit"
for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the
installation of any of them from a webpage.

For more information:
The Parasite Fight: http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Darnit: http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#tshoot

Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/

"Andy Coleman" wrote
>I run Win 98 2nd edition. I recently discovered that AUTOEXEC.BAT was
> missing. I re-created it, but it went missing again. This happenes every
> time I switched off my PC. After a lot of playing I've discovered
> autoexec
> is being deleted when I shutdown not at startup. I've got over the
> probled
> temporaly by making it READ ONLY, so it doesn't get deleted. Does anybody
> know why this is happening? Thanks ... Andy

[Andy Coleman]

Thanks Bert

I will try these out over the weekend and let you know what happens.

Just for info, my PC is running Symantec Corp edition with updates (I think
hourly). So I had hoped that it would have prevented viruses. However, it's
quite probable that there are holes in our system somewhere and spyware has
got in somehow.

Regards ... Andy

"Bert Kinney" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Andy,
>
> I would suggest you start by doing a virus scan with up to date virus
> software, then scan for and removing any installed spyware.
> If you are in need of virus software, here are a couple to choose from,
for
> free.
> Download the software, and in Update Manager run Update
> then do a complete virus scan.
> Free Offer: eTrust EZ Armor Security Suite from Computer Associates
> http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/index.cfm
>
> Grisoft Freeweb: AVG Free Edition:
> http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/1/
>
> Search and destroy any installed SpyWare/malware/adware:
> Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans
> your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware
> components and lets you remove them safely. After installing
> Ad-Aware make sure to run the update feature before scanning.
> http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ For large amounts of installed
> spyware and such, it may be necessary to run Ad-Aware several
> times to clear them all.
>
> Here are a couple more removal tools that should also be run.
> CWShredder: http://aumha.org/freeware/freeware.php#cwshred
>
> Spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/
>
> SpywareBlaster:
> http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
> SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it
> prevents it from ever being installed. SpywareBlaster is
> a non memory resident utility. It works by setting a "kill bit"
> for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the
> installation of any of them from a webpage.
>
> For more information:
> The Parasite Fight: http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
>
> Darnit: http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#tshoot
>
> Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
> http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
>
> --
> Regards,
> Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
> http://dts-l.org/
>
> "Andy Coleman" wrote
> >I run Win 98 2nd edition. I recently discovered that AUTOEXEC.BAT was
> > missing. I re-created it, but it went missing again. This happenes every
> > time I switched off my PC. After a lot of playing I've discovered
> > autoexec
> > is being deleted when I shutdown not at startup. I've got over the
> > probled
> > temporaly by making it READ ONLY, so it doesn't get deleted. Does
anybody
> > know why this is happening? Thanks ... Andy
>
>

[PCR]

May as well also... "Start button, Run, MSConfig".
Is Autoexec.bat unchecked there?


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Andy Coleman" > wrote in message
...
| Thanks Bert
|
| I will try these out over the weekend and let you know what happens.
|
| Just for info, my PC is running Symantec Corp edition with updates (I
think
| hourly). So I had hoped that it would have prevented viruses.
However, it's
| quite probable that there are holes in our system somewhere and
spyware has
| got in somehow.
|
| Regards ... Andy
|
| "Bert Kinney" > wrote in message
| ...
| > Hi Andy,
| >
| > I would suggest you start by doing a virus scan with up to date
virus
| > software, then scan for and removing any installed spyware.
| > If you are in need of virus software, here are a couple to choose
from,
| for
| > free.
| > Download the software, and in Update Manager run Update
| > then do a complete virus scan.
| > Free Offer: eTrust EZ Armor Security Suite from Computer Associates
| > http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/index.cfm
| >
| > Grisoft Freeweb: AVG Free Edition:
| > http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/1/
| >
| > Search and destroy any installed SpyWare/malware/adware:
| > Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans
| > your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware
| > components and lets you remove them safely. After installing
| > Ad-Aware make sure to run the update feature before scanning.
| > http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ For large amounts of installed
| > spyware and such, it may be necessary to run Ad-Aware several
| > times to clear them all.
| >
| > Here are a couple more removal tools that should also be run.
| > CWShredder: http://aumha.org/freeware/freeware.php#cwshred
| >
| > Spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/
| >
| > SpywareBlaster:
| > http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
| > SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it
| > prevents it from ever being installed. SpywareBlaster is
| > a non memory resident utility. It works by setting a "kill bit"
| > for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the
| > installation of any of them from a webpage.
| >
| > For more information:
| > The Parasite Fight: http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
| >
| > Darnit: http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#tshoot
| >
| > Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
| > http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
| >
| > --
| > Regards,
| > Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
| > http://dts-l.org/
| >
| > "Andy Coleman" wrote
| > >I run Win 98 2nd edition. I recently discovered that AUTOEXEC.BAT
was
| > > missing. I re-created it, but it went missing again. This happenes
every
| > > time I switched off my PC. After a lot of playing I've discovered
| > > autoexec
| > > is being deleted when I shutdown not at startup. I've got over
the
| > > probled
| > > temporaly by making it READ ONLY, so it doesn't get deleted. Does
| anybody
| > > know why this is happening? Thanks ... Andy
| >
| >
|
|

[Lee]

"Andy Coleman" > wrote in message >...
> I run Win 98 2nd edition. I recently discovered that AUTOEXEC.BAT was
> missing. I re-created it, but it went missing again. This happenes every
> time I switched off my PC. After a lot of playing I've discovered autoexec
> is being deleted when I shutdown not at startup. I've got over the probled
> temporaly by making it READ ONLY, so it doesn't get deleted. Does anybody
> know why this is happening? Thanks ... Andy

My sound card requires that the DOS level drivers have their 'line'
at the first location in my autoexec.bat file. If they aren't, then
autoexec.bat gets rewritten at shutdown to make it so even if the
lines are now duplicated. It's just an odd behavior that I noted
at shutdown and most probably has nothing to do with your problem
at all. I just wanted to let you know that it might be something
as harmless as a badly written driver for some piece of hardware
that you've installed. Perhaps lately?