Display This, Turkey!

[rooster]

I was bound to do do it sooner or later; I guess today was the day.

I d/l the latest AVG DB yesterday and it started a sequence of bugger-ups
involving my startup items. The latest consequence is the loss of my
Display settings ... I mean, really lost. Even the options that appear in
Control Panel => Display don't even seem to be quite the same. It is almost
as if I am looking at an earlier, simpler, edition of W98.

Is there a way to retrieve/ restore my computer to the state it was in a
couple of days ago?

rooster

[Brian A.]

Have you tried a reg restore in DOS?

--

Brian A. Sesko
{ MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm




"rooster" > wrote in message
...
>I was bound to do do it sooner or later; I guess today was the day.
>
> I d/l the latest AVG DB yesterday and it started a sequence of bugger-ups
> involving my startup items. The latest consequence is the loss of my
> Display settings ... I mean, really lost. Even the options that appear in
> Control Panel => Display don't even seem to be quite the same. It is almost
> as if I am looking at an earlier, simpler, edition of W98.
>
> Is there a way to retrieve/ restore my computer to the state it was in a
> couple of days ago?
>
> rooster
>
>

[Ron Badour]

Display settings are maintained in the registry so restoring an older copy
should help. Here is my standard blurb:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use even
though more than five days have elapsed.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type: scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
>I was bound to do do it sooner or later; I guess today was the day.
>
> I d/l the latest AVG DB yesterday and it started a sequence of bugger-ups
> involving my startup items. The latest consequence is the loss of my
> Display settings ... I mean, really lost. Even the options that appear in
> Control Panel => Display don't even seem to be quite the same. It is
> almost
> as if I am looking at an earlier, simpler, edition of W98.
>
> Is there a way to retrieve/ restore my computer to the state it was in a
> couple of days ago?
>
> rooster
>
>

[rooster]

Hi Ron:

I appreciate your reply.

For reasons which I can't recal with certainty, I wasn't able to generate a
W98 Startup-Floppy. It seems to me that requires an app/component which this
OEM version does not have. This unit did not ship with a CD originally,
either ... its a long story... a 'lot' of computers was got by a Canadian
University for sale/lease to students ... cheap ... the idea being problems
would be handled by the campus Computer Store Techs as part of the
sale/lease agreement ... I remember trying to make a backup floppy 6-7
months ago, with advice from y'all here, and not succeeding.

Its just a wild guess on my part, but what I am seeing resembles a pre-W98
OS, and pre- IE/OE 6 updates.. maybe v.3 or 4 (not v.5).... very odd! Even
this ng presents very differently .. I'm not at all sure what all the
changes mean.

Blasted AVG updates ... this is the third time since December that I have
had major problems after downloading their virus DB.

I have that sinking feeling that I am stuck with whatever remains
functional; .....maybe time to say goodby to Ol' Paint, a clip-clopping
along with 16mB @ 133 mHz [sic]. I'm going to start running XPHome on a new
computer in a day or two. With luck, I'll learn how to d/l my files to it.

If you come up with an ingenious work-around I'd be delighted to try it, but
I'm not optimistic.

rooster

[Galen]

> For reasons which I can't recal with certainty, I wasn't able to generate
> a
> W98 Startup-Floppy. It seems to me that requires an app/component which
> this
> OEM version does not have.

Just a FYI... www.bootdisk.com

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability with
which he prefaced it, was,
if you will believe me, Watson, the very first thing which ever made me feel
that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

[Patti MacLeod]

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Ron:
>
> I appreciate your reply.
>
> For reasons which I can't recal with certainty, I wasn't able to generate
a
> W98 Startup-Floppy. It seems to me that requires an app/component which
this
> OEM version does not have. This unit did not ship with a CD originally,
> either

D/load the file to create a WIN98 floppy disk from here:
http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
Click on the link for "Windows 98 SE Custom, No Ramdrive", and d/load the
file to hard drive (do NOT d/load the file directly to floppy disk, as this
does NOT create the startup disk). Once the file has been d/loaded, put a
formatted floppy disk in the drive, then double-click on the d/loaded file
in order to create the startup disk.



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

[Ron Badour]

You can make a startup floppy disk using the Fat32ebd.exe file located on
the W98 CD: tools/mtsutil/fat32ebd or you can download one here:
http://www.bootdisk.com/ It is faster to make one.

Transferring files from one hard drive to another is no problem. Once your
new machine is ready and with the power turned off on both machines,
disconnect the ribbon cable from the CDRom drive on the new PC and hook it
to the hard drive of your old machine. There is a stripe on the cable that
assists in getting it plugged in the right way. This can often be done
without removing the drive from the old machine; however, if you must remove
the old drive, there are only two to four screws holding it in. Once out,
stand it on end and connect the ribbon cable and power plug from the new
machine to the drive. Then use Windows Explorer to transfer your data. To
combat static electricity, be sure to ground yourself to the computer cases
before touching parts and only touch those that you must.

A lot of people use AVG and it works flawlessly so I suspect the problem is
unique to your machine (i.e., maybe a software conflict).
--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Ron:
>
> I appreciate your reply.
>
> For reasons which I can't recal with certainty, I wasn't able to generate
> a
> W98 Startup-Floppy. It seems to me that requires an app/component which
> this
> OEM version does not have. This unit did not ship with a CD originally,
> either ... its a long story... a 'lot' of computers was got by a Canadian
> University for sale/lease to students ... cheap ... the idea being
> problems
> would be handled by the campus Computer Store Techs as part of the
> sale/lease agreement ... I remember trying to make a backup floppy 6-7
> months ago, with advice from y'all here, and not succeeding.
>
> Its just a wild guess on my part, but what I am seeing resembles a pre-W98
> OS, and pre- IE/OE 6 updates.. maybe v.3 or 4 (not v.5).... very odd! Even
> this ng presents very differently .. I'm not at all sure what all the
> changes mean.
>
> Blasted AVG updates ... this is the third time since December that I have
> had major problems after downloading their virus DB.
>
> I have that sinking feeling that I am stuck with whatever remains
> functional; .....maybe time to say goodby to Ol' Paint, a clip-clopping
> along with 16mB @ 133 mHz [sic]. I'm going to start running XPHome on a
> new
> computer in a day or two. With luck, I'll learn how to d/l my files to it.
>
> If you come up with an ingenious work-around I'd be delighted to try it,
> but
> I'm not optimistic.
>
> rooster
>
>

[rooster]

Patti;

Sounds like a plan.

My version is W98: 12703-OEM-0070696-16701
The site gives a choice between; "Alt 1" and "Alt 2".
Can you tell which one I the code references, or do I just have to guess?

rooster

[Ron Badour]

Make the disk as I recommended and you don't have to guess which one to
download and you don't have to waste time downloading what is already
available on your CD.

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
> Patti;
>
> Sounds like a plan.
>
> My version is W98: 12703-OEM-0070696-16701
> The site gives a choice between; "Alt 1" and "Alt 2".
> Can you tell which one I the code references, or do I just have to guess?
>
> rooster
>
>
>

[rooster]

Hi Ron;

<snip>
"You can make a startup floppy disk using the Fat32ebd.exe file located on
the W98 CD:"
<snip>

I could be misunderstaning you here. I mentioned in the post to which this
replies, that this unit didn't ship with a W CD. I am proceding with d/l a
booter from <http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm> I just need to determin which
of the 2 options given there apply to my version:
W98:12703-OEM-0070696-16701

The info you just gave me on setting up my new PC is *VERY* much
appreciated. Undoubtedly I will have a few DAQs to post here and/or at, "XP
Home", over the next few days.

rooster

[Patti MacLeod]

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
> Patti;
>
> Sounds like a plan.
>
> My version is W98: 12703-OEM-0070696-16701
> The site gives a choice between; "Alt 1" and "Alt 2".
> Can you tell which one I the code references, or do I just have to guess?
>
> rooster

The Alt 1 and Alt 2 are just alternate download locations for the same
file.........if, for some reason, one of the download locations is
unreachable, try the other.



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

[Ron Badour]

If you do not have a W98 CD, what exactly are you going to try to do with
the floppy boot disk? You do not need one to do a registry restore as long
as the computer is booting.

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"rooster" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Ron;
>
> <snip>
> "You can make a startup floppy disk using the Fat32ebd.exe file located on
> the W98 CD:"
> <snip>
>
> I could be misunderstaning you here. I mentioned in the post to which this
> replies, that this unit didn't ship with a W CD. I am proceding with d/l
> a
> booter from <http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm> I just need to determin
> which
> of the 2 options given there apply to my version:
> W98:12703-OEM-0070696-16701
>
> The info you just gave me on setting up my new PC is *VERY* much
> appreciated. Undoubtedly I will have a few DAQs to post here and/or at,
> "XP
> Home", over the next few days.
>
> rooster
>
>

[Patti MacLeod]

"Ron Badour" > wrote in message
...
> Make the disk as I recommended and you don't have to guess which one to
> download and you don't have to waste time downloading what is already
> available on your CD.
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> Knowledge Base Info:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

Except that rooster mentioned in one of his earlier replies that his unit
(purchased secondhand) did not ship with the CD.



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

[rooster]

Ron;

<snip>
"what exactly are you going to try to do with
the floppy boot disk?
<snip>

Beats the heck out of me. All I know is that the thing is booting into a
place where it didn't boot before, and I want to make it stop; i.e. restore
access to the Display options I had before.

Forgive my naieve description, but the screen 'resembles' the display
characteristics I see when booted into Safe Mode, but I have the usual (more
or less) access to the internet. For example, this page normally has blueish
background and borders (framing?). And the icons have slightly different
design characteristics. It is now all grey and the script is yellow. The
Windows Start Line icons are different in that they appear in stylized boxes
with 2 adjacent sides in bold. If you picture the Windows Start Line as a
long rectangle enclosing Start over to the Time Tray, it is now enclosed by
a hatched line which wasn't there before.

The Q appears to me to be; how do I make it boot to where it did this time
yesterday?

rooster

[rooster]

Hi;

".... and all shall be sweetness; and light."

I did what Haggis suggested and things are back to normal. Its amazing how
easy things can be when you know what you are doing.

Thanks to all. I learned something new from each of you.

Now; let me see if I can sort out my problem with the AVG updates. Ever
since the v.7 came out in January, I have had major trouble every time I
update the virus DB.

Happy trails,
rooster

[Ron Badour]

He said it did not ship "originally" which could imply (that's the way I
took it) that he got one later.
--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"Patti MacLeod" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Ron Badour" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Make the disk as I recommended and you don't have to guess which one to
>> download and you don't have to waste time downloading what is already
>> available on your CD.
>>
>> --
>> Regards
>>
>> Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
>> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
>> Knowledge Base Info:
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
>
> Except that rooster mentioned in one of his earlier replies that his unit
> (purchased secondhand) did not ship with the CD.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> Patti MacLeod
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User
>
>

[rooster]

One more thing;

I just got an alert which I don't understand. The same one appeared before
all this trouble began and I am wondering if there is a connection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winpatrol- Windows Restart Commands

NUL= Indicates the file will be deleted on restart
REN= Indicates the file will be renamed

[rename]
NUL=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\GLB1A2B.EXE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am given the option (hilited) to Delete or (not hilited) Close


I don't want to do anything with this until I understand what it means.

rooster

[Galen]

In ,
rooster > had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> One more thing;
>
> I just got an alert which I don't understand. The same one appeared
> before all this trouble began and I am wondering if there is a
> connection. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Winpatrol- Windows Restart Commands
>
> NUL= Indicates the file will be deleted on restart
> REN= Indicates the file will be renamed
>
> [rename]
> NUL=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\GLB1A2B.EXE
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I am given the option (hilited) to Delete or (not hilited) Close
>
>
> I don't want to do anything with this until I understand what it
> means.
>
> rooster

When in doubt rename and see if the system still runs for a few days. If it
does then delete the offending file.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

[rooster]

Hi Galen;

I did a little more checking on GLB1a2a.exe .... I didn't realize I could
just Google it ... so I learned something new .... anyway, it is an old
virus/worm that MacAfee identified back in 2000. AVG doesn't pick it up for
some reason.

from:
Newsgroups: nz.comp
From: Robin > - Find messages by this author
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 16:40:08 +1200
Local: Mon,Mar 18 2002 11:40 pm
Subject: Re: GLB1A2B.EXE virus

<snip
Details - This is a combo worm and virus - and is transmitted by e-
mail that will include a file attachment that appears to be a text
file.

The file is - in fact - text, but is a Program Information File (which
usually carries a .pif file extension). When executed it will dump a
payload file into the \windows\temp directory (or whatever your
default temp directory is!) with the file name GLB1A2B.EXE and
then execute this program.
<snip>

Happy trails,

rooster
boundary bay, bc

[Galen]

In ,
rooster > had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> Hi Galen;
>
> I did a little more checking on GLB1a2a.exe .... I didn't realize I
> could just Google it ... so I learned something new .... anyway, it
> is an old virus/worm that MacAfee identified back in 2000. AVG
> doesn't pick it up for some reason.
<snip>

Well, I hope you did the appropriate thing and at least re-named it. <g>
Better than just letting it sit there causing you trouble. Personally I name
things filename.old or the like before deleting them though if you can't
trust your AV product who can you trust?

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

[sf]

On Thu, 12 May 2005 09:29:25 -0500, Ron Badour wrote:

> A lot of people use AVG and it works flawlessly so I suspect the problem is
> unique to your machine (i.e., maybe a software conflict).

I'm wondering what caused it too. Perhaps a rogue copy of Norton or
McAfee?

[rooster]

I wouldn't want anything I have written to appear disparaging of AVG.

First of all, the unit with the problems isn't even supposed to be able
to run the new versions. Their min. sysreq's is 32 mB and this computer has
16 mB at a heart-stopping 133 mHz. Someone with a *lot* more understanding
about systems might have an explanation why v. 7 and the 'fix' that came
along last January started playing Rubik's Cube with my Startup Items, but
is so and that is very likely my problem, not AVG's.
Backward compatability has some limitations I suppose.

I was advised on AVG Forum to run "C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\GLB1A2B.EXE"
against virusscan:
<snip
Virusscan results:
Status:
OK (Note: this file has been scanned before. Therefore, this file's scan
results will not be stored in the database)
<snip>
......and they label it, "OK". The web sites I visited are a couple of years
old, for the most part. So, that is as far as I can go. That AVG doesn't
catch it might be moot for all I know.

rooster