Safe mode ??

[helmetbolt]

Hi,
I'm new to this so I hope this makes sense.
I uninstalled a scanner from my system. Now when I boot up I get a message saying scanner not found & to either reinstall or remove all traces of it. Press any key to continue. The problem is that the keyboard won't respond . so I reset the computer & it goes into safe mode. I try to reinstall the scanner with disc but the keyboard will not work so I can't type in any commands. Any help would be gratefully accepted.

All the best.

Helmetbolt.

[confus-ed]

So first off, welcome to windrivers helmetbolt :thumbs:

So keyboard 'no workee' in safe mode then ... does it just start in safe mode 'regardless' or do you get the options up ?

Like this ..?
http://www.acomp.usf.edu/Help/dynamic_content/Windows_Maintenance/How_to_use_Safemode/9xstart.gif
or just 'starts' ?

& just which operating system might this be ? 95, 98, 98se or ME ? & do we have a 'recovery' floppy ? If not go to bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com) & get one (they are 'handy' regardless, & I think we might 'need' one ..)

Can you also identify for us, the scanner involved & how its connected (parallel, usb, another way I didn't think of ?) & how is your keyboard connected (ps/2 connector, 'at' connector or usb - if you ain't sure describe the actual plug which goes into the pc & we can 'guess' based on that) ..

[corturbra]

Second to the welcome to Windrivers.

Would also be handy to know how you uninstalled the scanner?

Did you use the uninstall program for the software, or just delete the files/remove from Control Panel?

[confus-ed]

Second to the welcome to Windrivers.

Would also be handy to know how you uninstalled the scanner?

Did you use the uninstall program for the software, or just delete the files/remove from Control Panel?

Errr ... methinks the point is that after the first re-boot to install the sanner 'correctly' that the machine then re-booted in safe mode without a working keyboard .. so they never got as far as 'uninstalling' because they can't ...

[helmetbolt]

Hi Guys,
That was quick.

Options appear but without the keyboard I can't choose one. So a countdown begins and then it opens up in safe mode. I am using win 98 se. I do not have a recovery floppy disc. The scanner in question is an 5 year old optic-pro it conects to the computer by a multi pinned socket. I uninstalled it in the control panel add/remove programs. The keyboard is a Logitech cordless. I haven't got the exact info here, I'm using the computer at work to post these threads.

Helmetbolt.

[corturbra]

Errr ... methinks the point is that after the first re-boot to install the sanner 'correctly' that the machine then re-booted in safe mode without a working keyboard .. so they never got as far as 'uninstalling' because they can't ...

Successfully confused me.... I thought that the issue was the Scanner was installed, and has now been uninstalled and now Windows won't boot?

Anyways it's Monday and I'm having trouble seeing past my eyelids so apologies if misunderstood.

Back to the issue at hand, Helmetbolt, have you got a non-cordless keyboard you can try to get back into windows?

I take it you have already checked connections/batteries on the keyboard?

[helmetbolt]

Hi,
Yes, i have checked batt's/conections of keyboard,all ok. No I do not have a corded keyboard that I can use.

Helmetbolt.

[confus-ed]

I'm guilty of the confusion ! :D ... what a surprise ;) .. not !

Anyways definately get yourself a bootdisk for when you get home (while you do have net access, like I said 'handy regardless' ) ... we want windows to boot from something other than it does now & its pressumably 'wrong' startup files - just getting to prompt with a working keyboard would be progress .. a corded keyboard or at least one we can be certain doesn't need any startup files would be very handy too ! (my keyboard for instance is cordless & doesn't need any startup files as it connects from the wireless point to a ps/2 socket - usb stuff though often needs drivers to work at all ...)

btw a corded kb can be got from as little as £4 or say $7 which might be worth the outlay just to save on uncertainty/stress just to get it 'woking' for now (can you not 'borrow one' from work overnight ? we need to get in & fix whatever mischief this errant unistall has wrought, which you now know is 'mission impossible' without at least getting a working keyboard 'somehow' at 'somepoint'..)

[helmetbolt]

Thanks confus-ed, I'll buy one on my way home tonight.

[helmetbolt]

Hi
Well I got a corded keyboard on my way home. I have successfully got into my computer. I have reinstalled the scanner OK. Restarted my computer and got these messages.

ADGJDET.EXE is linked to missing export MFC42.DLL:6453

Then

ROTXE.DLL is linked to missing export MFC42.DLL:6458

Then

error MSVCRT.DLL:_lc_collate_cp

Then

CTEAXSPL.EXE is linked to missing export MFC42.DLL:6453

Then

Could not load TARGET DLL ["C:\PROGRAMFILESLOGITECH\DESKTOPMESSENGER\8876480\6 .1.4.36_887648OL\PROGRAM\BACKWEB.DLL",ERRORCODE31}

That took some copying out. What does all this mean ? Is there a quickfix program I can download from the web to repair this.

Help

Helmetbolt.

[confus-ed]

Right all those are 'why' it went wrong ! ..

When you install a driver it does something called 'registering' where it effectively adds bits into windows, when you uninstall it does the opposite & takes them out ..

ADGJDET.EXE, ROTXE.DLL & CTEAXSPL.EXE are all to do with creative drivers for soundcards ..

MSVCRT.DLL is a library of 'c' calls (the computer programming lanuage, so standard subroutines) which many other programs make use of, many programs also 'erroneously' over write it with 'their' version when they shouldn't (windows should take care of version control for this, but when did windows do what it should ? :D)..

BACKWEB.DLL though is malware ! & that's bad not just 'broken' - 'malware' is/are net nasties which 'sneakily' install themselves on your computer & can wreak havoc as well as mailing all your bank details to some terrorist in a cave in Afghanistan !

So two questions before we get around to fixing, do we actually have a creative soundcard on this system & do you know what the 'hell I'm talking about' as far as 'malware' goes ? .. I/someone else can then tailor an answer to fit ..

[WebHead]

Also, when you uninstall software, it asks you, "Do you want to remove, blah blah blah?" I usually just say "no to all" and leave all the driver, dll's, etc in there. Might seem messy, but at least things will continue to work.

Personally, if it were me, I would reinstall everything with the scanner attached,.. do what I wrote above, shut down, unplug scanner, reboot. Then check system properties for any errors. If any errors, remove them, reboot and see how it goes. Should be cool from there.

[helmetbolt]

Hi There,
I restarted my pc and couldn't get aol to start. But I'm here now.

Yes I have a creative soundcard installed. Allthough it aways appears on startup it does not now.

No I have never heard of mal ware.

Helmetbolt.

[helmetbolt]

Right, Now were cooking with gas.

Reinstalled scanner & reinstalled creative sound card, rebooted pc and guess what.

No error messages appeared. looks like i,ve been lucky this time.

I would still like to know what mod-wear is. Oh yes & why do I get a McAfee Firewall has intercepted a port scan attack or newtear attack every 5 to 10 minutes when I'm online ????

Thanks for the help.

All The Best,

Helmetbolt.

[helmetbolt]

Sorry I meant Mal-ware..

[NooNoo]

Right, Now were cooking with gas.

Reinstalled scanner & reinstalled creative sound card, rebooted pc and guess what.

No error messages appeared. looks like i,ve been lucky this time.

I would still like to know what mod-wear is. Oh yes & why do I get a McAfee Firewall has intercepted a port scan attack or newtear attack every 5 to 10 minutes when I'm online ????

Thanks for the help.

All The Best,

Helmetbolt.
Because probably the last person that had the ip you are now using was using it to tranfer files and that person disconnected...but the person who the files were coming from or to are still trying to get connected to a computer that is no longer there.

Or it could be a deliberate port scan. Or a roving virus looking for a host. Thing is, is that attack coming FROM the internet or FROM your computer?

[confus-ed]

..Or it could be a deliberate port scan. Or a roving virus looking for a host. Thing is, is that attack coming FROM the internet or FROM your computer?

So that brings us back 'nicely' (there's nothing 'nice' about it) to Malware ...

Malware is computer-eese for MALicious softWARE - so that covers Viruses, Worms & Trojans, together with other exotic sounding things like BHOs - browser 'helper' objects ('helper' in quotes again as they may or mayn't 'help' you, they may be 'helping themselves' to your personal data !), macro viruses & scripts .. (that btw is where the phrase 'script Kiddies' comes from to describe a 'poorly talented hacker') & a load of other stuff too tedious even for me to waffle about ..

So huh ? what you talking 'bout Willis !?!

Internet explorer is like the swiss cheese of computing, all holes ! (in this case security holes & 'unexpected' consequences ) ...

Very often when you visit sites they pop up little boxes saying 'install this, install that ..y/n .. dire consequences will happen if you don't, blah, blah, blah ..' or worse still you don't get any little box at all & the damn thing just installs it anyway regardless of whether you wanted it, or agreed to it, or most importantly understood the consequences of installing all this 'stuff' whose sole purpose is to glean info from your system .. Programs do this too, like games & particularly 'freebies', by installing things to track your downloads etc to get marketing info (why do you think its free ?), but some surprisingly 'I thought I could trust that' software does it too ;) ..

So what to do ? , what to do ...

You need to go get yourself something like Spybot Search & destroy (http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html?tag=lst-0-1) (the spybot site is 'down' yet again ! :rolleyes: - its such a 'good' product all the hackers in the world seem to attack it every day ! & cause DoS {denial of service} issues for them, on the link I gave which is a cached copy @ cnet, there's a link to the authors home page - get the latest version latter/as soon as ! ;)) or get yourself Adaware by Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) (A similar product - both are free or have a free version for home use). You might also check out HijackThis (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/) - the 'daddy' of malware removers ( but this is 'expert' for sure ! ;)) ...

One or other or all three will probably indicate you have more malware than you ever considered, all this may be 'phoning home' lots of stuff you never wanted, or worse still exposing your system to other 'nasties' as as far as your firewall & av software are concerned these are all 'ok' as you installed them (as I explained earlier you might have, but not because you 'meant to' ..).. all three products can detect malware & to some extent block future 'nasties' by using the 'innoculate' feature, which installs a block on known nasties being able to be installed in the future ..

None of this is helped by the fact that different AV vendors define some stuff differenetly from others (that's supposed to get it all isn't it ? Well no it isn't, but when you read all their blurb you come away with the impression it will !), so theres 'overlap' & confus-ed-ness over what products should stop what.

Generally for any machine connected to the net especially with an allways on connection (like cable say), you NEED AV software, a firewall & some anti-malware product ..

[helmetbolt]

Hi There,
Many thanks to all that replied to my posting. especially confus-ed. I downloaded your recomendations and found a total of 267 items of malware. I didn't even know these existed. I now have an up and running reasonably healthy PC again thanks to this site.

Many Thanks to all.

Helmetbolt.

[confus-ed]

You are welcome from me & I'd guess us all :thumbs: (a thank you is always much appreciated !), as that's why we come here .. to help & ed-ucate :)