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redx1133
join:2004-07-15
USA

redx1133

Member

Can't open Start, My Computer, My Documents or br

Yesterday a friend came over and asked me if I would take a look at her computer. I figured sure no big deal. I get over there and the first thing I do is open IE. What do I get? 2 toolbars they never downloaded and it continually sits there trying to reload the same page. The browser just sits there flickering. Cannot click tools or anything. So right from there im thinking WTF? I than go to open My Computer and you know what it says?

"Your current security settings prohibit running activex on this page. As a result, the page may not be displayed correctly"

This is opening My Computer! If you try to open My Documents it says something about the shortcut being invalid. Her start menu is unclickable. I managed to get into IE internet options and under security settings the choices are blank. There is no High, Medium, Low, etc.

So I went to my house and burnt ad-aware, spybot, mcafee, and opera. I installed ad-aware(updated reference file) and it found around 150+ things. It managed to remove the toolbars, but it did not fix IE continaully reloading or the problem about activex on this page when opening My Computer.

When I tried to install spybot it said: "Internal Error: failed to expand shell folder constant "userappdata"

I scanned with mcafee with the latest dats it did not find a thing. I than installed Opera and went to download hijackthis, cwshredder, and kill2me. Had to open these from Opera's transfer window by double clicking otherwise I would not be able to access them. So I ran cwshredder and kill2me, both did not find anything. I run Hijackthis and try to save the log, but it never pops up asking where to save the log to.

I booted into safe mode and its the same deal. Start menu does not open, My Computer says the activex security settings.

Anyone know what on earth is going on? I sat there for hours yesterday trying everything I could possibly think of to get it back to normal. Formatting is really not an option because she has very important documents on there that she cannot lose. I also tried using her Compaq recovery cd and it says Please Contact Compaq Technical Support. Which is strange. If there is a tool that we could transfer her documents to a floppy or something from DOS that may work.

I really don't know what else to do. Please help!
redx1133

redx1133

Member

If I were to put Windows XP on her computer and choose Upgrade would that keep all her documents? This is really the only thing I can think of to do at this point.
Nanaki (banned)
aka novaflare. pull punches? Na
join:2002-01-24
Akron, OH

Nanaki (banned)

Member

Re: Can't open Start, My Computer, My Documents o

said by redx1133:
If I were to put Windows XP on her computer and choose Upgrade would that keep all her documents? This is really the only thing I can think of to do at this point.

If that computer is that bad off you will have to do 1 of 2 things reformat it or go in to the registry and manualy clean out the garbage. I would not risk upgradeing over top of it cause well it could end up with the exact same problems. Also do not use any downloaded version of xp if thats whats already on this computer that could be half the problem right there realy. If you have a legal xp pro to install i would reformat and reinstall it alone no upgrade. A option to back up here documents and the like is use knoopix and copy all that off to another hard drive or cd. Remember though depending on what you back up you may very well back up the cause of the problem as well.

Depending on os win 2k or above press ctrl shift esc to access taskmanager and use file new task and type regedit. Your gona be doing alot of work on that computer. I dont know your skill at editing the registry so all i can say is be damn carefull when in doubt dont touch it. Your main goal should be getting IE to work and getting my computer to work. From there you can run highjack this spybot install etc. Also download avg anti viri and run it with latest updates is a good chance mcafee may have missed something. Once you get IE to work run pest patrols online scan and a online av scan or to. Unless sysem files have been destroyed by ay the love gate virus or other system killer viri the computer can be recovered hell even if 90% of the system files are destroyed or infected the computer is recoverable it would just be more work than its worth.
redx1133
join:2004-07-15
USA

redx1133

Member

said by Nanaki:
said by redx1133:
If I were to put Windows XP on her computer and choose Upgrade would that keep all her documents? This is really the only thing I can think of to do at this point.

If that computer is that bad off you will have to do 1 of 2 things reformat it or go in to the registry and manualy clean out the garbage. I would not risk upgradeing over top of it cause well it could end up with the exact same problems. Also do not use any downloaded version of xp if thats whats already on this computer that could be half the problem right there realy. If you have a legal xp pro to install i would reformat and reinstall it alone no upgrade. A option to back up here documents and the like is use knoopix and copy all that off to another hard drive or cd. Remember though depending on what you back up you may very well back up the cause of the problem as well.

Depending on os win 2k or above press ctrl shift esc to access taskmanager and use file new task and type regedit. Your gona be doing alot of work on that computer. I dont know your skill at editing the registry so all i can say is be damn carefull when in doubt dont touch it. Your main goal should be getting IE to work and getting my computer to work. From there you can run highjack this spybot install etc. Also download avg anti viri and run it with latest updates is a good chance mcafee may have missed something. Once you get IE to work run pest patrols online scan and a online av scan or to. Unless sysem files have been destroyed by ay the love gate virus or other system killer viri the computer can be recovered hell even if 90% of the system files are destroyed or infected the computer is recoverable it would just be more work than its worth.

Can you give me the commands to format and than install XP? I was thinking about making a new partition and installing xp to it and than transferring the documents over to xp. From there would just delete the ME partition. I could back up her documents to my usb drive also via command prompt and just do a fresh XP install. Would either of those work?

Do you think mcafee missed a virus? I suppose its possible and can scan with avg. Get the free edition right now trial?

I am pretty sure some system files got screwed up since it does the same crap in safe mode and putting in the recovery cd it says to contact technical support. I think alot must have been changed.

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

Name Game to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133

Re: Can't open Start, My Computer, My Documents or br

A bit to late for this..but my rule of thumb when helping anyone when I have direct access to their PC is ask if they have any important documents on their system..if they do then I immediately capture those user files and folders to a laptop or storage device I carry with me.

I think all those Ultimate Boot CD's and other CD's with tools on them are great..but the first goal is still backing up what is important to the friend or customer ASAP if at all possible.
redx1133
join:2004-07-15
USA

redx1133

Member

You aren't late at all. I have Hiren's 5.0 and MiniPE 5.25.2k4 not sure if I posted that already. I seen some file recovery tools in MiniPE I wonder if I'd be able to transfer the files she needs from within miniPE. Only one way to find out. But yes, the main thing before installing XP is backing up the documents she has. She runs a day care and has papers that the state needs that she cannot lose. Those are the files I must access.

I can get to a command prompt and type copy filename.extension a:/ or e:/(or whatever it assigns my usb drive to). That should do the trick. I just hope installing XP doesn't cause even more problems.

Its an old compaq and I heard that those systems have a hidden partition needed to boot and if it gets deleted it will refuse to load any OS. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but if that happens that will NOT be good.

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

1 edit

Name Game to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133
Well then might not be too late for this also..

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 177943

OFF97: ActiveX Errors When You Run Internet Explorer
View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q177943
SYMPTOMSWhen you start Internet Explorer, you may receive the following error message:

This page provides potentially unsafe information to an ActiveX Control. Your current security settings prohibit running controls in this manner. As a result, this page may not display correctly.

In addition, if you click one of the drives in My Computer or Windows Explorer, you may receive the following error message:

Microsoft Internet Explorer

An ActiveX Control on this page is not safe. Your current security settings prohibit running controls on this page. As a result, this page may not display as intended.
When you click OK, you receive the following error message:

Internet Explorer Script Error

An error has occurred in the script on this page.

Line: 78
Char: 1

Error: Object doesn't support this property or method.
Code: 0

Do you want to continue running scripts on this page?
If you click either Yes or No, you can open any of the drives. However, when you open folders on the drives, you continue to receive similar error messages.

NOTE: You may receive these error messages whenever you restart your computer. For additional information about these error messages, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
201364 PRB: Mismatched Ole32.dll and Comcat.dll

CAUSE
This issue can occur if you run the Microsoft Office 97 File and Registry Eraser utility on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Internet Explorer.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, reinstall the Comcat.dll file:
Use Windows Explorer to locate the Os\System folder on your Microsoft Office 97 CD-ROM, and then click the Comcat.dll file.
On the Edit menu, click Copy. Locate and click the System32 folder of Windows NT (by default, C:\Winnt\System32). On the Edit menu, click Paste to paste the Comcat.dll file in the System32 folder.
Click Start, click Run, and then type the following command:
regsvr32 c:\winnt\system32\comcat.dll

Click OK. The following message is displayed:
DllRegisterServer in c:\winnt\system32\comcat.dll succeeded.

STATUSMicrosoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATIONAn updated version of the Office 97 File and Registry Eraser utility (Eraser97.exe) is available.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download Eraser97.exe now

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. The Office 97 File and Registry Eraser utility removes most of the files and Windows registry settings that remain on the computer after you remove Office 97. This utility is designed to be run after you run the Setup program for Office 97 and click Remove All to remove Office 97. When you run the Office 97 File and Registry Eraser utility, it removes shared system components. The Internet Explorer Active Desktop requires these components, and does not work correctly after the files are removed. To restore the Active Desktop, reinstall the Comcat.dll file. For additional information about the Office 97 File and Registry Eraser utility, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
176823 OFF97: Utility to Completely Remove Remaining Office 97 Files and Registry Entries

»support.microsoft.com/?k ··· d=177943

*******************

Tell me some more info on how that PC is set up and what OS partitions etc..Do i understand win ME is involved here.

That famous OS that thinks its WE is really the IE..and how about the security setting in your IE...

Ouote:
"I can't get into My computer or it's contents.I keep
getting Internet Explorer message"Your current security
settings prohibit running activex on this page. As a
result,this page may not display correctly" Please help I
may have to re-install and need to back up crucial files
to my CD rewritable disk."

You should be able to jump up into Internet Explorer... Tools ->
Internet Options -> Security

Change it to your needs. Make sure that under the tabs that ActiveX is
allowed.
Name Game

Name Game to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133
You know i would not put XP on that compaq for her..just soud like more problems for her..if anything i would put on Win98 with IE 5.O at this point in time..too many things going to happen with XP coming up here in a month or so..and for you to even consider to help her lock down an install of XP at that center..It will be taking you weeks to secure it..and then it will still get wacked.:(

If you can get away from IE completely and use firefox or another browser i would do it..
redx1133
join:2004-07-15
USA

redx1133

Member

I don't have a win98 cd to do that. I figure just will download zonealarm, get the needed patches and be done with it. I will set mcafee to auto update everyday and that should be enough. I just hope it will take XP and doesn't give me some loading error.

This is really her only choice. I could possibly export her registry and allow you guys to take a look at it and see if you can fix the problems. I really don't know what else to do at this point besides back up her needed documents and than doing a fresh XP install.

Will be heading over there around 1PM. Hopefully everything goes fine with the XP install. If it doesn't than its going to be a major, major problem because like I said I really don't know what else to do for her. It is screwed up beyond repair IMO.
redx1133

redx1133 to Name Game

Member

to Name Game
Its not that problem. It doesn't say anything about activex when opening IE. It just continually tries to load whatever website each millisecond and does nothing. If i type from run www.google.com for instance it will be fine, but I cannot type in a search it doesnt pick up me hitting enter or clicking ok. Under security options it has the slider and everything but there are no zones and I cannot move the slider up or down. It is just blank no options.

Yes the computer is WinME. She has some profiles setup on it, but all I can see is the main one that was already typed in. There are no partitions just WinME which it came with.

It really is the strangest thing I ever seen. Whatever she got really screwed up her computer.

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

Name Game to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133
Well it was probably one of those Cool web search things or bridge.dll that you partically cleaned off but whacked the IE..wonder if you can get your security tabs back this way..

Try this patch, :

»www.kellys-korner-xp.com ··· tabs.reg

After downloading, right click the file and select merge.

Reboot and see if problems persist.

0r..
Try this registry patch:

»mvps.org/winhelp2002/Rep ··· Tabs.reg
1) Restores the missing Tabs in IE (usually spyware related)
2) Unlocks the grayed-out Home Page section
3) Removes the Administrator message in Internet Options
redx1133
join:2004-07-15
USA

redx1133

Member

Will definetly give the first registry patch a try. The 2nd one wont help though. Her start page and stuff isn't greyed out. Not really sure what this spyware was trying to do. No popups or anything. Its like some kind of virus got in and just reaked havoc and uninstalled itself. I will be going over there in a half hour and will let you know how it goes. I will run a scan with AVG also and see if it picks up anything.

If none of them work about the only choice is formatting and installing xp.
redx1133

redx1133

Member

Will that patch work at all though? That site is meant for XP. The OS on there is ME.
jaked4
join:2004-07-17
Waupaca, WI

jaked4 to redx1133

Member

to redx1133
Ok, I think I have a very similar problem, and I am wondering if you found a solution yet.

I renamed some files I downloaded (they were .exe, I renamed them to .iso) and then I restarted my computer. When it rebooted, my desktop looked as it did when I first installed Windows (only the My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin, Internet Explorer icons, and a plain blue background) I could not click on the Start Menu, it only depressed, but would not open. If I open My Computer, I get a message "Your current security settings prohibit running ActiveX controls on this page. As a result, the page may not display properly." If I double click the IE icon, nothing happens. There is no Outlook Express icon. If I open My Documents, it tells me the target must be wrong. Norton Antivirus is running next to my clock, but when I open it and try to scan, it at first told me there are no scans available...so I added my computer to the scan list, but when I ran it, it told me to reinstall Norton.
I went into safe mode and in it I can open My Computer, and all my files appear to be there. I still cannot run Norton, or use the Start Menu.
I don't know whether this is virus activity or not, or if my problem has anything to do with remaming those files (it just happens to be the last thing I did on my computer before restarting).
Please help if you can.

Also, I have a new computer coming in a few days and my original plan was to put the hard drive from this computer into my new one as a slave drive so that I do not lose my files. Do you think this is a bad idea since they might be infected with something?

Thanks,
Jake
jaked4

jaked4

Member

I forgot one thing...I right clicked on Internet Explorer to change my security settings and when I looked at the Security tab, there are no zones, it just says "Zone [blank]" and the slider has no levels to move it to.

Pin
Premium Member
join:2002-06-19
The Dungeon

Pin to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133
Remove the drive and install it as a slave in another pc.

Then copy all the data files that are needed to your drive.

Download the drive manufacturers tools (usually a bootable disk) and run the diags. If it comes out clean (I'm doubting it) then run the write zero's to the drive. Then reinstall the OS of your choosing.

It's been a really long time since compaq or apple placed the bios in a file on an alternate partition or file.

What's the processor in that compaq? Or the model?

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

1 edit

Name Game to redx1133

Premium Member

to redx1133
Yesterday I infected a test system from a site out there and ended up with the same symptoms and problems your friend experienced. You did not state what files any of those security products even begain to find..but on this test we ended up with..

dial32.exe
dial32.php
dkdial.exe
dkdial.txt
dkserver.txt
explorer.exe
kluniqadv74.php
kladv74.php
mstasks1.exe
mstasks1.txt
mstasks2.exe
mstasks2.txt
secure32.txt
secure32.php
system32.dll
secure33.txt
secure33.php
seksdialer.exe
system.exe
system32.dll
system32.txt
system34.txt
system42.txt
system44.txt
toolbar.exe
toolbar.txt
wintime.exe
wintime128.txt
msrexe.exe
xdld93.exe

to name a few.

When you do finally get it up and running..suggest you get the Microsoft Updates for her ASAP besides whatever third party security products you do use.