Need DOS-based AV for W98

  • Thread starter Thread starter robnorth
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robnorth

My kids' old W98 computer has AVG on it, but something sneaked through
and corrupted all the directories (except the root) on C:. I can boot
to command line, but not to Windows (just moved, can't find the W98 SE
CD, grrrrr...).

I tried downloading F-Prot for DOS, but when I run it I get "Critical
Error: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"

What's another good DOS-based removal tool I can use? And what kind of
virus would have those kinds of effects?

Thanks!
 
My kids' old W98 computer has AVG on it, but something sneaked through
and corrupted all the directories (except the root) on C:. I can boot
to command line, but not to Windows (just moved, can't find the W98 SE
CD, grrrrr...).

I tried downloading F-Prot for DOS, but when I run it I get "Critical
Error: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"

What's another good DOS-based removal tool I can use? And what kind of
virus would have those kinds of effects?
Click to expand...

You said it yourself it's an OLD machine. What makes you think it's a
virus?


Jim.
 
robnorth said:
(just moved, can't find the W98 SE CD, grrrrr...).
Click to expand...

Every work-place now adays (unless you work in a totally blue-collar
environment) has a closet or a box of old software and CD's. Why
don't you check your workplace for an old W-98 CD.
 
James said:
You said it yourself it's an OLD machine. What makes you think it's a
virus?
Click to expand...
Well, if it was just a disk failing, I'd expect either all the
directories to be corrupt, or a random sampling of directories to be
corrupt. But the root is fine and untouched, and every single other
directory is fubar'ed. That doesn't smell like "random old disk
problems" to me. I've been out of the PC tech support game for a while
(doing database reporting stuff for the last while), but I think I can
still trust my old instincts.

Besides, my kids used to download anything and everything onto it, so
it wouldn't surprise me that something made its way on past AVG's
weekly updates.

Robert
 
Well, if it was just a disk failing, I'd expect either all the
directories to be corrupt, or a random sampling of directories to be
corrupt. But the root is fine and untouched, and every single other
directory is fubar'ed. That doesn't smell like "random old disk
problems" to me. I've been out of the PC tech support game for a while
(doing database reporting stuff for the last while), but I think I can
still trust my old instincts.
Click to expand...

What does scandisk say?


Jim.
 
You can use DOS to run AVG.
from the command line, change directories down to the Grisoft folder in
Program Files. The to the AVG FREE folder.
There run the file named "avg.exe"

In a normal installation, the command line would read:
c:\progra~1\grisoft\avgfre~1\avg.exe

But it would be worth checking with DOS dir commands for the correct name of
your directories.

The AVG.EXE file will run the antivirus scan from DOS.

: My kids' old W98 computer has AVG on it, but something sneaked through
: and corrupted all the directories (except the root) on C:. I can boot
: to command line, but not to Windows (just moved, can't find the W98 SE
: CD, grrrrr...).
:
: I tried downloading F-Prot for DOS, but when I run it I get "Critical
: Error: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"
:
: What's another good DOS-based removal tool I can use? And what kind of
: virus would have those kinds of effects?
:
: Thanks!
:
 
Scandisk hits every directory entry and says "The entry for
C:\RECYCLED\#^&#$ is incorrect ... fix?" or some such. I did it for
all the Recycleds, thinking it was no big, but when it got into data
and program directories I bailed.

I think I'll sniff out some disk recovery stuff after running AVG from
DOS. Thanks for everyone's help!

Robert
 
robnorth said:
My kids' old W98 computer has AVG on it, but something sneaked through
and corrupted all the directories (except the root) on C:. I can boot
to command line, but not to Windows (just moved, can't find the W98 SE
CD, grrrrr...).

I tried downloading F-Prot for DOS, but when I run it I get "Critical
Error: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"

What's another good DOS-based removal tool I can use? And what kind of
virus would have those kinds of effects?
Click to expand...

The symptoms you described are typical to a dying hard drive. Viruses don't do
that.

Get drive diagnostic software from its manufacturer site on another computer,
prepare the diagnostic disk, and use it to test the failing HD.

If lucky, then the drive may still be OK but the file system collapsed. In
which case formatting and reinstalling software should do the trick.

Regards, Zvi
 
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