Having Serious Problem - PLEASE HELP!!

I recently am facing a SEVERE problem with my Windows.

I run Windows ME on a Compaq PC, have been for the last
2.5 years. My problem is that whenever I try to install a
program, the following is said:

"(Program) has caused an error in <unknown>.
(Program) will now close.
If you have any problems, please restart your computer"

I became aware of this problem about a week ago when I
tried to update my MSN messenger. And not only that, but
NONE of any new programs will install. Always, there is an
error in "<unknown>" . I am desperate, as I do not want to
format my harddrive (have lots of important files there)
and I have done everything in my power to correct it. I
just simply cannot seem to correct that problem.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Help Me, as I am SEVERELY
Desperate!! :( ANY HELP would be HIGHLY appreciated!

P.S. When I tried to install MSN Messenger 6.1, it said
that "BOOTSTRAP has caused an error in <unknown>" .. I
tried lookingfor 'Bootstrap' all over my computer, but
can't seem to find anything like that. Please, help! :(

Noel
Wed Apr 21 08:10:41 CDT 2004

You may have a virus/spyware hijack

download the Stinger from here and run it to make sure that A-V-disabling
viruses are not present on your PC
http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/stinger.exe

- update your virus scanner and run a full system scan of all files.

download AdAware from www.lavasoftusa.com, install, update, and run it to
remove spyware, adware,
and other such nasties from your system.

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove variants of the
CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
http://www.merijn.org/files/CWShredder.exe
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads/tools/CWShredder.exe
http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
or
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2001/Mar01/Mar27pmvp.asp
"XC5000" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:223f01c4279e$8a05abc0$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> I recently am facing a SEVERE problem with my Windows.
>
> I run Windows ME on a Compaq PC, have been for the last
> 2.5 years. My problem is that whenever I try to install a
> program, the following is said:
>
> "(Program) has caused an error in <unknown>.
> (Program) will now close.
> If you have any problems, please restart your computer"
>
> I became aware of this problem about a week ago when I
> tried to update my MSN messenger. And not only that, but
> NONE of any new programs will install. Always, there is an
> error in "<unknown>" . I am desperate, as I do not want to
> format my harddrive (have lots of important files there)
> and I have done everything in my power to correct it. I
> just simply cannot seem to correct that problem.
>
> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Help Me, as I am SEVERELY
> Desperate!! :( ANY HELP would be HIGHLY appreciated!
>
> P.S. When I tried to install MSN Messenger 6.1, it said
> that "BOOTSTRAP has caused an error in <unknown>" .. I
> tried lookingfor 'Bootstrap' all over my computer, but
> can't seem to find anything like that. Please, help! :(

XC5000
Wed Apr 21 08:36:58 CDT 2004

Thank you for the link. However, will that stinger.exe
file work with my system currently infected like this? I
have run Ad-Aware and CWShredder, and they both report
that there are no other spywares in the system. Should I
run stinger too .. just in case?

Noel
Wed Apr 21 08:58:03 CDT 2004

yes - and yes

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
or
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2001/Mar01/Mar27pmvp.asp
"XC5000" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:225601c427a5$b825d230$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Thank you for the link. However, will that stinger.exe
> file work with my system currently infected like this? I
> have run Ad-Aware and CWShredder, and they both report
> that there are no other spywares in the system. Should I
> run stinger too .. just in case?

cquirke
Wed Apr 21 18:35:34 CDT 2004

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:58:03 +0100, "Noel Paton"

>yes - and yes

More likely; maybe, and yes.
- Yes, you can run Stinger.
- Maybe it will cope with what it can find, maybe not.

A better approach is to do a formal virus check, as per
http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/virtest.htm - this avoids
running the malware before the av scanner (so that it's not able to
defend itself or counter-attack) and allows you to use full av
scanners that search for everything (see DOS scanners from
www.f-prot.com, www.nod32.com or www.sophos.com) whereas Stinger
detects and cleans only a short list of common malware.

>"XC5000" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>news:225601c427a5$b825d230$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>> Thank you for the link. However, will that stinger.exe
>> file work with my system currently infected like this? I
>> have run Ad-Aware and CWShredder, and they both report
>> that there are no other spywares in the system. Should I
>> run stinger too .. just in case?



>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Running Windows-based av to kill active malware is like striking
a match to see if what you are standing in is water or petrol.
>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -