My C drive's Windows folder opens up everytime I start up

[zferis]

I use a Sony Vaio laptop (PCG-Z505JE) with few problems. I do my best to keep Windows 98 updated and I use Symantec Virus software regularly. Nevertheless, I'm facing a recent problem when I start up my computer. After everything loads up/starts up, the C drive's Windows folder is left open in front of the desktop. I haven't touched a thing, and yet, it's open! I always have to close it, before getting started with my work, and I worry that my system has been compromised in some way. Hard to describe, so I hope that this all makes sense. I can try to describe this better, if not.

I've searched the forums and can't seem to find anything quite like this issue out there, so I don't know what to try next. I really appreciate any help anyone can offer!

[Landon]

Click on your START button and then go up to PROGRAMS and look for a folder called STARTUP, if your Windows folder somehow managed to get in here just right click and delete it.

If it is not in there click on the START button again then click on RUN, type in MSCONFIG and click OK.

Click on the STARTUP tab, look and see if your folder was somehow put in here, if you can find it in the list just take the check out of the box on the left hand side. Click APPLY then OK down at the bottom of the window.

Reboot when it wants to, if you get a pop-up about "Selective Startup" just uncheck the box that it has.

Hope this helps.

[zferis]

Landon,
Thanks for your reply. As you suggested, I checked the StartUp folder, but there isn't anything listed...so, I'm ruling that out.

As to your suggestion to run MSCONFIG and click on the StartUp tab, I can't find anything there that would leave the C drive window open. Then again, I don't know much about this stuff. Here's a Screen Shot of everything listed in the StartUp tab. Any idea which one of these might be responsible?

Thanks again for all the help! Best, -zferis


(It seems that the image file keeps failing to load, so if you want to see the file, just view this: http://www.freewebs.com/zferis/msconfig_cut.jpg

[Landon]

Off the top of my head I dont see anything in there that would cause your windows folder to load, what things I was suspicious of I looked up and found then to be valid programs.

One suggestion I would have (for the sanity of dial-up users) is to save screen shots as something other than a bitmat (.jpg, .gif, etc.) and use a much smaller file size.

[zferis]

Thanks for the effort, Landon. Good idea to change the image to jpeg - done!

Anyone else care to give this issue a try? I'm open to all suggestions...

Thanks!

[zferis]

Somebody...? Anybody...? Help! (see above)

Thank you in advance!

[hypnotizeminds]

I had this problem a few months ago. Can't tell you how I fixed it exactly, but I can tell you that it stopped immediately after I went through a lengthy process of removing all the malware from the system.

Not sure if this will fix your problem, but you should post a HijackThis log in the Cyber Safety forum, as well as run Spybot and Ad-Aware SE on your system.

Links are all on my downloads page, see downloads in my signature below.

[zferis]

I am moving! I'm writing all future posts to this same thread on the Cyber Safety forum...thanks for your interest!

Check here to see if this problem gets resolved:
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/...ad.php?t=69478