Windows

With Win 98 you should have made a Startup Floppy when you installed the OS but if you didn't install 98 or didn't bother with the floppy you can make one from inside the Control Panel.

Click on Add/=Remove Programs and then the top Tab on the right hand side called Startup Disk and then click on Create Disk.

If memory serves me correctly you'll also need the install or recovery CD to do this.

You could also with the Original install CD use the System File Checker and restore any altered Files from the Install CD by clicking on the Start then the Run and typing SFC and chose the option to extract from install disk and then allow the system to run and replace any altered or missing files.

If you use the SFC option you'll need to reinstall all your software and apply any updates as well but it should get things working properly again for you.

If that doesn't work it at the very least will get you to a point where you can save your data and then wipe the HDD with a wiping utility and reinstall the OS as a clean install, but you'll need all your driver Cd's as well as your Software installation Cd's and it will take some time but it's most likely the best way to solve your current problem.

At this time you should also instigate some form of DR Recovery plan so you are not in a position of loosing all of your data as HDD's do fail and it's very expensive to recover any data on them when this happens.

Col

Ok down load from your computer or a friends computer, spybot search and destroy, Adaware SE, and Stinger from mcafee. Update and run them, then down load window washer and run it. Reboot and update your antivirus program, you do use a antivirus right? If not AVG is free and it is a good antivirus program. But after you down load it you should update the dat file. And run it to see what it detects.
Win98 is the easyist to fix because you can reload over the old with out lossing any thing.
Let me know if you need more info, I still use 98 on one computer because it is so easy to use.

When you restart your pc press f8 key go in command prompt
which antivirus you r using
go in antivirus directory by
cd progra~1
then appropriate directory and run antivirus with checking for exe file

First things first. To "see" and kill any programs and determine what is good, download this app from: http://www.x-raypc.com/download.php
Use the online scanner and advanced settings and you can see what the problem is.
Word of note: invest in a firewall/AV software program(not the 'freebie' ones) that handles the usage set to auto-update(sometimes this can be a bad thing RAM wise, but is will update itself to defeat most trojans, worms and such).
Regards, David

easier way to do it... boot the pc up with the F8 command.. it will bring up a promp to how you would like to start windows..

i recommend safemode but you can also boot it in msdos from here.