AVG ,should do it for you .this win95 site has links and help for win 95 computers .http://www.95isalive.com/privacy.htm#Virus

as for the defrag just right click on the drive go to properties ,tools and run the defrag doesent matter if it windows or notons .

From what I remeber about W95, there isn't such possibility to set the whole drive to "read-only".

My best guess is that the File Allocation Table is busted on your D drive and the system CAN'T read or write (Actually it can read first cluster of a file or folder). You should run any scan disk you have. Doesn't really matter if it is Norton DiscDoctor or windows scandisk. They work the same. Be sure to do a surface scan (system area). And expect heavy losses.

Also find some freeware or trial anti virus-spy-adware to cleanup the system.

I can't imagine there is somthing wrong with the file allocation table, as I have had no problem reading data off the disk. I am able to save files to the disk through an application, just not by Windows Explorer. Also, when I try to run scan disk, I am given an error message stating that an application has locked the disk. AVG free locked my CPU at 100%. Could this possibly be an interference with one of the Norton products I have installed?

Could be Norton's speed disk running in backgrond. That would lock the drive. Look at the tray if there's a speed disk icon. It tends to keep on running in the background when you press the "x" on it's window.

It would also keep CPU at 100%. It is defragmenting the disk.

I was able to run ScanDisk off the system floppy using the command line (rebooted in MS-DOS mode). I also ran a surface test. It showed no problem. Could it be Norton SpeedDisk that is preventing me from writing to the disk?

Sad thing is, I originally paid over $2000 for this machine. Now I'd be lucky to get $20 off of it.

One thing that I think could be (I believe that it is possible in W95), is if you have enabled sharing (read only permission) the hard disk in question, mapped it in explorer and actually, trying to write to it's mapped instance. Still, you would have both instances available in explorer.

I also remember, regarding Norton system works, that default settings included system doctor at startup. Maybe it was win doctor. One of those would startup with windows. That one can run scheduled tasks, like disk doctor, speed disk, Norton update... Maybe it is running something in the background every time that would lock the drive.

P.S. Hardware is not an issue here. So don't be gettin' rid of it.

I don't see anything about sharing by right-clicking on the drive. The drive used to work fine, I dunno what's wrong.If I close down norton, will the drive be unlocked and writeable? Why can applications read and write to the drive, but I can only read? Would reformatting the drive fix the problem (this is only a LAST RESORT)?

No, formating the drive is out of the question. Your las resort would be reinstalling windows. This is pure software bug/issue. Otherwise you would get BSOD and stuff.

Do try closing down norton.
And if that fails, try disabling norton protection (rightclick recycle bin, select properties, and uncheck the "enable norton protection" or something like that).


One more thing, which ver. of norton systemworks is it?
Last I remember, Norton 2001 (I think) refused to install without Internet Explorer 6, And IE6 won't install unless it's W98SE minimum.

I belive it is SystemWorks 2000.